Page 9 of Savoring Her Snake

I’m going to kill Stanly.

Chapter Three

Juliana

Thebuildingdoesn’tlooklike a dump. After a twenty-minute drive, I scramble from my car, lock it, and sprint to the front door. Groups of people are standing around, smoking and laughing. The place is isolated but sleek. It’s not what I picture a fighting place would look like.

I grind to a halt when a very large, scary man blocks the entrance.

“Do you have an invitation?” he asks, crossing his arms.

“Listen,” I start, holding out my shaking hand. “My temper is holding on by a thread. My brother is inside, hurt, and his asshole friend is probably telling him to walk it off. I need to get to him, punch the friend, and probably take my brother to the hospital. I have spent all day in these heels. I did not plan on running in them after a hard day. I wanted to go home and soak my feet, preferably with a cold drink in hand and a bag of chips beside me. Instead, I had to haul ass to the middle of nowhere to bail out my brother from another mess. Can you please, give me a break and let me in the fucking building?” My hands slam to my hips, my keys digging through my skirt, and my breath coming out in pants.

He looks me up and down. “Let me call the boss.” I roll my eyes as he reaches for his phone. When he turns to the side slightly, I take my chance.

He curses behind me as I slide through the door and plunge into the crowd. I don’t say excuse me while I bump through the bodies. Scanning the room, I lift my phone to my ear.

“I’m here. Where are you?” I growl.

“You actually came.”

“Stanly,” I hiss.

“Alright, geez. Do you see the ring?”

“Yes,” I say dryly. How could I miss it?

“Come towards that. I’ll meet you.”

If I had a weapon, I would use it on him.

I push deeper into the building. I expect the bouncer's hand on my shoulder any moment, but it doesn’t come by the time I make it next to the large ring.

“This way,” Stanly says, appearing beside me. I don’t say anything as I follow him through a door in the corner and down a long hallway. Halfway down, he pushes open a door, and we enter a small room. In the center, on a low table, is my brother.

“Fuck.” I hurry to his side, staring at his bloody, swollen face.

“I almost had him,” he mumbles.

“I can see that.” I look at his bruised chest and ribs. I hold my keys and phone with one hand and hover the other over his chest, afraid to touch him.

“It’s hard to breathe, Sis,” he whispers.

“I bet,” I whisper back, my eyes shining.

“See, it’s not that bad,” Stanly says, leaning over my brother's head. My heels screech on the floor as I rush him. I surprised him, and he backs up quickly.

“Not that bad.” I strike out with my palms, hitting his chest, and he hits the wall. “Motherfucker. I don’t care what kind of animal is inside you. I will fuck you up.” He winces as my keys dig into his chest.

The door slams against the wall. In the next second, a cool hand slides across the small of my back, around my hip, and I am gently pulled away. I find myself pressed against a man, my nose almost touching his chest. I pay no attention to my phone and keys clattering against the floor as my hands land on his suit-covered shoulders.

“Careful, darling. You’ll break your hand if you hit him,” he drawls.

“I’ve never been called darling,” I mutter.

“Good,” he says, and I tip my head back.

Holy fuck. He’s gorgeous. His bright blue eyes connect with mine, and I freeze. They are captivating. Normally, if a man pulled the move he did, I would knee him in the balls and run. For some reason, I don’t want to leave his arms. I want to touch his black hair and see if it’s as soft as it looks. The scruff on his face is sexy, and I resist testing out how it would feel against my skin. The attraction I feel is at a level I have never experienced before. His chest is firm but not bulky with muscles.

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