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“That’s a long time, Anita.”
“He clearly doesn’t get the picture.”
Phil lowered his head like a bull getting ready to charge. “He’s gotten into your head, baby. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he learns his lesson.”
“You mean like the lessons you taught me?” I snapped. “Like the times you taught me how to keep my mouth shut so you wouldn’t hit me?”
Phil gave me a horrified look. “What are you talking about? I would never—”
Liam stepped in front of me.
That performative caring ex-boyfriend disappeared in a flash, vengeance carving a sinister grin into his face. He leveled his gaze with Liam, cracked his neck, and held up his fists, the ever-skilled boxer coming right to the surface. “Let’s go, tough guy. Winner takes Anita home.”
In any other situation, I would have argued heavily against that kind of crap. Winners didn’t need to take me home. There didn’t need to be awinner. But Phil didn’t see it that way. Everything was a competition to him. Everything was an affront to him personally.
I didn’t want to watch it. But I couldn’t look away.
Liam held out his right arm, urging me to move back. I could have sworn I heard him growl when I didn’t obey him immediately. As soon as I was at a safe distance several feet away, he pounced into action. No one I knew could move that quickly. Even Phil, as trained as he was, had a hard time keeping up with the quick jabs.
A fight like this would attract attention. I just hoped it would be over quickly. But that would just lead to another problem—Phil knew my location. I couldn’t hide from him without upending my entire life here in Beaufort.
It wasn’t fair.
A snarling sound shocked me into dropping my tote bag. Liam launched his right fist at Phil while swatting off an attack with his left arm. Flesh met flesh with a sickening crunch, one that startled me enough to cover my mouth. There was that growl again, a strange noise that seemed to grow louder as Phil held his cheek.
Blood pooled between his fingers and oozed over his knuckles. “That all you got?”
“Anita, I need you to look away,” Liam warned. He flashed me a stern glance, one that made me think his eyes were glowing, a lot like when cats looked at a light source. “Right now.”
I covered my face, trying to figure out how in the world this guy was making me do things withoutphysicallymaking me do things. Something about his tone insisted that I obey his commands. But that seemed as outlandish and misplaced as the strange growling sounds.
Both men sounded like they were grappling. I squeezed my eyes shut while crumbling to my knees, unable to keep myself upright when everything was going wrong. My gut twisted at the sound of choking.
Oh god, who’s making that sound? Who’s choking?
My heart lurched when I heard athud, and I didn’t dare peek between my fingers. I didn’t want to open my eyes.
A warm hand met my shoulder, shocking me out of my crouched position. I shot to my feet and stared up at Liam, searching his eyes for signs of murder. “Did you kill him?”
Liam shook his head. “No, he’s just knocked out.” He stepped aside to reveal Phil laid out on the ground.
I took a hesitant step forward. “He looks dead.”
“He’s not dead, Anita. Go inside and pack an overnight bag.”
I clutched his elbow. “Liam, tell me you didn’t—”
He caught my shoulders and forced me to look at him, bending so he could level his gaze with mine. “Ani, please.”
I trembled under his heated stare. “No one has called me that in years.”
“Consider it a treat for doing what I say. Now go.”
Without argument, I dashed to the door, unlocked it, and ran up the steps to the second-floor landing. I let myself into my apartment and paused in the miniature kitchen to clutch the counter, to bend over the sink, to puke.
Memphismeowedfrom across the room. I heard his little feet hit the ground and patter over to me. I felt his warm body flush against my shin. Nausea hit me like a train going off the rails and I stayed over the sink for as long as possible.
What had happened when I wasn’t looking?
