Page 20 of Seducer

What pissed me off even more was that no one was coming to her defense. What the fuck was the bartender doing just standing there?

Mack obviously followed my line of sight, chuckling as soon as he noticed what I was paying attention to. “You were always a hero.”

“Bullshit. I was the villain.” Which was true. I found my grip around my glass had enough pressure I was certain I’d break the damn thing.

“You know her?”

“No, but I know the type of guy who’s hitting on her. He won’t stop unless he’s forced to do so. I’ll be right back.”

“Like I said. Always the hero.” Mack’s voice trailed behind me. I wasn’t certain if I had remorse or anger he continued to think of me that way.

He of all people should know what I was capable of.

The patron’s voice was louder, his words slurred by his inebriated condition. There was nothing worse than a drunk acting out on his sexual intentions. I knew the type well enough to realize he was just priming himself to take further action.

“Hey, just let me go,” Wild Kitty said the moment the jerk wrapped his hand around her wrist.

“Come on, sweetie. You’re not foolin’ nobody,” he snapped and yanked her close. “It’s best you come with me.”

“I don’t think so.” She reared back, fisting her small hand. The kitten had a darker side, but she had no understanding of the kind of man she was toying with.

I did.

I’d removed the testosterone of more than one man handling himself exactly the same way. After taking long strides, I wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, yanking him away. He was shorter and softer than I was, but came out swinging, fighting to break free from my grasp.

“Hey, fucker. You better let me go.”

I had him off his feet in a flash, driving him against the hard edge of the bar. The force I used knocked the wind from his lungs, but he wasn’t finished yet, able to throw a punch. I snapped my hand around his fist before it connected, dragging him around the end of the bar and into the shadows. When I slammed his back against the wall, his body sagged.

I shifted my hold, my fingers now wrapped tightly around his throat with my thumb digging into the skin under his chin. I knew every pressure point. “You don’t want to do that. In fact, I suggest you don’t. You’ll only hurt yourself.” My hiss was low and slow, the warning only provided once.

Even if he didn’t know that.

Yet.

He smiled, grinning like some stupid asshole who believed he was stronger than I was. The moment he got off a hard punch to my gut, I took a deep breath, slowly dropping my head to survey the activity. I didn’t feel pain. That had been beaten out of me years before.

However, I did feel rage, the kind of blinding white light settling over me that brought out the worst in mankind. At least within me. The fact I was in a public place meant I needed to curtail my actions.

That didn’t mean I couldn’t teach him a tough lesson. I fisted his balls with my other hand, squeezing and twisting as he cried out in pain. Then I leaned in close, allowing my words to filter into his ears only.

“You fucked with the wrong person. Now, you’re going to walk out those doors of your own accord and never return or you’ll never walk again. The choice is up to you.”

“Okay, guys. Break it up. Jerry, get the fuck out of here. You aren’t coming into my bar and accosting my waitstaff or anyone else for that matter.”

I knew Tom, the manager. He was a decent enough man, realizing he didn’t want me as an enemy under any circumstances.

Jerry was whining, tears in his eyes as he writhed from pain. “Fine. Fine. I’ll go. Just get this fucker off me.”

He was spitting and wheezing from my chokehold. I held onto both areas of his body for a few seconds longer.

Tom shook his head. “Are you okay?” he asked my wild kitty.

“Yes, but I was perfectly capable of handling the problem,” she insisted.

I turned my attention to her, inhaling her sweet scent.

Her perfume was magnificent, but the fragrance of her desire was even better.

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