Page 3 of Malice

“Let me go, Phillip. You don’t want to do this.” It wouldn’t work, she knew from experience, but she had to try.

“What I don’t want to do is let what’s mine walk away. Let what’s mine treat me like I’m nothing.” He kept his voice low and from the way his words were spoken, she could tell he’d clenched his teeth together. He was more than a little angry.

Bonnie took a deep breath and searched the area around them again, hoping to spot someone she could call out to for help. The only thing she saw were a few trees fluttering in the slight breeze. Not even a single car moved on the road.

Why was it that when she needed someone, no one was around?

She took a deep breath and tried to force her mind to slow. To come up with something she could say to make him see reason. Who was she fooling? He would never see reason, what she needed was to get away.

“Excuse me?” a deep voice she didn’t recognize came from somewhere behind her. Her whole body flashed cold then hot as she hoped this little interruption would be enough to get Phillip to let her go.

“Ignore him. Let’s go to your car,” Phillip snarled in her ear.

Bonnie took a step, her mind spinning for some way to make this end.

“Excuse me.” This time the unfamiliar voice was more demand than question.

“What do you want?” Phillp said as he spun to see the man who’d spoken, spinning Bonnie around as he kept a bruising grip on her arm.

“I believe the lady asked you to leave her alone,” the stranger, a man in a t-shirt and a leather vest said.

“Mind your own business.”

“I’d like to. I really would. But I have a thing about people being forced to do things they don’t want to. And I know I heard the lady tell you she was through with you.”

“She’s changed her mind.” Phillip’s tone made it clear he thought the man in front of them was butting into something he shouldn’t.

Bonnie couldn’t help but stare at the man with wide, pleading eyes, hoping he would see she didn’t want to go with Phillip.

“Somehow I don’t believe it, but I’d rather hear it from her, if you don’t mind.”

“Tell him.” Phillip shook her, his hand on her arm like a vice. “Tell him you want to come home with me.”

“No. I told you I didn’t want anything else to do with you and I’m not going to lie just to make you happy. Let me go.” She tried to wrench her arm free, but his grip was too tight.

Before she knew what was happening, pain bloomed across her cheek and Phillip continued to shake her. “Stupid bitch. You’ll never learn, will you? You’re mine.”

Before she could figure out what had happened, much less how to react, she was free. She stumbled and fell to the ground. What had felt like a steel band around her arm was suddenly gone. She scrambled to get away, crab walking along the sidewalk until she could regain her wits enough to get to her feet. By then she was several feet away from where Phillip was now pinned to the exterior of the building, the man who had confronted them holding him there with one hand wrapped around his throat. The new guy was saying something, but his voice was so low, and she was far enough away she couldn’t make out the words, just the menacing tone. A tone she couldn’t help but be glad wasn’t aimed at her.

She stood, wondering if she should go home or if she should stay. Somehow, she didn’t doubt this stranger would make Phillip leave without her, but how would that keep him from finding her again later?

3

Maliceheldthemanagainst the wall by the throat, his feet touching the ground, but not comfortably. Malice fought the urge to strangle the asshole and be done with him. His gut told him it would save them all a bunch of difficulty and trouble. The trouble was, he had no reason other than what he’d witnessed inside the restaurant and what he’d come across out here to think that. That wouldn’t be enough justification for the cops, or for his president. The only one likely to understand would be Ghost. That wasn’t enough.

“I know I heard the lady tell you she was through with you. I know she also asked you to leave her alone.” Malice kept his voice low. He’d learned long ago it was more menacing that way and that was exactly how he wanted this shit stain to feel — menaced.

“Lady? Man has she got you snowed. You her latest screw?” The stranger sneered despite his precarious position.

The desire to get rid of the man now, permanently, grew stronger, but Malice restrained himself. “You aren’t real bright, are you?” He tightened his grip on the other man’s throat, and dropped his voice several notches, so anyone would have had to be right beside them to hear what he was saying. “Do you know how easily I could end your life right now? I’m betting no one would miss an asshole like you. All it would take is placing my fingers in just the right place.” He flexed his fingers slightly, letting the man feel the strength in his hand and arm, and letting him know Malice wasn’t bluffing. “You’d be out in seconds, dead in a few more. Then all I’d have to do is get rid of the body.” He let one corner of his mouth tip up in a wry smile. “That’s easier than most people think.”

He didn’t tell the fuckwad he wasn’t sure where would be best from here. Not yet. But Malice was sure that should he need to find a place, he could.

“I suggest you forget the lady’s name, forget you ever knew her or I may find you again and show you exactly how easy it would be for me to get rid of you for her. Then you won’t have to worry about whether or not I get caught or if I know how to get rid of your worthless body.”

A sound behind him told him the woman was close enough to hear what he’d said, and she didn’t like it, but she didn’t stop him, and Malice didn’t let her overhearing stop him from finishing this.

“I’m going to let you go. If you have half the brains of a snail, you’ll get the hell out of here and never look back. Never approach her again. If you walk into a place where she is, leave. If you see her walking down the street, go the other way. Do you understand me?” He loosened his hold on the man’s throat enough for him to nod.

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