Page 24 of Devil on the Lake

This guy is bad news. I knew there was something off about him once he came up to Willow when we got to the party. No matter what, I won’t let him hurt her.

The urge to get her away from him surges through me. It pisses me off that he’s the cause of the fear on her face. The same fear I controlled a couple hours ago.

Only I can terrify her.

“Willow doesn’t want to see you,” the guy snaps.

Daniel. That’s his name. She told it to me.

“Why don’t we let Willow use her words and tell me herself if she wants me to fuck off or not.” I carefully close the distance between us, flicking my gaze past Daniel’s shoulder to her.

I was out here to smoke, sitting on my favorite rock back in the trees when I heard voices. I caught what Daniel was saying to her as he cornered her. That he’s the bastard leaving her the notes that bother her so much—the ones she believed I was slipping her as a mind game. It’s clear as fucking day she’s freaked out.

My gaze shifts to meet hers again. I give her a reassuring nod and she swallows.It’s okay, I mouth. Her nod is jerky and she releases a shaking breath.

My heart squeezes, then the damn thing feels like it cracks open. It hits me square in the chest that what I feel for her isn’t pure hate. It’s grown into something new. It’s not love, but it could become that. I love fighting with her, but only because the way she challenges me makes me feel alive, ignites these addictive flames in me.

Willow is my race in the woods, speeding through the rough trails, heart pounding.

I want that feeling with her all the time. To be the only guy she fights, just so we can make up after.

No one else will take her from me. No one else will ever lay a damn hand on her.

“Go away!” Daniel snarls. “She doesn’t want you. She’s supposed to love me!”

Willow flinches when he throws his arms out to block her from me, forcing her back another step into the lake.

Goddamn it, I hate that he’s scaring her.

And I’m not having it.

He thinks he has a claim over her? This guy is delusional.

Daniel whirls around and traps her in his arms, snuggling into her despite the way she struggles and chokes on a strangled protest.

A feral growl leaves me. I dart forward and grab him, tugging on his clothes. He pushes and shoves, letting out an awful yell when I punch his side. He won’t let go of her.

Everything in me revolts. I have to stop this. Need to protect her from this deranged lunatic.

“Get off!” I growl.

“No! No, no, no!”

He snaps, going berserk. All three of us stumble around in the shallows of the lake. My feet sink into the mucky, imported sand mixed with the silt from the lake. I grunt, trying to gain better leverage to separate him without injuring her.

“Dante!” Willow gets out before Daniel pushes her away, making her fall to her hands and knees in the water.

A humorless grin crosses my face. With her out of the way, I’m not worried about hurting her. I punch Daniel in the nose, enjoying the crunch of bone.

He buckles after one solid hit, crumpling to his knees. My fury isn’t satisfied and I tackle him, sending waves rippling out as I trudge into deeper water, towing him by my grip on the collar of his shirt. His eyes bug out and I wrestle his head beneath the water. His fingers claw uselessly at my wrists, thrashing the water. I’m stronger than him.

I decide if he lives or dies for what he’s done to Willow.

“Don’t—oh my god, don’t, Dante.” She clamps a hand on my arm, glistening eyes searching mine, wet lashes clumped together. My chest tightens and she pulls me back to reality. “We have to call security.”

I hold him under for another second, then drag him out with a rough noise. Leaning into his face as he chokes, I narrow my eyes. “If you ever come near her again, I’ll finish the job. Don’t even fucking look at her. You no longer exist to her. Understand?”

Daniel nods through his sniveling, turning away from my glare.

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