Page 87 of Thornhill Road

Then Mustang shrugged off his brothers and looked right at me.

I was still trying to gulp down air. Even without Lance’s fingers wrapped around my neck, I was having a hard time catching my breath. As I stared back at Mustang, my vision grew blurry with tears.

It was one thing to see his bruised knuckles after a fight he’d won on behalf of his daughter. It was another thing entirely to see him beat the shit out of someone defendingme.

The man I was calling mine talked with his fists. He wasn’t passive or timid. He was a fighter—a violent one. And as scary as it was to see that part of him unleashed, I knew he would never hurt me. He was a Wild Stallion. They were in the business of protection—and I was his to protect.

In that moment, I knew I always would be.

When my first tear fell, he made his way toward me.

By the time my sob finally clawed its way out of my chest, I was burrowed in his, one of his arms around my waist, his other hand pressed gently against the back of my head. He held me for a couple minutes, until the initial shock of it all wore off and I was able to breathe deeply.

I tilted my chin up, and Mustang moved his hand around to my cheek before tracing his knuckles down my tear streaks.

“Tell me what you need, sugar,” he muttered as he painted my face with his eyes.

Before I could answer, my attention was drawn to the parking lot.

Lance was on the ground, still not moving. The crowd had dispersed, but Maverick was standing in front of him, arguing with Jenna.

“Leave him, babe. He ain’t dead.”

“I don’t expect you to understand, but I am a healthcare professional. I have an obligation—”

“He put his hands on your girl. Why the fuck do you even care what happens to him?”

She glanced my way, her fists clenched at her sides, and I could see the war in her eyes even through the darkness. With a huff, she craned her neck to meet Maverick’s unwavering stare.

“I don’t get a choice. I have to treat everyone—even sons-of-bitches like him. It doesn’t excuse what he’s done. Not even a little. But Tess is exactly where she needs to be right now, and if you wouldmove, I could be where I need to be.”

He didn’t speak in reply, and Jenna took this to mean he’d conceded.

Jenna was wrong.

When she moved to step around him, Maverick bent down, hooked his arm around her thighs and hoisted her off her feet. She squealed, gravity pitching her forward until she was folded over his shoulder. I watched him carry her off, then frowned at Mustang’s chest.

Maverick’s chances with Jenna had already been low.

Now, they were non-existent.

“That’s not going to end well,” I muttered.

“She’ll be alright. He’s more of a gentle giant.”

I lifted my gaze to find his hazel-blue eyes and clarified, “I meant forhim.”

A ghost of a smile played at his lips before he bent to touch his forehead to mine.

“Not worried about either of them, baby. You still haven’t told me what you need.”

There remained a slight tremble in my hands, and I’d barely begun to process everything that had just happened. I didn’t know what I needed—but I knew what I wanted.

“I could use a drink. A stiff one.”

“I can make that happen.”

'You. Here. In this dress. You’re just begging for a fuck, aren’t you?'

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