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“This is a private conversation, asshole. Move along.” This motherfucker shoos me—actually makes the shooing motion at me—like I’m somehow inferior to him.
“I have nothing to say to you,” Mia retorts from behind me.
“No. No, I don’t think I will, Fucker.”
His eyes narrow as he studies me. “What did you just call me?”
“Tucker,” I lie. “Didn’t I, Mia?”
“Yep.” Amusement coats her voice. She knows that’s not what I said.
Red mottles his throat, and he steps toe-to-toe with me. The move is meant to intimidate me, but instead, I have a hard time fighting the urge to laugh. My lips twitch with the effort.
“Something funny, asshole?”
“You’re a joke,” I say calmly. “A pathetic one at that.”
His nostrils flare with the breath he takes, and Mia’s catches behind me. Reaching back, I squeeze her hand.
“You think you’re hot shit being married to her?” He points, and the aggressive gesture starts to get some attention from our neighbors.
“No, I think you’re a fucking idiot,” I tell him. “Not only have you cheated on her multiple times, but then you decided to let her go before you posted a video and claimed it’s her.”
“Newsflash, it is,” he spits out.
“Bullshit.”
Realizing he’s struck a nerve, he continues. “How would you know?”
I take a deep breath. He wants a reaction out of me. But he doesn’t get what he wants. Including Mia.
“I don’t.”
His eyebrows furrow in confusion. “What?”
“I don’t,” I repeat. “I refuse to watch that video. Because even if it’s not Mia, it’s some other poor unsuspecting woman who had no idea she was being filmed. Homemade pornos aren’t my style.”
“No, just my sloppy seconds?” he taunts.
My knuckles crack as I tighten my fist and I grind my teeth. Time to end this.
“You really don’t get it, do you? Mia is my wife. Mine. The next time I see you touch her, the next time you try to call her, fuck, the next time I even hear you were considering trying to contact her again, there will be consequences. I don’t share what’s mine,” I grit out. “You are nothing to me and nothing more than a mistake to Mia. You no longer matter, and I’m tired of wasting my energy on you when I could be dancing with my wife.”
Turning, I interlace my fingers with Mia’s and pull her away from Fucker and onto the dance floor, ignoring the “Hey!” he shouts after us. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Fiona and Cole deftly redirect him, and the three of them walk inside. I didn’t think a coward like Fucker would make any more of a scene, but I was prepared if he did. Now that he’s out of sight, my shoulders relax and I’m able to focus on the way Mia nestles into my arms, her cheek resting against my heartbeat.
“You okay?” I whisper, my lips brushing against her chestnut hair.
“Mmm-hmm.” Her hands are clasped around my neck, her fingertips skimming the short hair at the base of my scalp.
“‘Mmm-hmm?’ That’s all you have for me?” I joke even as goosebumps ripple down my body at the lightly charged touch of her fingers.
Lifting her face, she leans back until she can look me in the eyes. There’s a look in them that I can’t quite decipher. It’s not one I’m used to seeing on her face when she looks at me.
“I—” She stops on a swallow. “Garrett, what you did—”
“I didn’t cause a scene,” I interrupt, worried she’s upset with how I handled things.
She shakes her head with a smile. “You didn’t. Instead, you stood up to him. You defended me.”
