Page 65 of Slash & Burn

“What do you want, Adam?” she asked, proving him wrong with more strength in her voice than she’d had the last time we’d seen her ex.

He still wore the same snide grin when he looked back at her. “I simply wanted to see how you were, Jill. See if you’d like to get lunch while I’m in town.”

I scoffed louder than I should have, since Jill was more than capable of telling this guy where to shove it.

“No, thank you,” she said, shaking her head as she looked away, watching the boat crew tie up and slide the ramp across to the dock.

“That’s a shame. I’d have thought by now you’d be ready to put all that behind you.”

Jill’s mouth opened and then shut again, her eyes closing tightly as if she was struggling to understand what this guy wanted. I knew though, and I’d had enough.

Taking Jill’s hand in mine I stepped forward, forcing Adam to shift back. “She’s put it behind her asshole. You’re in the rearview getting smaller every fucking second. Now get the fuck out of our way, or you’ll be taking the short way off this boat.”

For a second he held my gaze, his eyes locked hard on mine like he was really gearing up to challenge me even as I towered above him. But finally he moved and I spun so Jill could walk in front of me while I blocked his stupid fucking glare.

It was rare for me to get this riled up off the ice, but I wanted to keep him away from Jill so bad I was vibrating. Her grip on my hand was vice-tight as we walked across the parking lot and we’d almost gotten to the street that led back up to where she’d parked when I heard someone coming up behind us.

When I spun I found Adam on our heel. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I looked behind him at the crowd still disembarking from the boat.

“Jill, I think you should consider something?—”

“The fuck you think you’re doing still talking to her?” I snarled, dropping Jill’s hand and stepping into Adam’s space as he came toward her. My restraint slipped by a notch, and I shoved him back, his loafers sliding on the pavement.

“You really are just a meathead, aren’t you?” he said, cocking his head to look past me. “I had no ideathiswas the direction you’d turn in light of my absence?”

My ears started ringing. Not from the insult, I couldn’t care less what this jerk thought of me. But from how hard I was fighting the urge to break his fucking jaw so he couldn’t say anything else to her.

“I’m giving you one last chance to walk out of this with your face intact, but you say one more word to her and you’re done.” My fists were so tight they hurt, his beady eyes glaring up at me as he smiled.

“You ever letherspeak?”

That was it, I pulled back to punch the smirk right off his face when Jill appeared in front of me.

“Grady, don’t. Please.”

When I froze, Adam went to push her out of the way and I launched, picking Jill up in one arm as I shoved him backwards with the other. He stumbled, landing on his ass just as the crowd came rushing up toward us. Among them was a familiar uniform and an even more familiar face. Joey glared at me for a split second before he saw Jill and shook his head.

I cursed, watching as someone helped Adam to his feet before I turned back to Jill, putting her down beside me.

“He’s not worth it,” she said, her hands cupping my face, making me look at her instead of the guy getting dusted off by his mother.

I felt the tremble in her hands as she held me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

She didn’t look fine. Her chin wobbled even as she tried to suck in a breath. She was too far from fucking fine, and I had to fight to not barrel into that guy for doing this to her.

“Hey,” Joey’s voice came over my shoulder and I turned, giving him a view of Jill. “You alright?” he asked her, his eyes pinched in the corners like he’d seen enough to know she wasn’t.

She just looked at him for a second, glancing over at Adam who was talking to another deputy I hadn’t seen arrive. “I’m fine.” He didn’t look convinced and she shrugged. “The crowd, and everything.” At that her brother dipped his chin knowingly. This much attention was more than Jill could stand and he knew it.

“He says you shoved him,” Joey stated flatly, this time looking over at me.

“He got in her face,” I said, biting back my anger as much as I could, because I knew guys like Adam and they always managed to paint the picture that made them the victim.

Joey nodded, looking to Jill for confirmation. She nodded back before the air rushed out of her. I wrapped her in my arms and she nestled against my chest. I wasn’t sure I’d done a god damn thing right in that whole situation, but she was still letting me hold her. That was all I needed.

“I’ll speak to him.” Joey’s eyes flicked to mine. “Can I talk to you?” He jerked his head for me to step away, but I glared back at him; I wasn’t letting her go. “Just a sec. Jilly, you okay for one sec?”

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