Page 65 of Dangerous Lover

But right now, it looked like Sanders had a cruel streak she had never suspected. He got off on pain. He was definitely turned on by the taste of her blood and her pain.

She was fighting in earnest now, kicking, screaming into his mouth, trying to punch him, though it was almost impossible while he was holding her so close to him.

She was shaking with rage, trying vainly to free herself when all of a sudden she was free, staggering to catch her balance, staring.

Jack was holding Sanders’ arm wrenched behind his back, so hard Sanders was on the balls of his feet, wheezing with pain.

He was white-faced, blond strands of hair falling over his forehead, eyes unfocused, a little stripe of blood at the corner of his mouth. Her blood.

His eyes were wild, so wide open she could see white all around his irises.

Though Sanders was writhing wildly to get out of Jack’s grasp, it was impossible. Jack was standing utterly still, feet braced apart, touching Sanders only with his hand on his wrist, but it was as if Sanders were shackled in steel restraints.

“Touch her again, you fucker, and I will break your arm. Right after I break your fucking neck.” Jack’s voice was low, vicious. Sander’s eyes widened, then he cried out as Jack tightened his grip.

“Let me go! Who the hell are you? Caroline! Tell this maniac to let me go! Ahhh!” His voice rose in panic as Jack lifted his hand. Sanders was standing completely on the tips of his toes now and if he dropped to his heels, he’d break his own arm against Jack’s steady, relentless hold. Sanders was sweating, face completely bloodless. “Caroline, tell him to let mego!”

Jack lifted his hand another inch and Sanders screamed in pain, writhing, out of control.

Jack wasn’t out of control at all. He was utterly still, he wasn’t even breathing hard, but something cold and feral in his eyes made her step forward and touch him on the arm. Later, she would mull over the fact that she felt no fear of him even in the middle of an act of violence.

She’d just been mauled by Sanders, who looked like a puppy dog compared to Jack, who looked utterly capable of terrifying violence, but not for a second did she fear him. Instinctively, the knowledgewelling up from a place deep inside herself, a quiet, deep place which she trusted, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

He wrenched Sander’s wrist an inch higher and Sanders screamed.

Satisfying as it was to watch, she couldn’t stand by and watch Jack break Sanders’ arm. “Jack,” she whispered, putting her hand on his arm. “Don’t. That’s enough.”

His dark eyes were narrowed into slits, a violent light in them. Still holding the writhing Sanders with ease, he reached out with his other hand to touch the corner of her mouth, wiping away the streak of blood.

“I could kill him for this alone,” he said. There was something in his voice that had Sanders’ eyes opening wide in panic.

“No.” If there was one thing Caroline knew, it was that she didn’t want any more violence. She already felt sick to her stomach after her struggle with Sanders, ashamed that she’d never seen beneath his surface. Her stomach was knotted with tension. “Let him go, Jack.”

He looked at her, hard, jaw muscles jumping. His entire body language was screaming that he wanted revenge. He could take it, too. Sanders was something of a gym rat but he was absolutely no match for Jack, who had an entirely different order of strength, and knowledge of martial arts. He had subdued Sanders with ridiculous ease and Caroline had no doubt he could have wiped the floor with him.

There was a shadow of extreme violence hovering in the room, visible in the tight lines around Jack’s eyes, in the hot light of rage in his eyes, in his stance. Caroline was as certain ascertain could be, that Jack was capable of killing Sanders. He was physically capable and he could do it without remorse.

He was a soldier, after all, and that’s what soldiers did. Killed their enemies.

“Let him go. Now, Jack,” she whispered, and it was enough. Jack abruptly let go of him and Sanders lurched to keep his balance. He rubbed the ball of his shoulder, glaring at Jack and then at her, as if he’d been wronged. His hair was mussed and he was sweating heavily.

“You son of a bitch, you’re going to live to regret this,” Sanders swore, slurring the words. It was a sign of how upset he was. Sanders’ normal speaking voice was deliberate, almost a drawl, but now he was gulping in great gasps of air, the words pouring out of him. “I’m a lawyer, you asshole, and you better believe I’m going to sue your sorry ass for so much money it will take you ten fucking lifetimes to get out of debt!”

The instant Jack released Sanders, he’d turned to Caroline, wiping away the little streak of blood at her mouth, straightening her shirt collar. But at Sanders’ words, he turned his head and looked back at Sanders.

He didn’t do anything at all, just looked. Caroline couldn’t see his expression, but whatever it was, it sure scared Sanders. His face had turned red with rage but at Jack’s glare, he turned white again, backing away, hands out in front of him.

It occurred to Caroline that if she hadn’t been there to stop him, Jack would have used more violence than he had. He hadn’t needed to issue threats, because every line of his big, strong body was a threat, and not an idle one at that. There was no doubt who’d come out the winner in a fight.

Five seconds after Jack released his arm, Sanders hadgrabbed his hat and coat and was out the door so fast that the bell over the door was still ringing by the time he’d turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

Suddenly, the adrenalin of her fight with Sanders and the violence that had swirled in the room swooshed out of her system, leaving her shaking and weak. She shivered and swayed a little on her feet, a chill at her core draining all energy. Sparks flew in front of her eyes…

A second later, she was sitting down, a strong, gentle hand pressing on her neck until she put her head between her knees. Jack’s hand kept her there for a moment, then lifted. “Stay like that for a minute and breathe deeply. I’ll be right back.”

She breathed deeply, eyes closed, thinking of nothing at all, until she heard his voice. “Here, honey.” He placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her. “Drink that up as fast as you can.”

Caroline reached for it and sipped, wincing as the heat filled her mouth and as she struggled against a diabetic seizure. She raised her eyes to his. “How much sugar did you put in it? It’s more sugar than tea.”

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