Page 7 of Hunted

“We aren’t property,” she said, struggling to keep her voice from betraying the shaking of her insides. “But then I guess you never understood that. Maybe thinking of me as some kind of pet or possession made it easier for you to beat me.”

“You made me do that. You disobeyed me.” He loomed even closer. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was for me to have you leave me like that? How much shit I had to put up with from the other inmates? It was humiliating. No one does that to me, Leila. No one.”

“Yeah, I can see how dealing with the consequences of being abusive might be hard foryouto deal with,” she said, then instantly regretted it when she saw his scowl deepen even more. Just like it used to before he hit her.Defuse, she reminded herself. “Look, this is my workplace?—

“I don’t give a shit if it’s the Taj Mahal,” Mike yelled. “I came to get back what’s mine.”

Why wasn’t someone driving by? But the position she was in was terrible. She was trapped where a casual passerby wouldn’t notice them, and neither of them were speaking loudly enough to draw attention. Why had she parked at the back of the lot today hemmed in by big vehicles? She was usually better about that, but she’d been distracted and on the phone with her mother and had just pulled into the first space she saw. So stupid.

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” Mike said putting a hand on her car and closing her in even more. “You aren’t. You’re just a dumb bitch who doesn’t know how good you got it. Never did appreciate me and all the things I did for you. You never deserved me. Never.”

She felt the bile rise in her throat. Her mind went blank, none of her self-defense training helping her. She felt hopeless and terrified. She didn’t even have her key fob in her hand. Not that the panic buttons would attract much attention. Talking was her only choice. She had to stay calm and firm.

“Let it go, Mike. Letusgo,” she pleaded. “You’re out now. You’re free. You have a second chance to make a new life, a new start. If I’m as worthless as you say I am, don’t waste your time on me.”

“What about Thomas?” he said, glaring a thousand daggers at her.

“What about him?” Leila felt some of her backbone returning. No way would this asshole get his hands on her son. Nope. She’d rather die than let him get to her child. She pulled some bravery from deep inside her. “Leave him alone.”

“Or what?” Mike got right in her face, his breath stinking of alcohol even this early in the day. “What are you going to do to me, Leila?”

She didn’t miss the mocking in his tone or the murderous glint in his eye. He’d kill her this time. There was no doubt in her mind. He’d go back to prison, and she’d go into a grave. End of their sad, sordid story. But Thomas…oh, god.

“Tell me where my son is now!” Mike said, grabbing Leila’s arm in a bruising grip. “Tell me!”

The echo of a car door slamming vaguely registered through the pounding of blood in her ears. Footsteps drew closer. She was torn between crying out for help and wanting to warn whoever it was to stay away, stay safe. All words stuck in her throat.

“If I were you, I’d let the lady go,” a deep male voice said. A very familiar voice. Clint.

He had no idea who the bastard was getting in Leila’s face, and he didn’t care. His number one priority at the moment was keeping her safe. Clint stepped a bit closer and stared the guy down. “Is there a problem here?”

The man, about the same height as Clint at five-ten and covered with gang tattoos, glared over at him with angry green eyes, his brutish face twisted into a menacing snarl. “Who the fuck are you? Mind your own business.”

It was meant to be intimidating. Might’ve been too, if Clint hadn’t already faced down some of the worst badassess on the planet during his stint as a SEAL. This dude was a weak wannabe compared to some of the scum he’d encountered then. He took a step closer and met his opponent’s gaze directly. “I’m the guy who doesn’t like when assholes like you don’t treat women with respect.”

“Yeah?” The guy swiveled away from Leila and cracked his knuckles. “What the fuck you gonna do about it?”

“Mike, don’t—” Leila started before the jerk shot her a murderous glance.

“Don’t tell me what to do, bitch. You lost that right when you served me with divorce papers.”

Right. Clint put two and two together. This asshole must be her ex-husband. From the looks of him—rough and on-edge, his muscles taut and toned from hours in the gym, and what looked like a raw, fresh tat of a black tear drop under his left eye—Clint would guess he’d been recently released from prison. That certainly would explain Leila’s nervousness and sudden, desperate need for a weapon.

He took another step, one that firmly put him between Leila and her behemoth of an ex-husband. “How about you tone down the threats and we discuss this like rational adults?”

“How about you get the fuck out of here and keep your nose out of where it don’t belong before I smash it?” Mike growled. “You sleeping with her or what?”

“Why? Afraid she’ll see what a real man is like?” Clint couldn’t help baiting him. After seeing how frightened Leila was and picturing her cute kid, he suddenly felt the urge to pummel this guy’s face into the dirt. Clint wasn’t a violent guy by nature, but the thought of this son of a bitch hurting Leila or Thomas brought it out in him.

“I will kill you,” Mike bared his teeth and got nose to nose with Clint. “Nobody insults me and gets away with it.”

“Yeah?” Clint didn’t back down an inch. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leila slide away. Smart move on her part. He didn’t want her to take a hit if fists started flying. “Want to take me on? Let’s go. I’ve taken down people way worse than you before breakfast, bud. It’ll be a pleasure to knock you to your knees.”

He’d wanted to say more, but a police car drove by, giving a quick beep of the sirens in warning. Apparently, someone had reported them. Much as Clint wanted to take this asshole down a peg, he didn’t fancy a trip to the local jail for brawling, either.

The squad car pulled up near them and the officer’s tinted window lowered. “Problem here, ma’am?”

Leila’s gaze flickered between Clint and her ex before meeting the cop’s. “No officer. Thank you. My ex-husband was just leaving.”

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