Page 39 of Tabitha

He’s lost his head over the girl, fallen for her hard and fast, and I frown in worry.

Gage doesn’t even attempt to be quiet as he tromps through the woods, Rocky dogging his every step like the beast is prodding him along. I frown, not understanding his dislike of the girl. It’s not like he found anything about her online, or he would’ve already informed me.

In fact, he’s found nothing.

He said that in itself was suspicious, but I reminded him I don’t have any social media either.

Which only made him glare all the harder.

Tabitha is the first to notice us, raising her hand and stepping back, but I suspect she was probably aware of our presence as soon as we arrived. When she glances our way, River practically bounces on his feet, a smile taking over his face, and I clamp my hand on his shoulder to keep him from bounding to her side.

He stills, then scowls at me, his brown eyes so flat that I can see my death reflected in them. I tighten my grip until his bones creak before he finally grimaces and sanity returns to his eyes. He settles back on his feet, more subdued, but it’s only an act.

He’s completely infatuated with the girl. I hesitantly release him, then step into the backyard. I nod toward Pierce, but I don’t take my focus off Tabitha.

She wears nothing more than a sports bra and training shorts, the outfit hugging her curves like a second skin. A light sheen of sweat gives her body a healthy glow, and I admit that she’s a stunner.

She scans me with a practiced eye, her gaze accessing. I wait until she’s done, then cock a single brow at her. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

I expect her to go on the attack, but she waits calmly. When I throw a practice punch, she easily knocks my arm aside, slips to the right, and places two hard jabs to my side and kidneys, then dances out of the way before I can even turn to face her.

Fuck, she’s fast.

I grin, loving that she’s not in the least bit intimidated by my size.

“You’re quick,” I compliment her.

“Oh, wait, are we stating the obvious?” She looks up at me with wide, innocent eyes. “And you’re big. Is the old saying true? The bigger they are, the harder they fall?”

I throw back my head and roar with laugher, the tension of the last three weeks fading. I know she’s still pissed, but maybe if I let her beat the shit out of me, she’ll feel better. I wave her forward with a smile. “You tell me.”

A grin takes over her face at my challenge. My spirits lift, and we begin sparring in earnest. For every blow I land, she gives me two. After the first five minutes, I stop pulling my punches when the blows don’t seem to faze her. It’s not until bruises dot her limbs and torso that guilt caves in my chest, yet she acts like she can’t even feel the aches.

I wish I could say the same.

She makes me feel old.

Pierce and the others take turns facing off against each other or cheering for Tabitha. When she nails me especially hard in the back of my leg, I go down to one knee. Before I have a chance to rise, she grabs my locs and presses two fingers under my jaw. “If I had a weapon, you would be dead.”

I chuckle, then I reach behind me, grab her arm, and easily flip her over my shoulder. She lands beneath me with a thud, and I grin down at her. “Not if I got you first.”

“Bravo!” Banks claps slowly, and I turn to see him and his men lounging on the back porch. I glare, slowly rising to my feet and stepping protectively in front of Tabitha.

Not that I needed to make the effort. River is already there, helping her stand. The girl doesn’t seem surprised by their visit, her silver eyes shimmering with curiosity, and I mentally curse when Banks’ gaze sweeps over her with an appreciative gleam.

The ex-soldier nods at Tabitha, giving her a rakish smile. “It’s good to see you’re well this morning. If these men are bothering you, I can send them on their way.”

The soldiers behind him straighten and slowly come to attention. River and Gage shift to stand at my back, none of us willing to leave without a fight. Tabitha is ours. Pierce hovers protectively over Tabitha, and I know he wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone he thought might harm her.

Oblivious to the tension, Tabitha saunters toward the porch and grabs a towel to dab her face. She peers up at Banks, then rolls her eyes. “No need. If I wanted them gone, I’d do it myself.”

While I love her spunk, I want to throttle her for acting so casual around the bastard.

The man is a viper.

If he takes offense, he’s likely to strike without warning, and I don’t want Tabitha anywhere near him when he finally snaps.

She picks up a bottle of water, taking a sip before recapping it. “They volunteered to help me pack. Friends of the family or something. I’m not one to turn down help. We were just sparring a bit before we start.”

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