AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Riff shakes me violently, then shoves me away, bearing down on me with a raised fist.
“Think fuckin’ twice about that, asshole.”
Riff drops his fist, the hate and anger gone as he looks at Diego and then me. “Nadia, I’m sorry.”
“He’s fuckin’ not.” Diego gently eases me away and steps in between me and Riff. I’m shaking. I can’t stop shaking.
I’ve known Riff for five years, we dated for two were engaged for about six months, and I don’t know who this man is. At all.
My eyes burn, and the last thing I’ll allow myself to do is cry. I know it’s shock that makes the tears want to come because even with everything Diego said about Riff, I never thought he had that kind of ugly in him. Which makes me the worst of the worst because now I can see him taking part in revenge porn bullshit.
I don’t want to cry. I want to throw up.
Diego’s in jeans, a black T, and all those muscles and ink are on display. He looks very dangerous. And very, very angry.
He curls his hands into fists.
“You’ve always been the big fuckin’ man, haven’t you? Thought you’d caught a prize here, and you’re not wrong. She’s a priceless jewel, but she’s not a docile thing. She’s a woman whose utter amazing qualities your tiny mind missed.”
“Fuck you.”
“See,” Diego continues as if Riff never spoke, “I’m betting you never felt the wrath of someone bigger than you. Guess what, motherfucker? I’m bigger than you, stronger than you, and I know how to fight.”
Before I can do a thing, Diego lifts a fist and swings, punching Riff hard in the face.
He takes him by the collar as Riff’s trying to stem the blood from his nose and drags him to the front door. Diego switches off the porch light and proceeds to beat him up.
“Diego, enough,” I whisper the words.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Riff’s begging for Diego to stop, and even in the light of the moon and streetlamps, my ex looks like he got hit by a bus.
“Fine.” He lets him go, and Riff crumples to the ground. He turns. “Get the fuck off Nadia’s property, and don’t come back. If I ever hear of you thinking of even so much as raising your fuckin’ voice to her, I’ll give you a real beating.”
Riff crawls down the stairs, staggering to his feet. “I’ll have you behind bars, you thug.”
“And I’ll press charges for coming into my house and threatening me.” I push past Diego, mainly to stop him from killing Riff.
Riff takes a step back. “It’s not over. I know people.”
“Good for you,” I spit, and drag Diego into the house, locking the door.
He’s immediately got me. “You all right?”
“I’m fine.” I shake him off. “What did he mean?
Diego rubs a hand over his face, goes into the kitchen, and pours a glass of water. “I don’t know, Nadie. But . . .” He drinks the water and lifts his shoulders. “I think he might be caught up in it all.”
“Like all of it?”
“It’s a smart position, aligning with bigger people who are deemed beyond reproach. He’s an ex-golden boy. There’s the mayor, businesses where one is definitely some kind of front.”
“I don’t . . .”
He rubs a hand over his face. “I can’t prove anything, and I don’t know, but the florist makes too much money. Thugs work at the dealership, and what’s up with the old-fashioned furniture store?”
