Page 76 of Enforcer's Obsession

I paused just long enough to deliver a swift kick too his side, and then I was on him.

“You like to hurt people that can’t fight back?” I practically grunted, my voice probably unintelligible to him because of the rage-induced accent that was marring my words.

“Nothing to say?” I said as I hit him again, the satisfying rattle of his teeth after my fist made contact with his jaw only spurring me on.

“No. You only like to hit women and kids, isn’t that right?”

He grunted “Who?—”

I hit him again, three of his teeth flew out of his mouth and clattered down onto the sidewalk. The sight of his blood, the sound of his pain spurred me on.

“You think?—”

“Nico,” Hope whispered.

I froze, the sound of her voice pulling me out of my violence-fueled haze.

Ineverlost control like that, but in that moment, I had every intention of killing him. Except when I looked in her face and saw the fear and resolve in her eyes, I froze.

“I’d like to go home. I’m sure Champ needs to be let out by now,” she said.

Her words were stiff, but her meaning was clear. As was the pleading in her eyes.

“I’m sure Daniel has important business to attend to, and so do I. I wouldn’t want to waste another second with him when I could be cleaning up dog shit,” she said.

He grunted, and I glared down at him, the rage coming back. I fought to keep it at bay.

“You’re very fortunate that Hope has important business to attend to. But, let me give you a warning. Leave the city. Tonight. Don’t ever come back. If you do, it’ll be the last mistake you’ll ever make.”

I stood, adjusted my shirt, then offered my elbow to Hope.

“Where were we?” I asked as we stepped out of the alley.

TWENTY-THREE

Hope

“Where’s your first aid kit?”I asked Nico when we got back to his place.

“Do I seem like the type of man who has a first aid kit?” he responded.

I laughed. “Nico, you seem like the type of man who has a first aid kit on every floor of his house.”

He gave me a sheepish smile and opened one of the drawers on the huge kitchen island. “When you’re right, you’re right.”

I took the first aid kit from him, and then followed him into the living room.

“Have a seat,” I said, nodding toward the couch.

He sat, and I put the first aid kit on the coffee table, went back to the kitchen to wash and dry my hands, and then came back.

“I’ll try not to hurt,” I said.

He just grunted, and didn’t move a muscle as I cleaned his torn knuckles.

“Not the first time you’ve done something like that is it?” I said as I worked on his hands.

“Maybe once or twice before,” he responded with a shrug.

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