Page 54 of Protected By the Mountain Man

Without another word, I pushed off the barstool and strode across the dance floor. People parted for me; they always did. I was big, I worked hard, and right then, every inch of me radiated “stay back.”

All I could see was that guy's hand on Kat, and all I could think about was peeling his fingers away, one by one, if I had to. No one got to scare her, to make her feel unsafe.

Not while I was around.

Not ever.

TWENTY

Kat

One minute, I was trying to get some asshole at the bar to leave me alone…

Then Gabe came out of nowhere looking like he’d walked straight out of hell.

He flung himself at the guy like a wild animal, getting him on the floor in an instant. Fists flew; I thought I heard something crunch. My heart raced as I stumbled back, my boots scuffing the wooden floorboards.

I couldn't move, couldn't scream, just watched in horror as Gabe transformed into someone unrecognizable.

“Please, stop! Please!” The guy's face was a mess, blood streaming from his nose, painting his features in red.

I remembered blood. Hands sticky with it, Sundance’s reins slipping through my fingers.

Gabe's hands were relentless, his every strike fueled by something dark and furious. I knew he was protective, had that mountain-man toughness about him, but this—this was something else.

He didn't even seem to hear the pleas, his jaw set, eyes like flint.

“Stop!” I tried to say.

The words got caught in my throat.

Clay's boots thundered across the planks as he and Jake rushed over from the bar, their expressions grim. Clay grabbed Gabe's arm while Jake went for his shoulders, their combined strength barely enough to make him budge.

I joined in, even though touching Gabe right now made my skin crawl.

“Come on, man, that's enough!” Clay grunted.

“Let go, Gabe. This ain't you,” Jake added, his usually easygoing voice strained with urgency.

It took all three of us, pushing and pulling at Gabe's solid frame, to drag him away from the guy on the floor. When we finally managed to pull Gabe off, he stumbled back, panting like a cornered animal.

“Kat,” Gabe gasped, his eyes locking onto mine.

Those eyes, usually so warm, now held a storm of regret. I could see the man I knew clawing his way back through whatever madness had gripped him.

“Jesus, Gabe,” I said, my voice faint. “What the hell were you thinking?”

I could see it hit him then, the weight of what he'd done, how close he'd come to crossing a line. His hand lifted, as if to reach out to me, but Jake stepped into his path.

“Out. Now,” Jake ordered. “You need to cool down.”

“Come on, man,” Clay cut in. “Let’s go.”

Reluctantly, I followed them out, trailing behind Gabe's hulking frame. I didn't know what I wanted anymore—anger, worry, and disappointment churned in my gut. Just when Gabe had started to feel like a safe bet…

Outside, the night air hit us with a sobering chill. Clay turned to Gabe, his brows pinched with concern.

“Can you drive?”

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