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“Look at the ass on this one,” one of the underlings who served Bruno says. His voice pulls me away from my careless inspection. If I can hear him, so can she. The group he’s standing with crane their necks and snicker at the woman.Mywoman.
The possessive beast inside wants to tear his tongue out for speaking to her, not to mention the vile words that left his shit-eating grin.
My attention shifts to the group of four.
“Cute kid,” a second speaks. “How about you let me give you another?” He jerks his hips and thrusts forward while mimicking the action of slapping her ass.
I might have been able to let it go if the comments died with admiration of her physique. I wouldn't have been happy, and they'd be out of a job, sure, but when the second fucker opens his mouth, I see red.
His vulgarity has made my woman rosy-cheeked and shy away. Two sentences have reduced her to a piece of meat. They think they can make her feel small and uncomfortable? I'm going to do a of a lot worse.
“What did you just say?” I ask hoarsely. My white-hot rage has dried up my throat. The group turns to me.
No one opens their mouths, afraid of what comes next. They're clever not to. If they say another bad word, I'll be digging two more graves.
The two leaning against the side of my house stand at attention at my interruption. They kill their cigarettes against their boots and tuck the filters into their pockets.
“Mr. Hawthorne,” the piece of shit who made my woman uncomfortable whimpers. He calls meMr.by design. There are civilians here to send Bruno off, many of which don’t know who I am or what we do.
He wrings his hands together as he approaches me. “We were making a few jokes, is all. Trying to bring some light to this bad situation.” A smug smile stretches across his gaunt face, pleased with the answer he produced.
From the corner of my eye, I can see her. She’s cradling Tony and doing her best to seem aloof and inconspicuous, but curiosity has hooked her.
Stay a little longer, and the whole God-damn world will be yours.
“Cracking a few jokes with the boys?” I ask. It’s hard to mask my fury with adrenaline forcing blood to pump at incredible rates through my body. How will it look if I lose control on a few nobodies for running their mouths?
I should know their names, but I don’t. These lower rung soldiers under my enforcers and Made Men rarely catch my attention. Even then, its only if they do something extraordinary. With the tongues on these two, I’m glad I never gave them a thought.
“Yes, sir.”
“Then go on, tell me the joke. I could use a laugh.” I step forward. My massive six-foot-five frame blocks the sun around him.
He gulps so hard that his Adam’s apple bobs up and down. He stutters gibberish, fighting for an answer in his pea-brained skull.
“Are you deaf?”
A little smile cracks on her plump lips. She’s enjoying what she sees? They made her feel so small and payback is sweet.
“I won't ask you again.” I shouldn’t have to in the first place. Insubordination isn’t tolerated within my ranks.
A white-knuckled fist itches at my side. What I’d give to drive it into this prick’s skull.
Not yet. Not here.
“Mr. Hawthorne,” the second speaker stumbles forward with his hands high in surrender.
“I was letting her know how pretty I tho—” I don’t let him finish his sentence, swinging a flat palm against his cheek. His neck snaps in her direction, and I grab it in a firm hold.
“You’re going to lie to me? Think that’s a good idea?”I lean in close to whisper in his ear.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hawthorne.” He’s rattling in my grip. Had I been anybody else, the stooges he was standing with might rush to his aid, but had they been so foolish, I’d have laid all four out just the same.
Rude comments and snarky remarks stripped any sense of man from my being. I’m an animal protecting my mate, whether or not she can sense being by my side forever is exactly what her future holds. It doesn’t bother me who has to get hurt to see her smile again.
I press the heel of my cobbled shoe behind the man in my grip’s knee. His legs buckle and he crumbles to his knees. He’s muttering apologies with a mix of pleading to be let go. Good, he hasn’t forgotten who he’s dealing with.
“Boss, is this really what you want to do?” another asks.
