Page 14 of Guarding Her Heart
He’s standing there, a few feet away, with that smug, self-assured smirk on his face that he had the other night at the restaurant. The guy looks like he’s used to getting his way, and the arrogance radiating off him makes my blood boil. He looks like he expects me to bow down to him; as if I care what kind of position he has in this town.
“Richard,” I say, keeping my voice calm but with an edge. “What do you want?”
He takes a step closer, the smirk still on his face. “You need to stay the fuck away from my wife. She’s mine,” he says, his tone dripping with condescension.
“Yours?” I bark out a laugh, though there’s no humor in it. “Jenny’s not yours, Richard. She’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with you. That’s the purpose of a divorce.”
His smirk falters, replaced by a look of cold anger. “You don’t know anything about us,” he snaps. “She’s just confused, that’s all. She’ll come back to me. She always does.”
“There is no ‘us’ with you and Jenny. You’re not going to get her back… ever,” I say firmly, stepping forward, closing the distance between us. “Jenny deserves better than you.”
The smirk drops completely, and he sneers at me. “You think you’re better than me, huh? Just because youthinkyou were some badass in the Navy, you can swoop in and take what’s mine?”
“Jenny’s not a thing, Richard, and I’m a Navy SEAL. Don’t mess with me,” I say, my voice low and controlled. “She’s a person, and she’s free to make her own choices. And she’s chosen to move on from you.”
The tension between us thickens, crackling in the air. I can see the moment he decides he’s going to make this physical—his fists curl at his sides, his eyes darkening with rage.
“Stay the hell away from her,” he growls, and then he lunges at me.
I sidestep his attack easily, but he’s quick, throwing a wild punch that glances off my jaw. The impact sends a jolt of pain through my face, but it only fuels the fire burning inside me. I swing back, my fist connecting with his ribs, and I feel the satisfying crunch as my knuckles dig into his side.
Richard stumbles back, gasping for breath, but he’s either too stupid or too arrogant to back down. He comes at me again, swinging like a man possessed, his movements fueled by anger rather than skill. It’s almost too easy to dodge his blows, to sidestep his clumsy attempts to land a hit.
I grab his arm, twist it behind his back, and slam him against my truck. “Back. The. Fuck. Off.” I warn, my voice deadly calm. “You don’t want to do this.”
“Fuck you,” he spits, struggling against my hold. “You think you can just walk in and take everything from me?”
“This isn’t about you,” I say, tightening my grip. “This is about Jenny. She deserves to be happy, and you’re not going to stand in the way of that.”
With a surge of strength, Richard twists out of my grip, swinging his elbow back into my ribs. The breath leaves my lungs in a rush, and he takes the opportunity to shove me back. I stumble, but I don’t go down. Instead, I straighten, my fists clenched, ready for whatever comes next.
He charges at me again, but this time I’m ready. I sidestep his attack and drive my fist into his gut, doubling him over. Before he can recover, I grab him by the collar and pull him close, my voice low and menacing.
“If you ever come near Jenny again, I’ll make sure you regret it,” I growl. “Do you understand me?”
He glares up at me, his eyes burning with hatred, but he doesn’t say anything. I can see the wheels turning in his head, calculating whether it’s worth continuing this fight.
“Do you understand me?” I repeat through my teeth, my grip tightening on his collar.
He finally nods, and I release him, shoving him back. He stumbles, but he doesn’t fall. Instead, he straightens, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. He looks at me with a mix of rage and something else—something that looks a lot like fear.
“This isn’t over, West. Not by a long shot.” he says, his voice shaking slightly. “You’re going to regret this.”
“Get the fuck out of here, Richard,” I say, my voice flat. “And stay the hell away from Jenny.”
He gives me one last glare before turning and walking away, disappearing into the bright sunlight. I watch him go, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. My fists are still clenched, my body ready for more, but it’s over. For now.
As I stand there, I can’t help but feel a sense of unease. According to Jenny, Richard doesn’t seem to be the type to back down easily, and I know this isn’t the last I’ll see of him. But I just kicked his ass and that makes me feel much better. I’ve wanted to deck him since meeting him the other night.
And the Navy said my arm wasn’t strong enough. They can kiss my ass.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. I need to be smart about this, to keep my head clear. Jenny’s safety is my top priority, and I’m not going to let anyone—or anything—hurt her. Especially him. I need to figure out what he’s up to and what his ultimate motivation is.
I pull out my phone and look at her name on the screen. Part of me wants to call her, to check in and make sure she’s okay, but I don’t want to worry her. For now, I’ll keep this to myself. I don’t want to drag Jenny into this mess until I know exactly what we’re dealing with.
Chapter 6
Jenny
