Page 12 of When He Fights (Protector & Defender #3)

He reached out. Grabbed her wrist. He was much smaller than Kane, but Turner’s grip hurt. She sucked in a sharp breath at the flash of pain when he seemed to grind the bones in her wrist together.

“Oh, you do not want to do that.” Kane’s tone had gone lethal. “Let her go, now.”

“Back off,” Turner thundered. “I don’t care how big you are, I am a third degree decided black belt, and I’m not scared of your size. I can take you down just like I take down anyone else.”

“Let go, ” Ana told Turner. “You are hurting me.”

Would he have let go on his own? Ana wasn’t sure.

Because as soon as that one word— hurting —left her lips, Kane attacked.

He moved wicked fast for someone so big.

By the time she could even blink, her hand was out of Turner’s rough hold, and Turner had just gone crashing into the table she’d sat at only moments before.

The table toppled. Turner toppled. When he crashed to the floor, so did her drink.

It spilled onto him, and the umbrella fell into his lap.

“You don’t hurt her. Not ever.” Kane loomed over the fallen man. “Third degree, my ass. Amateur, you do not want the hell I’ll bring to your door.”

Everyone was looking at them. Even the small band had stopped playing. How utterly wonderful. “It’s all under control,” Ana called out as she whirled to face the crowd. “He slipped. Accidents happen. Go on about your business.”

She heard a scuffle behind her. Wincing, Ana looked over her shoulder.

Kane had his fingers curled around Turner’s neck.

“Oh, jeez.” She bounded for Kane. Tapped him on the shoulder. “Let go.”

“He charged at me,” Kane defended. “I just stopped him before he could make contact.”

Fair. But they had too many eyes on them. “Let go. You’ve made your point.”

He kept holding a squirming Turner. “What point might that be?”

Seriously, the cops would be called soon.

The bouncer was even starting to make his way over to—no, scratch that.

The bouncer had just done a double-take when he saw Kane, and the bouncer was hurriedly backing away.

Sighing, Ana explained, “The point that you’re the toughest badass in the room. I get it. Now let Turner go.”

“He hurt you.”

She flexed her wrist. “I’ve been hurt worse.”

Kane’s head turned toward her. “I don’t want you ever hurt.”

She swallowed. The look on his face was just so—so intense.

“ Turner!” A squeal from a lady with long red hair, a white crop-top, and super small jean shorts. The woman Turner had been kissing moments before.

“Let him go,” Ana pleaded again.

Kane did.

The woman ran toward them. She threw her arms around Turner. “Baby, are you okay?”

Turner glared at Kane, ignored the woman, and, with his eyes on Ana, he said, “Ana, you have to believe me. I have no idea who this lady is.”

The lady in question let out a loud gasp. “I’m the woman you’ve been sleeping with for the last three months!”

Wait, what?

The redhead elbowed him in the ribs. When he doubled over and groaned, she sashayed away, but not before telling Kane, “Have fun. Beat the hell out of him if you want.” She didn’t look back.

Ana raised her brows. She looked at Kane. Then they both looked at Turner.

“Fuck,” he groused as he rubbed his ribs. His gaze flickered over Ana. “We’re over, aren’t we?”

Ana nodded. “Definitely over. You and I. And you and the redhead, too. Just so you’re aware.” Because the redhead had already strode over to start chatting it up with the band’s lead singer.

Turner hissed out a breath.

“And, hey, guess what, asshole?” Kane drawled.

Turner fired him a glare.

“I’m not Ana’s platonic friend. Not some visiting company. I’m the ex who is here to win her back. Thanks for making the job easier.”

Turner took a swing at him.

Kane easily dodged the blow, but he did swing a punch of his own. One that connected and sent Turner crashing into the already broken table once again.

They marched back into her house. Ana hadn’t spoken during the return trip to her place. Kane figured that was a bad sign.

But, hey, things could be worse. He could be playing the role of her platonic friend.

Thanks for fucking things up, Turner. And, FYI, you never had a chance with Ana. She was way out of your league.

Gray looked up at their entrance. He’d been huddled near the security panel with two men in blue shirts. “We’re not quite finished?—”

“I’m going to bed,” Ana interrupted quickly.

She did not look over her shoulder at Kane.

The words seemed to be for Gray. And maybe the two guys helping Gray.

“I will be in no one’s way, and no one will be in my way.

” She kept striding forward. Then paused.

Turned toward Gray and the two men. She sucked in a deep breath.

“Thank you very much for your assistance.” Her voice was gravely polite.

Kane arched a brow as he watched her.

She’d lifted her chin. Squared those delicate shoulders.

“I appreciate all that you are doing, and I know you are here very late and on short notice. Thank you. I apologize if I do not seem very friendly it’s just…

um. Big night, you know? Big. Bad. All the things.

” A wave of her hand. A wave toward Gray and his two helpers.

A wave that did not include Kane. “But thank you. And, sorry we’re back early.

But we were thrown out of the bar.” With that, she turned and kept striding for her destination.

Kane shut the back door. He watched her walk away. Such a phenomenal ass.

She disappeared from sight.

He let out the whistle he’d been holding inside. Not a wolf-whistle, though, yeah, Ana had a great ass. The whistle was more a happy-as-can-be whistle.

“You got thrown out of a bar?” Gray inquired.

“I might have grabbed a guy by the throat. Almost might have thrown him into a table. And punched him.”

Gray squeezed the bridge of his nose even as the security team with him went back to their installation. “ Why would you do that?” Gray asked. “Why, why, why? You were just supposed to keep her busy for a bit. Get an eye for the locals. Start cementing your cover story with her.”

Kane smiled. Couldn’t help it. “I did cement the cover story.” Another little whistle as he headed across the kitchen. “Forget the friend ruse. That was never gonna work.”

Another squeeze—no, a pinch of Gray’s fingers along the bridge of his nose. “Do not leave me in suspense. What is going to work as the cover story?”

“Her boyfriend is back in town.”

Gray’s hand fell.

“Not the psycho ex-boyfriend,” Kane clarified, “though we are certainly all waiting for his appearance, aren’t we?”

Gray grunted.

“I’m here to reclaim the love of my life,” Kane said, deliberately keeping his voice light.

Gray’s jaw hardened.

“I couldn’t get her out of my head, so I have to fight for her.

Couldn’t let her go off with some other creep who didn’t know how to treat her.

” The bastard had hurt her at the bar. So Kane had wanted to hurt him back.

As far as he was concerned, no one would ever hurt Ana and walk away unscathed.

Just not going to happen. “She officially ditched the local she had only casually been dating. Not fucking, just so we’re clear.

She did not fuck that Turner Mitchell bastard.

” Kane knew the two men installing the security system were Feds, so he didn’t hold back in front of them.

If Gray hadn’t trusted them completely, they never would have been in Ana’s house.

“OhmyGod.” Gray looked heavenward. Or maybe he was looking up at the second floor of the house—the floor with Ana’s bedroom. “This is not information you need to share with the group.”

Probably not, but it was information that made him stupid happy. “Everyone at the bar knows that she left with me tonight. I’ll be staying here. In her home. With her. Consider my cover story cemented.”

A sigh heaved from Gray. “Thank…you?” A definite question.

But Kane nodded. “You can always count on me for a job well done.”