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Santiago managed to get through the afternoon without incident, though it took all of his self-control not to confront Steve during their group session. Even though Ainsley thought Brett was behind the attacks, he wasn’t quite ready to declare Steve innocent. Especially after the man in question shot him a smug look as the session wrapped up.
“Saw your cabin this morning,” Steve said, walking alongside Santiago as they made their way to the dining area for dinner. “What happened?”
Santiago clenched his jaw and forced himself to respond. “We had a tree branch come through the window last night. Glass was everywhere.”
“Yikes. Hope no one was hurt.”
Santiago studied the man’s face, but saw no signs of either deception or amusement. Perhaps he wasn’t responsible after all.
“No, my wife and I were both fine.” It felt a little strange, saying the word wife. But not in a bad way. If things had been different, he and Ainsley probably would have been married for years by now. And happily so—no way would they have needed this retreat, where relationships apparently came to die.
“That’s good. I’m glad no one was injured. Bet it was scary, though.”
Now that was an interesting remark, and consistent with Santiago’s theory that the incident had been aimed at intimidating them.
“It was unexpected, that’s for sure.”
They reached the entrance to the dining hall. Steve stopped, standing in such a way that Santiago was forced to stop as well. “Accidents are the worst.” His gaze was level and steady and full of meaning. “If only there was something you could do to prevent them.”
Just like that, Santiago went from calm to enraged. For a few seconds, he forgot how to breathe as white-hot anger consumed him. His muscles tensed, ready to fight. His vision tunneled, until the only thing he saw was Steve’s eminently punchable face.
He wasn’t conscious of moving. Didn’t realize he had, until he registered Steve leaning back, eyes going wide.
“Threaten my wife again, and I will put you into the ground.”
Fear flashed in Steve’s eyes, quickly replaced by the gleam of bravado. “You’re bluffing.” He gave Santiago a once-over and scoffed. “You’re a desk jockey. Probably never even thrown a punch in your life. You don’t have it in you.”
Santiago surged forward and grinned as Steve flinched. “Try me,” he said darkly. “Please. Give me an excuse.”
Steve held his gaze for a second, then looked away. “Whatever,” he muttered. “Just keep your wife away from my Jenny.”
“My wife does what she wants, when she wants. I don’t try to control her. Unlike you, I’m not threatened by a woman who knows her own mind.”
Steve glared at him, but didn’t respond. He turned and stomped into the dining room, leaving Santiago standing at the entrance, adrenaline still coursing through him.
Had he really just threatened Steve? It wasn’t like him to lose control of his temper; it was even more out of character for him to promise physical violence. Normally, he fought his battles with wits and facts, not his fists. But in Steve’s case, he was willing to make an exception.
No one threatened Ainsley. Not as long as he was around. Aside from his sister, she was the most important person in his life. He wasn’t about to stand by and let some bully take his anger issues out on her.
And if that meant he had to protect her with his body, then that’s what he’d do.
He took a deep breath, feeling some of his anger ebb out on the exhale. It was strange, the feeling of anticipation that had come over him, along with the willingness to strike out at another human being. It was a rush like he’d never experienced before. No wonder some men seemed to like fighting—he could see how the endorphin rush might become addicting.
Motion in the dining room caught his eye, and he focused to see Ainsley giving him a wave. A small shock went through him as he realized he was still standing in place, as though rooted to the spot. With a little shake, he cast off the last of this strange mood and walked in to meet her.
Should he tell her about his conversation with Steve? She might want to know their first guess had been correct, at least as far as the window was concerned. Santiago didn’t think Steve had attacked her this morning—he wouldn’t have been able to keep from bragging about it if he had.
But as he approached the table and saw the fine lines of strain around her eyes, Santiago decided not to share this information. It would only upset her, and if he told her how he’d threatened the other man, she’d worry about his response and fret about the likelihood of his flying off the handle. The last thing he wanted was to add to the stress in her life. He was supposed to protect her, not add to her problems.
“Everything okay?” she asked as he sat across from her.
He smiled. “Yeah. Just lost in thought out there.”
/> “I saw you talking to Steve.” She took a sip of water, watching him carefully. “Did he have anything important to say?”
Santiago shook his head. “Not at all. Just bluster. He’s not worth your energy.”
