The Bandit.
The predator who so blatantly attacked someone.
For me.
To protect me.
“I…”
I don’t know what I was going to say and it doesn’t even matter now. Because Reign turns back to Brad, who’s still trying to catch his breath, slumped and heaving, and grabs the neck of his t-shirt. He shoves Brad back into the trunk, making my heart jump into my throat again, and rasps, “If you ever,ever, put your filthy fucking hands on her, I’ll fucking kill you, you understand?”
When all Brad does is watch him fearfully, Reign shakes him, as though trying to jar loose the answer he wants to hear.
And he does because Brad jerks out a nod and squeaks, “Y-yes. I-I get it.”
“Good.” Another shake. “Now apologize to her.”
“Reign, I don’t think that’s necessary,” I chime in.
He gets up in Brad’s face again. “Apologize!”
Frantically, Brad looks at me and whimpers. “I’m s-sorry. I-I’m fucking sorry, all right? For touching you. For p-propositioning you. For fucking e-everything.”
“I-I forgive you.” Then, to Reign, “Now let him go.”
Finally, fuckingfinally, he does. And Brad’s pushing at Reign who goes back easily and scrambling away.
I don’t wait for Brad to disappear completely before turning back to this crazy and insane and strangely protective —protective— guy standing in front of me.
“What were you trying to do?” I ask, pushing on his shoulders. “Are you crazy? You could’ve really killed him, Reign. You could’ve —”
“Proposition,” he says in a low voice, his stare as intense as ever.
“What?”
“What did he mean when he said he’d propositioned you?”
Oh shit.
I snatch my hand off his shoulder and move back, repeating, “What?”
Opting to play dumb is the only thing that I can think of.
Because it looks like he wants to go after Brad again.
Stupid Brad.
He takes a step toward me. “What was he talking about?”
“Nothing,” I tell him, shaking my head. “He was talking about nothing. It’s not important.”
“It’s not important,” he says, dipping his chin toward me. “Or is it nothing?”
“It’s both. Not important. Not anything,” I say quickly, moving back.
And somehow I find myself in the same position as Brad.
Spine stuck to that tree with this hunk of a guy standing before me.