Page 54 of Angel

I sat sipping my drink, mulling Roxy’s stance, part in wonder at the fact that I was married to a woman who wasn’t after stripping me bare with her gold-digging ways.

Twenty-five minutes ticked past on my watch, then thirty.

Roxy was punctual to a fault, and her delay triggered every instinct in me.

After paying at the counter, I knifed up in my seat, stood up, grabbed the shopping bags, and cut through the crowd in search of her.

Moments later, my phone vibrated in my palm.

I swiped the screen and brought the receiver to my ear.

‘Where are you?’

‘Angel, I’ve got three guys trailing me,’ Roxy said, her breath coming in short, terrified hitches. ‘They’re speaking Russian, and they won’t back off.’

My heart kicked.

‘Send me your live location ping right now, Rox.’

‘Just sent it,’ she whispered, the noise of a crowded alley echoing through the phone. ‘They’re behind me.’

‘Find an open storefront with a friendly store owner and sit tight,’ I growled, breaking into a full sprint through the narrow market corridor.

‘Can’t, they’ve boxed me in an alley.’

‘I’m coming now,’ I bit out.

Upping my speed, I used my bags to maneuver my way through the slow-strolling travelers.

Her location dot pulsed two streets over, tucked at the back of a maze of leather stalls and ceramic shops.

I rounded a corner and skidded to a halt at the mouth of a shadow-drenched alleyway.

Roxy stood trapped against a stone wall as three burly, shirtless Russian tourists cornered her.

Their sunburnt shoulders glistened with sweat and cheap tattoos.

They towered over her, reeking of stale beer and skunk weed while growling broken English and thick Russian taunts in her face.

‘Get the fuck away from her,’ I growled, my timbre echoing off the brick walls.

The three men turned, blinking in surprise.

Their leader laughed, revealing his gold grill teeth.

‘Look at this,’ the biggest one sneered in a broad accent, stepping away from Roxy and flexing a hairy chest. ‘You want trouble, one against three? Or do you want to just walk away and leave us alone with this beauty?’

I scoffed.

‘I need you to turn around and fuck off before this turns into a medical emergency for all three of you.’

I sauntered deeper into the discarded alley, setting my bags down near a set of abandoned steps with nonchalant ease.

The leader guffawed, then his face transformed into a mask of malice and aggression.

He lunged and took a swing at my jaw, putting his whole body behind a sloppy right hook.

He had no clue he was throwing a punch at a black belt who spent years mastering distance and leverage in MMA rings.