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"If you wanted me dead, you had two excellent opportunities to get rid of me. You didn't, and knowing that has made me immune to your glares," she said, giving him a cheeky smile.
"Good. I wouldn't like it if you were afraid of me." Mananan moved back as Gayle reappeared with their beers.
"Wanted to warn you that Dan and his boys have just gotten off shift, love. They are outside," she said, giving Ella a pointed look before bustling off.
"Fuck. Of all the days…" Ella muttered, sinking lower into her chair.
"Something I need to know about?" Mananan asked. He was looking around the room as if scanning for predators.
"Dan is my ex-boyfriend. He can be a real dick especially if he's drinking."
Mananan's frown deepened. "Let me guess, he was angry when you broke up with him."
Ella touched her cheek, remembering the throbbing ache. "Yeah, you could say that. It's one of the reasons I started avoiding this place. He comes here with his friends often enough that it seemed a good idea to not come here. He was never shy about causing some drama when he wanted to."
"He will not be causing you any drama today, Marella. That I can promise you," Mananan said firmly.
The use of her full name had her sitting up like she was the one in trouble. Maybe she was and just didn’t realize it yet.
Ella was saved from replying when Gayle returned with their food. Her stomach grumbled, and she tried not to put her whole face into her chips bowl.
A bark of a familiar laughter made the chip fall from her fingers. Her stomach seized, killing her appetite in its tracks. She knew from the foot falls behind her that there was going to be no avoiding her ex. He was headed right for them.
10
Ella fixed a pleasant smile on her face and didn't take her eyes off the pearls threaded through one of the small braids in Mananan's hair.
"El, thought that was you," Dan said, coming to stand beside her. "Who's this? It's not like you to have any friends."
She took a deep breath through her nose, fighting the adrenaline starting to dump through her. She fidgeted in her chair, refusing to look up at Dan. Mananan cleared his through.
"My name is Mananan, and I can assure you, I'm definitely Ella's friend," he said, his tone completely mild.
"Mananan, huh? Why don't you fucking fae ever have normal names?" Dan demanded.
Mananan's smile was a sharp flash of white. "Our definition of normal differs from what you humans think is normal.”
"Aha. Well, if you're here on a date with this one, I should warn you, she's not going to fuck you, so you're wasting your time," Dan said, his words slurring.
Ella was mortified. She went to stand, but Dan's hand clamped around her shoulder and shoved her back down. Images flashed through Ella's mind—fishing off a boat, getting a blow job from a girl a few towns over, laughing with his friends about his crazy ex…
The memories cut off with a snap. Dan was ripped off her and slammed face first up against the nearest wall.
Ella coughed violently, her vision clearing enough to see the bar in front of her once more. Mananan clenched Dan tight, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
"You dare touch her when you know that it pains her?" he demanded.
Dan squirmed under his grip. "Let me go, you fucking freak."
Ella struggled out of her seat and rested a hand on Mananan's arm, knowing his mental shields would still be up. "Please, don't hurt him. It's not worth the fight."
Mananan twisted his head to look at her. "He grabbed you like that to hurt you on purpose, and still, you defend him?"
"I'm not defending him. I'm trying to stop you from killing him," Ella clarified. Everyone in the bar was now looking at them. "I am okay. Just let him go."
Mananan leaned in close to Dan's ear. "If you ever lay hands on her or speak to her disrespectfully again, I will rip your goddamned throat out and dump your body where no one will ever find it. Am I understood?"
Dan's face was turning red. He struggled under Mananan's grip, but he didn't let him go. "I understand."
