“Next weekend.” I stare at him, waiting for his true feelings to show. I can’t read him yet.
“Do you have people who walk out with you?”
“Heath always escorts me to the ring. Usually, Hunter or Bane protect my back.”
“Will you let me join your team?”
I inhale sharply. “You want to? You’re okay with it?”
“I don’t want you to get hurt, but I doubt Heath would put you in a dangerous position. I feel the strength in your frame.” He glances down my body. “The way you move tells me how agile you are, and knowing you’ve been through shit in your past makes me believe you are fighting for good reasons.” He meets my eyes.
“I’m a woman,” I say faintly.
“I’m well aware.” He squeezes my fingers. “Issy has a wicked left hook. I was thirteen and cut the hair off of her dolls. It took me two days longer than usual to heal my black eye. She’s two years younger, and I was mad she played with them insteadof me. Mom built a massive tree house in the backyard, and I couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to spend hours in it. I would like to say that was the first and only time I garnered her anger, but I didn’t learn.”
Ezra is charming, sexy, and has the patience of a saint.
I’m in so much trouble.
“You confuse the fuck out of me,” I hum. “I’ve never met anyone like you. Most men I’ve known don’t think I should fight. They think it’s a man’s sport, and they don’t want their woman doing it.”
“First, please don’t mention the men you have dated. Second, you’ve been hanging around the wrong type of men, which luckily, benefits me.” He presses his cheek against mine. “The universe doesn’t make mistakes,” he whispers in my ear. “You are meant to be mine. I will go at your pace, but in the end, I will make you mine.”
I shiver, and every part of me knows he means every word he says. It will be so easy to fall for him.
“Rylee.”
The bubble we have been wrapped in pops. The music comes back into focus, and I realize the beat is fast. We have been barely moving. The worst realization is the man barreling toward us, his expression hard, yet his gaze is sweeping over my body.
Fuck.
Charlie is a failed date. He didn’t agree with anything about my life. He’s cute, but his attitude makes him ugly. Sex was the last thing on my mind when we went out, but I knew it was his goal. I ended the date early, and he kept calling me for weeks. To get him to stop calling, I had a very uncomfortable conversation with him. I thought I made it clear we would never go out again.
“Charlie,” I grit out as he stops beside us. I glance at Ezra, his body tenses slightly, and he’s staring at him.
“You haven’t answered my messages,” Charlie says, glaring at me.
“I had nothing to say,” I grumble. He’s texted me randomly, and I ignored it, hoping the man would get the message.
“It’s only polite to respond,” he sneers, grabbing my arm. I’m astonished at his guts. He pays no attention to my mate, and he should.
Charlie squeals as Ezra has a knife pressed against the side of his neck. I didn’t see him move, and I don’t know where the knife came from.
“Friend, remove your hand from my woman,” Ezra says calmly. Charlie's eyes are big, and he drops his arm. “Appreciate it.” The blade remains pointed at his throat. “It would be so easy to apply pressure. Your dead body may ruin the atmosphere of the club.” He smiles slightly. “I like knives. Perhaps some would prefer using a gun, but it’s too impersonal to me. I like to be up close and personal. Rylee, do you want to talk to him?”
I shake my head rapidly and swallow. “No.”
“There you go,” Ezra says. Charlie is shaking. “I think you should leave, don’t you?”
“Ye…yes.”
“Good.” Ezra drops his arm. “Off you go.” He smiles at Charlie, who stumbles back, his fear floating around us. “I don’t like him.” My mate watches him push through the crowd. “I’m glad you held out for better.” He looks at me and smirks.
I’ve never wanted a man as much as I do Ezra.
Chapter Five
Ezra
