Page 100 of Guarded from Treachery

My finger brushes lightly over the bruise on Isla’s cheek. I hate seeing it. Knowing she was hurt and I wasn’t here to stop it.

“She was so brave,” Isla’s mother says. “But Isla always was the brave one. Standing up to her father. Standing up to me.” Her face crumples. “She’s going to be such a good mother.”

Emotion washes across Isla’s face. “I’m going to try.” She looks from her mother to me. “But I won’t be doing it alone. I have Matt to help me.”

From terror comes the sweetest relief.

I hug Isla to me again, pressing my lips to the top of her head. “I love you,” I murmur.

“I love you, too,” she replies. “And I never doubted you’d be here. Not for a second.”

Another glance at that piece of garbage Peter makes me say, “Hang on. I just want to have a word with your asshole ex.”

I leave Isla with her mother as I approach the man still laying on the ground. He’s blond and well dressed in that preppy sort of way, though his shirt has some noticeable shoe marks on it.

Crouching beside him, I roll him roughly onto his back. His eyes go wide as he sees my murderous expression. “You’re lucky all these people are here,” I snarl, letting him see in my eyes how truly furious I am. “Because if they weren’t, I would kill you for putting your hands on Isla. For hurting her.”

The piece of shit actually has the nerve to smirk at me. “Well. You can’t, can you?”

“No. But.” I lean close so only he can hear me. “I have connections. Friends who can come after you in prison. And that’s where you’ll be. For a very long time. Don’t think money will help. It won’t. You fucked with the wrong woman, asshole.”

Alarm flickers in his eyes. “What are you going to do?”

“I have a friend,” I answer. “A bounty hunter. Who knows lots of people in prison. And if I ask, he’ll make sure you don’t survive. And honestly, I’m pretty damn close to asking him to do it right now.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, yes.” I bare my teeth at him. “I would.” Then I cock my arm back and let my fist fly.

It smashes into his nose, and I hear a satisfying crack. Blood gushes down his face. As his eyes flutter shut, I add in a menacing tone, “Don’t you eventhinkabout Isla again. Or it’s the last thing you’ll do.”

Once he goes limp—not dead, unfortunately, but just unconscious—I stand again. The crowd around me bursts into a round of applause. “I’d prefer if we didn’t mention this,” I say. “Just to keep things less complicated.”

“Absolutely,” Maeve answers. “I didn’t see anything.” She turns to Iris. “Did you?”

“Nope,” Iris replies cheerfully. “Not me.”

“Me neither,” adds a silver-haired woman with horn-rimmed glasses. “I think he actually fell on his nose. After your brave young lady defended herself against him.”

“Yup,” says another woman, this one younger, with a streak of blue hair. “The guy fell.” She gives me an approving smile. “I hope you broke it.”

Once the rest of the crowd agrees, I turn away from Peter and head back to the woman who holds my heart.

As I walk back to Isla, I consider my threat. My Army buddy, Rafe, could easily arrange for Peter to be dealt with. Permanently.

Will I ask him to?

I’m not sure. It depends on what Isla wants.

When I get to Isla, she rushes to me again and twines her arms around my waist. Her damp face nestles against my neck. She just stands there, hugging me hard for a few seconds before tilting her head back to meet my gaze.

“You punched him,” she says.

“I did,” I confirm. “Are you mad that I hit a defenseless man?”

For a moment, she doesn’t answer. And I wonder if she thinks it was too violent. Too impulsive.

Then she smiles, and all is right in the world again. “No. I’m glad you did. And when we get home, you’re going to show me how to do the same thing. This time so I don’t mess up and bruise my hand. Okay?”

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