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“Jimmy!” Xavier shouted. “Stop!”
The man’s massive head snapped up, as he focused on Xavier. He frowned, even as his grip on Emma’s throat loosened and she screamed, frantically clutching at the man’s massive forearm. Jimmy hesitated, obviously not wanting to let go of his victim, but after taking in Xavier’s size and his speed, he must have thought better of holding on. Instead, he shoved Emma hard to the ground. She fell with her arms outstretched, but hit the ground hard on her palms and knees. Jimmy took off back down the street but his heavy frame meant he couldn’t run that fast. Distantly, Xavier heard the siren of his detective friend. Thank God.
“Emma! You okay?” Xavier cried, stopping to help her up.
“Fine... I’m fine,” she croaked, gently rubbing her neck. “Fine.”
Xavier glanced up at Jimmy, who’d only made it about ten feet, but he clicked the remote on his key chain, opening up a car across the street. He was going to get away. That would not happen. Could not happen.
“I’ll be right back,” Xavier promised and sprinted to his feet, running as fast as his legs would carry him, taking the quickest route to Jimmy, who was in the middle of the street, just feet from his car door, when Xavier slammed into him and laid him flat on the ground. They fell in a tumble of limbs, and Xavier heard Jimmy’s face hit the asphalt with a sickening crack. His nose maybe? But then the two men had tumbled to the ground, and Jimmy managed to pop up, arms swinging.
“You’re going to regret that,” he promised, wiping blood from his nose.
“I think you’re going to be the one with regrets,” Xavier promised. The sky opened up then and the rain came down, but Xavier hardly noticed. He was fixated on the large man in front of him. Not in shape, but heavy, and sometimes weight mattered more than muscle in a close fight.
Xavier had taken boxing lessons, so wasn’t entirely out of his element. Plus, the man was going to be slower and tire easily. He jabbed and Xavier danced out of the way. Then Xavier swung, his right hook connecting at the man’s chin, sending him backward. Jimmy lunged forward once more, but Xavier landed a hard blow to the man’s stomach which sank him to his knees. A hard jab to the cheek toppled him then, even as the unmarked police car skidded to a stop in front of the men, lights flashing. Ian popped out of the driver’s side, gun drawn.
“Hold it right there, asshole,” he called to Jimmy. “Hands where I can see them.”
Jimmy held his hands up, away from his bleeding face. Xavier backed away, hands up as well.
“Well, geez, X, looks like you didn’t need me after all.” Ian grinned. “Looks like you coulda handled this perp just fine.”
“You better take him, Ian. ’Cause if you left him with me, I’d kill him.”
Ian grabbed handcuffs from his back pocket. “Don’t blame you,” he agreed as he went about working Jimmy into a sitting position and handcuffing his wrists behind his back. “Jimmy, looks like you violated parole about eight ways to Sunday. You’re going back for a long time.”
“Fuck you,” the man growled as he spat blood on the asphalt.
“Gotta love my job,” Ian said. He glanced over Xavier’s shoulder. “She okay?”
Xavier turned, to see Emma standing on the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face.
“I’ll make sure she is,” Xavier promised as he crossed the street and swooped her up in his arms. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
“I thought you... I just worried. Thank God you’re okay,” she cried, squeezing him hard.
“Me? I’m fine. I could handle ten of that jerk. No problem.” Xavier squeezed her to his chest. “It’s okay. He’s going away for awhile, too. You don’t have to be scared.”
They watched together as Ian put him in his unmarked squad car. “Bring her down to the station for her statement, okay, X?” he called as he ducked into the driver’s seat.
“Will do.” Xavier kissed the top of Emma’s head. “You going to be okay with that?”
She nodded into his chest.
* * *
Xavier drank the stale coffee at the police station as he sat beside Emma and listened to her recount the horror of the afternoon. With every new detail, he felt like he ought to have hit Jimmy one more time. The guy got off easy. Xavier held Emma’s hand the entire time, squeezing it to let her know she wasn’t alone and that he was there.
All he kept thinking was: What if I’d stayed with the sexy woman from the train? If he’d done that, if he’d indulged, then what would have happened to Emma? Just the knowledge of how quickly things could’ve turned, how him not being there for her could’ve been such a disaster, made him feel sick with guilt. Yes, he’d made it on time. But he almost hadn’t. And that was because of his stupid pursuit of...what? A pretty woman? Empty sex? Hadn’t he been trying to fill the void inside him for more than a year with just sex with strangers?
