Page 84 of Mine to Ruin

“A hug for old time’s sake?”

“Not fond of your hands anymore?” Calmness anchors me. I’m in control. I know what I’m doing. I’ll never allow fear to debilitate me.

He approaches me, the old predator rising in his cold eyes.

You messed with the wrong woman.

Kian has been training me and it’s paying off. I grab his arm and bend it over. If I press further, it will snap. He hisses, and I bend it further, a pop echoes in the room and the flash of fear vindicates me. I let him go, and he backs up, holding his arm.

“Stupid cunt.” He stomps toward me.

I raise my knee and hit him in his groin. He drops on his knees, breathlessly. I stay above him and flick a strand of hair.

“Leave, or I’ll have you escorted out.”

“You think just because you’re his bitch and you’re back in the spotlight, it means something? You would be nothing without me.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “You sad and pathetic waste of a man. You really believe that? It was my talent, my work, you leech.”

He stands, and I move into a fighting stance. Bring it on.

The door opens and Kian appears, and when he sees Robert, his face turns murderous. He shoves Robert away, and his stance is of a lion ready to attack his prey.

Robert takes a step back, raising his arms in front of him, and says, “No need for violence. We are old acquaintances.”

I snort a laugh at his act of the decent man.

“I know exactly who you are,” Kian says. The boom behind his words rings of a deadly threat.

Robert’s eyes widen in panic.

“If you don’t leave right fucking now, I’ll break every bone in your body, wait for you to get better and start all over again.” Kian towers over him, every muscle straining with restraint, murder etched in the corners of his eyes.

Robert scurries away and Kian takes my hands between his, seeking my eyes.

“Are you okay?”

I offer a smile, my adrenaline spike still high. I confronted my demons and won. The feeling is liberating. “Nothing happened, and I know how to defend myself now, and baby, between you and me, I dare anyone to come after me.”

“You’re my fucking world, I can’t risk something happening to you.”

I smile, because that’s how he is, and kiss him.

Back in the gallery, I can tell Kian is searching for Robert by the way he scans the room, so when he relaxes, I feel a sense of ease.

“What happened?” Jason asks, brows knotted in confusion.

Kendrick adds, “You looked like you were about to kill someone.”

“Not far from the truth,” Kian answers, pulling me to him.

“I want him to pay for what he did to me.”

“My fucking pleasure.”

I glare at him. “The legal way.”

He sighs. “Fine, we’ll sue him, and he’ll see what happens to child molesters when he’s rotting in prison.”

---