Page 9 of XOXO

“Okay, Mr. Oglethorpe, that’s everything I can think of you might need to know,” Delani’s voice came through the door, sounding tense and uneasy.

My hackles rose, and I listened just in case, knowing that motherfucker had about ten seconds to leave before I broke the fucking door down. I admit I had a problem.

See, to me, the second Delani told me her pussy belonged to me, I was all in. The woman was mine. Even though she was pissed, she was mine. This asshole had hung around all day, and from what I was hearing, she hadn’t invited him to.

Not that it would have mattered. I could be a real fucker when I didn’t get my way, and even if she told him to stay, I’d have been pissed. I’d been trying to go slow. To not scare her with my freaky ass possessive side, but this was where my patience ended.

I was not into sharing. Something my mother told me was because I was an only child. It was a tough lesson for others to learn. A born brawler, I didn’t mind getting my hands dirty.

Besides, I hadn’t had a good fight in at least a year. Not since a bunch of rowdy fucks picked a fight at the last location I’d been working. My fingers itched to pummel this degenerate loser, using his position of authority to hustle my sweet Delani.

Whatever.

“I told you to call me Brad, sweetheart,” a male voice said from behind the alleyway entrance to the chocolate store. “And I can think of a few other things.”

I heard intent in the man’s voice and was already pulling the door to go inside, but it was locked. The sound of something being knocked to the ground was followed by Delani’s emphatic, “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Don’t play hard to get, sweetheart. You’re like all the rest. You know you want it.”

Blind rage fueled my next movements, and I took two steps back before using my shoulder as a battering ram. One hit and the door flew open, splintered wood rained everywhere.

“Get your fucking hands off her,” I snapped, crossing the space to where that piece of shit had Delani backed against the counter.

He’d pinned her hands to her sides and was using his weight to hold her there, but the second he backed off, she reared back and punched the asshole right in the jaw. Her blue eyes flashed like sapphires in her anger, but once she locked them on me, I saw relief and something more elusive sweep across her face.

“Hey! That’s assault! You’re a witness!” the man screamed.

“The fuck I am,” I snarled and closed the distance, adding a left hook to the man’s injuries.

“Are you okay?” I asked her and she nodded, running into arms I hadn’t even realized I’d opened.

I hug her tight, kiss her head, and just hold her for a beat while she pulls herself together.

“I, uh, thanks,” she murmured.

“I will always come for you, my beautiful badass, Del.”

The piece of shit inspector picked himself off the floor, and before I could properly threaten him, Bear was there, dragging him outside.

“I got this, bro. You two need to have a chat.”

My big, burly best friend had connections to certain organizations that looked out for their own. I didn’t know much about them. It wasn’t my business. But I trusted him more than anyone else, and if he said he was taking care of that slime, then he was.

I turned back to Delani, who’d moved away from me and was rubbing her arms.

Fuck.

I felt like a complete asshole, and I wasn’t sure what to do. So, I started cleaning up the mess that prick had made. Anger had me vibrating out of my skin, and it wasn’t until I smelled the sweet, spicy, chocolatey fragrance that clung to her that I knew she was standing right beside me.

“Del?” I asked, eyes flicking over her in case I missed some injury or other.

“C-could you hold me for a moment?” she whispered, and the vulnerability on her face just tore at my heart.

I stood up slowly, not wanting to frighten her. Then she stepped into my space and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest. Fuck. I wished that asshole was there so I could hit him again. But only for a moment.

Once I closed my arms around her, all I could wish for was right there. Holding her was pure heaven, and I dipped my head to where her neck and her shoulder met, just breathing in her scent, and thanking God she was alright and that I could be there for her. That she trusted me to be there for her was everything.

She was everything.

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