Page 43 of Twisted Obsession

21

Ansel

As quiet as carbon monoxide, I eased closer to our table. The fucker had the nerve to have eased his chair closer to Regina’s. He should have sensed the flames that had started spraying from my eyes. Her pinched expression and stiff posture revealed that he’d told her something she didn’t want to hear.

I prayed he would touch her so I’d have an excuse to stomp a mudhole in his ass. He’d seen us enter the restaurant together. He’d sat and watched me assist Regina into her chair. He’d also sat at his table snatching glances at her the entire time. Never mind the fact that I’d persuaded her to put on that sexy ass blue dress and those come-fuck-me red heels I’d had her pinned to my wall in.

Now, here he was. He’d wormed his seat closer to our table, sniffing after the wrong woman.

The next action dragged along in slow motion. Regina’s linen fluttered to the floor, and ass-hat reached down to pick it up.

Instead of handing the linen to Regina, this asshole stood and stepped closer. When he reached down and over her to spread the napkin over her lap, my teeth sank so deep into my bottom lip, my mouth started to tremble.

His hand grew closer, and my gaze followed it. Regina maintained a friendly posture even as concern danced in her gaze. Her eyes settled on his hand, before he grazed the side of her exposed shoulder. He slid his hand down, unable to help himself. I knew she felt like a lucid dream, but he had no right putting his hands on her.

The frown that found its way to Regina face spoke volumes as he leaned his soon-to-be-dead ass down to tell her something. I was about to burn this fucking restaurant to the ground because my body had ignited into hell-flames. Death, murder, and destruction were all I comprehended.

Regina noticed me as soon as I came into view. Her gaze met mine as the asshole stood over her, his lips inching closer to her ear. I crept up to the table, my mind on murder, even as my brain reminded me that I needed to stay out of jail to keep Regina safe.

“If you don’t back the fuck away from her, that dull butter knife she used to butter her roll is what I’ll use to sever your carotid artery, right after I snap every finger on your right hand for touching her shoulder.”

He snatched his hand away from Regina. I was sure my green eyes blazed with orange flames.

I stepped closer, and he backed off, holding up his hands. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

Surrounding diners started to glance in our direction the moment the razor sharp edge of my voice sounded. After the man backed away, more eyes fell on our confrontation.

“You mean no disrespect? Yet, the moment I stepped away, you get your ass up and invade her personal space, fucking touch her, and attempt to whisper in her ear. That sounds like three different levels of disrespect to not only me but especially to her.”

My raised voice drew just about every eye in the restaurant as people peeked around corners and each other to get a look, but I didn’t give a fuck. The sound of forks and spoons falling into plates registered as hushed tones turned into dead silence.

“Ansel, can we leave?” Regina inquired in a low tone, her gaze meeting the floor in embarrassment. “Please?” she begged when I took another step closer to the man.

When I took two quick steps and got in the man’s face, she jumped from her seat and tugged at my arm. “Ansel. Don’t do this. Don’t make a scene. We were having a good time.”

She gripped my wrist, and I was sure she felt the tremble in my body as I fought to control my rage. Her pleading eyes begged me not to disappoint her, but I couldn’t grant her request. Based on his wide-eyed gape and flaring nostrils, the man was praying her words would stifle the flames fuming off my body.

Staring down, I glanced into Regina’s pleading gaze.

“I can’t let this shit go,” I uttered through clenched teeth. “I’m going to beat this motherfucker’s ass,” I confirmed in a tone calmer than my coiled body portrayed. “I told you, Regina, if someone put their hands on you, there would be a fucking problem.” I half-heartedly pointed at the man stupid enough to still be standing there, but my gaze remained on her. “That’s a fucking problem.”

Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted the two restaurant security guards who were headed our way. They were just in time to keep me from killing this man. I removed Regina’s hand from my arm before taking her by the waist to shove her to safety. After I was certain of her safety, I reared back and socked the asshole in the face.

He staggered back and fell against his table. The loud knocking of his body against the table and the clattering of dishes as they crashed into each other caused loud gasps to spill out from the other diners. Stunned hands flew up to mouths, but no one moved closer to break up the fight.

The man was so stunned by the hard punch that his mouth dropped open as wide as his eyes. He grasped at his face and busted lip. With him pinned against the table, I didn’t hold back as I pounced and started wailing on him.

“You touched,” Punch “the wrong,” Punch “woman,” Punch. “Blatant,” Punch “fucking,” Punch “disrespect.” The sound my fist made when it connected with his head may as well have been a bat striking concrete. A free therapy session was what I was giving his ass. He’d never approach another man’s woman.

The guards started running towards us as Regina stood in place, yelling for me to stop. “Ansel, please! Stop it!”

While all eyes were on me beating the hell out of this guy, who deserved the ass whipping he got, the crowd had no idea of the swirling chaos about to take place outside.

“Three, two, one…” JG counted down in my ear right before my knuckle connected with the man’s jawbone. I didn’t need to look at the wimpy asshole in front of me to beat his ass. He was my size, so this fight would have been more exciting if he’d at least fought back.

My sharp gaze darted in the direction of the man standing outside the black SUV parked across the street. A smile crept across my face when his brains splattered against the passenger side glass and the top of the vehicle. It looked like a watermelon had been dropped from ten stories above.

A security officer gripped me from behind, pinning my arms at my sides.

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