Page 32 of Love Him Like Water

“Get the fuck away from her,” he called, closing in on the sidewalk.

The men finally fell back, giving me enough space to actually suck in a breath.

“You can’t see she’s just a fucking kid?” he growled at the men who suddenly backed away from him, hands raised. Even though they outnumbered him.

“Whoa whoa…” one of the men said, backing up another step.

“Renzo, man, we didn’t mean no disrespect,” another said.

Renzo.

It wasn’t exactly a common name.

And this was Lombardi territory.

It had to be him.

Renzo Lombardi.

Enemy of my family.

Protecting me.

I had no reason to think he knew who I was. Sure, in Manhattan, everyone who needed to know, knew who the Costa women and girls were, and knew to stay away from them.

But we were far from Manhattan.

And I was a little old nobody to this crime family.

He had no idea I was a Costa princess.

He just knew I was a girl being harassed.

And he wanted to put an end to it.

“You think I’m gonna put up with this shit?” Renzo raged at the men as, suddenly, several other men appeared out of nowhere.

I knew enough about the mob to know guards when I saw them closing in, ready to take action.

“In my goddamn neighborhood?” Renzo asked, shoving his hands into one of the guys’ chests.

I took an instinctive step back, knowing where this was going even before the beat down started.

It was mere moments before the men who’d been harassing me were bloodied heaps on the ground thanks to Renzo and his men.

I seemed frozen on the spot, transfixed by the uncontrolled, righteous brutality of this gorgeous, strange man.

Then, suddenly, he turned, those dark eyes landing on me.

His gaze had impact.

A punch to the chest, leaving me breathless.

“You okay?” he asked, head tipped to the side.

“I… yes,” I said, voice sounding choked. “Thank you,” I added.

“For keeping you from getting harassed, kid? Nah, don’t need thanks for that,” he said, shaking his head. “Go on. You’ll be safe now,” he told me, nodding his chin toward one of his men.

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