Page 18 of The Handyman

“We’re past Black Cat, aren’t we, baby? I have a lot of fun stuff at my place. If you want to get frisky, I got options.”

My brows twitched in interest.

Reece smirked broadly, as he held my waist. “I’m sure you’ll like it a lot more than you may think.”

“Riley!”

The sharp call made me jump, and I whipped around to find Brandon, in the flesh, andmad. His strong face pinched, his stride aggressive with the vein in his forehead bulging.

Against my side, Reece tensed, and the air knocked from my lungs as too many thoughts whizzed around behind my wide eyes.

“You must be Brandon.” Stepping in front of me, Reece spoke calmly, but the muscles in his back played noticeably even through his jacket. Brandon had an inch or two on Reece, was broader and obviously angrier. “I’ve been meaning to ask you some questions.”

I held my breath as my heart lodged in my throat.

“You know she’s a cheating, manipulative bitch—”

“Yeah, yeah. She called the cops on you, blah, fucking blah. I don’t care about what you have to say about that. Who cares? You wouldn’t happen to have $10 grand I can borrow, would you?”

The question made Brandon pause mid-step and

My gaze ping-ponged between him and Reece.

Instantly, Brandon went on the confused defensive, his lip curling in a snarl when Reece glanced back at me through narrowed eyes. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised this guy’s bad with money. He probably paid a lot of penalties for breaking the rules at Black Cat and had to ask friends— if he has any that would bother.”

But Reece didn’t seem at all happy about his own declaration. Actually, he seems kinda upset and confused.

I didn’t know what to say even as my mouth opened.

“Come on, Riley. What do you think about chicken?” Spitting venomously, Reece turned his eyes back to Brandon to scuff in disgust. “I don’t likepig.”

Brandon snarled. “You’re a fucking homewrecker bitch, shacking up with someone else’s girlfriend. I hope you like psycho—”

Reece moved so fast, and I dropped my basket with a horridclatter. In a flash, faster than I could blink, he was standing over Brandon, somehow having gotten him on his back. The buzzing of the meat refrigerators was all I heard before Reece reached under his jacket to pull out a gun. My heart threatened to burst through my chest, and goosebumps blanketed my body under my layers.

Sitting on Brandon’s chest, holding his arms down with powerful thighs, Reece expertly handled the gun— it practically floated through the air. Sprawled at just the right angle, Reece stuck the gun muzzle under Brandon’s chin as he went pale and very still. “New York City is a conceal-carry zone, and you’ve already beat Riley once. The police may not care, and you may think you’ve gotten away with it, but let me make one thing clear, here.” Crouching down, Reece cocked the gun back with a damningclick. “Riley was never your girlfriend. Homewreckers are a myth. And…if I ever see you again,anywhere, I’ll do to you what you tried to do to her. It’s much more dangerous to get fucked up the ass with a broom handle— internal damage, you know? If it splinters, your shit will spill out of your intestines, and you’ll be septic before you even realize you need to go to the hospital…not that you’d have the option. Or, you could choke on a horse cock…and not the silicon kind. After all, there’splentyofrealhorses in New York State, and I happen to know a guy that’s into that shit.”

Brandon opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Reece dragged his piece up to tap his cheek ever so gently.

The grocery store was so dead not even the ants were around to witness it, and I clenched and released my hands by my sides. My lungs screamed for air, but it all became a drone in the background of my mind.

Reece spoke up again, “If you did anything that might come back to haunt you, I’d suggest calling it off and running far,faraway. . .”

Reece’s threat sent shivers strafing down my spine, and my eyes widened when Brandon whimpered like a whipped dog.Not that beating puppies is okay, of course.

“Got me,bro?” Reece asked in a deadly tone.

“G-got it…”

For a long, tense moment, Reece stared, crouched like a tiger ready to maul his prey.

Brandon nodded insistently, his face pale and pasty, before he was let go. He scrambled to his feet, and

I clamped my stiff hands over my nose and mouth as the unmistakable stench of shit blossomed in the cold air.

Brandon held his ass, but even his larger hands couldn’t hide the huge, brown stain seeping through his jeans. His awkward, rushing waddle was so at odds with his big, broad body, and