Page 103 of Push My Buttons
I wrench away from him, but he grabs me again, both hands now gripping my arms with bruising force. Panic surges through me, memories of Levi's hands flashing in my mind. Not again. Never again.
"No!" The scream tears from my throat, raw and primal and louder than I thought possible.
Marcus's eyes widen in shock—at my voice or my resistance, I can't tell. But before he can react further, the café door crashes open.
Jace stands in the doorway, his body rigid with fury. In the three seconds it takes him to process the scene before him, his expression transforms from concern to something I've neverseen before—a cold, calculated rage that's almost frightening in its intensity.
He moves with a speed and precision that's startling, closing the distance between himself and Marcus in four long strides. His fist connects with Marcus's jaw before my boss even has time to release me.
Marcus staggers backward, clutching his face. "What the fuck?" he spits, blood trickling from his split lip.
Jace doesn't respond. There's something mechanical about the way he advances on Marcus, like he's executing a program rather than acting on emotion. He grabs Marcus by the shirt collar and slams him against the wall, his other fist drawn back for another strike.
My hands fly up instinctively to sign, but Jace's eyes never leave Marcus's face. He's locked in, tunnel-visioned. He won't see me. Not like this. Not when his entire world has narrowed to the man in front of him. My fingers flutter uselessly in the space between us.
"Jace!" I gasp, my voice breaking on his name, the sound still foreign in my throat. "Stop!"
He doesn't seem to hear me. His fist connects with Marcus's stomach, driving the air from his lungs in a pained whoosh. Then another blow to his face, this one making a sickening crack as it connects with Marcus's nose.
I try signing again, frantic gestures that might as well be invisible. Words will be the only thing that reach him now. I have to speak.
I rush forward, grabbing Jace's arm before he can land another punch. "Jace, please," I force the words out, each syllable scraping my unused vocal cords. "He's not worth it."
For a terrifying moment, I think he won't stop. There's a blankness in his eyes that I've never seen before, like he's completely disconnected from himself. Then he blinks, my voicepenetrating the fog, his focus returning as he registers my touch, my sound.
"He touched you," Jace says, his voice flat and cold. "He threatened you."
"I know," I say aloud, the words painful but necessary, tugging him away from Marcus, who's slumped against the wall, blood streaming from his nose. "But I'm okay. I'm safe now. You're here."
Marcus struggles to his feet, his face a mask of blood and fury. "You're fucking fired!" he shouts at me, spraying droplets of blood with each word. "Get out and never come back! And take your psycho boyfriend with you!"
Jace lunges forward again, but I step between them, my hands firm on his chest. "No," I say more clearly. "He's not worth it, Jace. Let's go."
Jace's eyes flick between me and Marcus, his body still vibrating with tension. For a moment, I think he might push past me to finish what he started.
"If you ever come near her again," he says to Marcus, his voice unnervingly calm now, "what happened today will seem like a friendly greeting. Do you understand me?"
Marcus spits blood onto the floor. "Fuck you. I'm calling the cops. Assault charges—"
"Go ahead," Jace cuts him off. "I'll be sure to tell them exactly what you were doing when I arrived. I wonder how that'll play out for you?"
I tug at Jace's arm again, more insistently. "Please," I whisper, my voice cracking. "Let's just go."
Finally, he allows me to pull him toward the door. I grab my bag on the way out, not bothering to untie my apron or collect anything else I might have left behind. It doesn't matter. I'm never coming back here.
Outside, the night air is cool against my flushed skin. Jace is still rigid beside me, his breathing too controlled, too measured. I lead him away from the café, not stopping until we're a block away.
"Are you okay?" he asks finally, his voice still tight with restrained fury.
I nod, then shake my head, then nod again—unable to decide how I actually feel. My hands rise between us, but I can't seem to form coherent signs.
"Did he hurt you?" Jace presses, his eyes scanning my face, my arms, looking for injuries.
"No," I manage to say aloud, my voice rough from screaming.
Jace stares at me, his eyes widening at the sound of my voice. For a moment, he seems frozen, like he can't process what he's hearing. Then something in him breaks.
"Fuck," he whispers, his hands suddenly framing my face. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity that steals my breath. "I fucking love you. Do you understand that? I love you so goddamn much it's tearing me apart."
