Page 15 of Off-Limits

I don't respond—there's no need for words when I can see the challenge in his eyes, the way he's daring me to make a move. But before either of us can do anything, Mia steps around me, her face set with determination as she looks at her ex.

"I said leave," she says again, her voice steady despite the fact that her hands are shaking slightly. "And if you don't, I'll call security and have them escort you out."

They would take her side, I think.

The tension in the air is palpable as Mia's ex and I stand there, our eyes locked. He wants to prove something—maybe that he's better than me, or maybe just that he can't be so easily dismissed. Either way, it's clear that neither of us is backing down without a fight.

"Come on," he taunts, taking another step closer until we're almost chest-to-chest. "You think you can take me?"

I can feel the anger bubbling up inside me, threatening to boil over at any moment. But I keep it in check for Mia's sake. She doesn't need to see me lose control like this.

"I don't want to fight," I say through gritted teeth. "But if you don't back off right now, I won't be responsible for what happens next."

The man just smirks at that, like he thinks I'm bluffing. And maybe, in any other situation, I would be. But not this time, and especially not when it comes to Mia.

He laughs and, yeah, it's pretty obvious he doesn't care at all. "You're all talk," he sneers. "Prove it."

And before I can stop myself, I lunge forward, grabbing him by the lapels of his suit jacket and slamming him backwards against the wall behind him with enough force to make the paintings hanging there rattle in their frames.

"Jake!" Mia cries out beside me, her voice filled with shock and fear as she reaches for my arm. But I shake her off, too focused on the man in front of me to register anything else.

His eyes widen in surprise at the sudden contact, but he recovers quickly, his expression turning angry as he tries to push himself free from my grip. "Let go of me," he growls, struggling against my hold.

"Not until you promise to leave Mia alone," I say, almost spitting on his face on purpose. "Forever."

The man stares at me for a moment, hatred burning in his eyes. But eventually, he nods, reluctantly, and I release him, taking a step back as I let him catch his breath. He straightens himself up, smoothing out the wrinkles in his jacket before turning to Mia.

"Forever?" The man scoffs, adjusting his jacket as he glares at me with venom in his eyes. "You think you can make demands like that? You're not her brother or her boyfriend. You're nothing."

I feel my jaw tighten at the insult, but I keep my cool, barely, and only because Mia is with us. "I'm with her," I say. "And that's enough to know she doesn't deserve to be treated like this."

Mia steps forward then, her expression firm as she faces down her ex. "Jake is right," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "You need to leave. Now."

The man looks between us, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the scene before him. Then, a slow smirk spreads across his face, and it's a look that makes my skin crawl with how smug and self-assured it is.

"You know what?" he says. "I think I will leave. But only because I don't want to cause any more of a scene than we already have." He turns to Mia. "But don't think this is over, sweetheart. We're not done here."

As he walks away, the tension in the room dissipates slightly, but only marginally. I'm still amped up to punch him in the face. Because even though the immediate threat is gone, the underlying issue remains: Mia's ex isn't going to let this go easily.

Once he's out of earshot, Mia turns to me. "Thank you," she whispers. "I... I don't know what I would've done without you here."

I can feel the weight of her words, the gratitude in them that makes my heart swell with warmth despite the lingering anger inside me. But before I can respond, she continues, her eyes wide as she looks at me like she's just realized something.

"You... you could've really hurt him," she says. "Why didn't you?"

I shrug, looking away from her as I try to figure out how to explain it without sounding like an idiot.

"Because violence never solved anything."

Chapter 5

Mia

The night air is cool against my skin as we step outside onto the dimly lit patio. The wedding reception has been in full swing for hours now, but I've managed to avoid the dancing so far. It's not that I don't like it; it's just... complicated with Jake here.

As if sensing my thoughts, he looks over at me from where he's standing by the bar, holding two glasses of champagne. His eyes meet mine, and for a moment, we both hold our breath. We know exactly what we're thinking.

"Dance with me?" he asks softly, extending one hand towards me while keeping his eyes locked onto mine. I'm surprised because I thought he wouldn't do that.

---