Page 17 of Mountain Daddy

The question hangs in the air like poison gas.

I open my mouth to deliver a cutting response, but nothing comes out. Why bother? Men like him will never change.

I notice the change in Nikolai just before I turn to go.

He's gone perfectly still. The kind of stillness that comes before violence.

“Viktor,” he says, voice deadly quiet. “Shut your mouth.”

Viktor just laughs. “What? I'm just being friendly. Aren't you friendly, sweetheart?”

He reaches out like he's going to touch my arm.

That's when Nikolai moves.

5

NIKOLAI

Viktor’s hand brushes her arm and I see red.

Mine.

The word echoes in my skull like a war drum. I claimed her. Marked her. Made her scream my name until her voice broke.

And this piece of shit thinks he can touch her?

I’m on Viktor before his fingers leave her skin. My hand closes around his wrist and snaps bone. He swears, tries to pull away, but I hold him fast.

“I said shut your mouth,” I growl.

Viktor's face goes pale, but he's too stupid to back down. “Jesus, Nik, calm down. I was just?—”

I twist his wrist. Hard.

“You were just what?” I lean closer, voice dropping to a whisper that carries more threat than a shout. “Just disrespecting awoman who's doing her job? Just treating her like a piece of meat? Just being the kind of pathetic excuse for a man that gives the rest of us a bad name?”

“Nikolai—” Lilly starts, but I cut her off with a look.

“Stay back.”

Viktor tries to stand, tries to use his free hand to push me away.

Big mistake.

I grab him by the throat. My fingers close around his windpipe just tight enough to make breathing interesting.

“You apologize,” I tell him. “Right now. To the lady.”

“Are you insane?” Viktor gasps. “Over some waitress? She's just?—”

My fist punches his jaw hard enough to lift him off his feet. He goes sprawling across the floor.

The entire VIP section goes silent. Every conversation stops. Every head turns.

Perfect.

Viktor tries to scramble away, blood streaming from his nose, but I'm already moving. I grab him by his shirt and haul him upright.

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