Page 92 of A Naked Beauty

“He didn’t deserve to pay for your wrongdoings. It was your reckless decision to drink and drive. You are the one that wrapped your motorcycle around a pole and ruined your shot at basketball. That was all on you. Not Mick’s mother and certainly not Mick. But you took it out on them; beat your wife and a defenseless boy. That doesn’t make you a man. That makes you a sick, fucking coward.”

“Watch your mouth.” He bares his teeth, coming forward. “You don’t want to push me, Deeana.”

“Step away from her.” The harsh voice sounds from behind me. Even winded, Stiles is formidable.

“Get the hell off my property.”

Stiles ignores the warning and gets between us. He’s doing his job, but technically he’s trespassing and Malcolm is the sheriff.

“Let’s go, Stiles. I’ve said my piece. I’m done.”

“Well, lookie here.” Malcolm gazes demonically down at his phone. “Seems your Knight in Shining Armor has arrived to save the day. This should be interesting.”

It happens fast. The loud roar of an engine, the burn of tires on the hill, the blur of Mick’s Porsche. He breaks with a halting screech and is out of the car in seconds.

“Mick!” I scream, tearing away from Stiles and rushing to him. “Don’t do anything. Please.” I grab the front of his sweater. Panicked. “Please.”

He’s vibrating with rage. “Get in the car, Dee.”

“I’ll go, but not without you.”

Malcolm laughs, a sound filled with malice, enjoying the scene before him. “I wasn’t expecting this turn of events.”

“Stay the fuck away from her.” Mick pushes me behind him and I struggle against his grip. But he’s too strong. Too furious.

“She came to see me.”

“If you ever see her coming again, you better run in the other fucking direction.”

“Or what?”

“Or I will kill you.”

“Threatening a law enforcement officer in front of witnesses. Not very smart.” He crosses his arms across his wide chest. “I could haul you in for that and your lackey here for trespassing. But I’m enjoying my Sunday too much for the headache of all that paperwork. Instead, I’m going to let you off easy with ten little reminders.” He holds up ten fingers, then backs up and enters the house, slamming the door on us.

Mick turns to glare at me, his jaw tight, the muscle ticking out of control. “Get Dee’s car home,” he instructs Stiles, then tugging my arm, he leads me to his Porsche and opens the passenger door, practically shoving me inside.

Relieved that the confrontation is over without anyone physically harmed, I don’t argue. Truth is, despite the terrible circumstances, I’m dying to be with him. Inside the confined interior, I soak up every stormy inch.

The stress of the week shows in the purplish crescents beneath his eyes and in the angles of his face that are sharper than before. But nothing detracts from the beauty of him.

While I feast on all the details, Mick’s fiery gaze points straight ahead. He drives fast as if the devil is on his heels. His scraped knuckles grip the gearshift and I notice that the black diamond band is back on his finger. My heart rejoices at the sight. But I caution myself against too much optimism. Mick had only come here to protect me and I’m only in his car because he doesn’t trust me on my own. A fact that has him scowling in silence.

He doesn’t speak, not a single word until he pulls onto Mama T’s street and parks behind Maria’s minivan. Only then does he whirl on me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Me?” I huff. “You brought this on with your lies and your secrets.”

“Malcolm is not someone to toy with.”

“I wasn’t toying. I found the note and put together that Malcolm sent it. That he was the one at your condo Friday night. His face confirmed it.”

“First O’Malley…now this.”

“I wasn’t right about O’Malley. But I’m right about Malcolm.”

“Do you think that matters?”

---