Chapter Six #2
She swayed slightly, and my hand found the small of her back, steady and warm. Eric watched from the car, his face a mask of fury as Mia leaned into my touch.
“You OK?” I asked softly.
She nodded, though I could feel the fine tremor running through her. “I will be.” She turned to me. “I’m going to be petty right now. Please don’t think I’m always this way.”
Before I could question her, she pulled me down to kiss her.
And I let her, kissing her back like I knew I always would.
I kept my eye on the silver sedan, making sure he left and didn’t try to hit us.
He backed up, tires spitting gravel, then gunned the engine as he pulled away, a petulant display of impotent rage that made me shake my head.
Men like him were dangerous in their entitlement, in their certainty that the world owed them whatever they desired.
The sound of the car disappeared around the bend, and Mia ended the kiss. “Thank you. For not…”
“Going caveman on his ass?” I finished with a small smile.
She laughed, a fragile sound but genuine. “Yeah. That. But also for having my back. For letting me…” She blushed. “Letting me make my own scene for them to think about tonight, like I had to think about seeing them.”
“Don’t thank me for basic respect, K?tzchen.
” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Though I won’t lie -- it took restraint.
” She gave a small giggle like I’d hoped she would.
“As to the other, I’ll put on any show for them you wish.
I’ll also be willing to take you to bed and make you forget everyone but me.
” I tried to make it sound like I teased her, but in reality, I wanted to beat the shit out of both Eric and Jade, then take Mia to bed and keep her there until she forgot every other lover but me.
She pressed her forehead against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her breathe against me, the storm of emotion still working through her system.
I thought they were gone, but ten minutes later, the silver sedan came roaring back up the gravel drive, dust billowing in its wake. Mia and I had barely made it inside her cabin when I heard the car doors slam. She froze midway through pouring us coffee, her hands trembling slightly.
Through the window, I watched Eric stalk toward the porch, his face twisted with the particular rage of a man unused to being denied. Jade trailed behind him, looking torn between following his lead and holding him back. “Fuck,” I muttered. “He’s coming back for round two.”
Mia set down the coffeepot, her knuckles white against the dark handle. “I can’t do this again and stay strong,” she whispered.
“Those words are all you needed to say, K?tzchen. I’ll take care of this.” I assured her, moving toward the door. “Stay inside.”
But before I could reach it, Eric’s fist hammered against the wood, the whole frame shuddering under the impact. “Mia!” he shouted, his voice carrying easily through the thin cabin walls. “Open the Goddamn door! We’re not finished!”
I glanced back at Mia, silently asking permission.
She nodded once, her jaw set in grim determination.
I opened the door, positioning my body to block his entry, filling the doorframe with my shoulders.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” I said, keeping my voice level despite the anger simmering beneath my skin.
Eric’s eyes narrowed, his cologne hitting me in a cloying wave as he leaned forward. “Get the fuck out of my way. This is between me and her.”
“Nein,” I replied simply.
His face flushed darker. “You think I’m intimidated by you? By your little costume?” He gestured contemptuously at my cut. “I know exactly what you are. A fucking criminal playing dress-up. Mia’s slumming it with you to hurt me, but she’ll come to her senses.”
I remained still, not rising to the bait. “Perhaps. But for now, she wants to stay here. You need to leave, Eric. Now.”
“Like hell I will!” He stepped forward, trying to look past me into the cabin. “Mia! Stop hiding behind this thug and talk to me like an adult!”
Mia appeared at my shoulder, her presence warm against my arm. “I’ve said everything I needed to say,” she told him, her voice remarkably steady. “Please leave.”
“Not happening,” Eric snarled. His voice rose, echoing across the clearing between the cabins. “You think this is a good idea? Shacking up with some ex-con? What would your mother say if she could see you now?”
I felt Mia flinch at the mention of her mother, a low blow that made my fists clench at my sides.
From the corner of my eye, I caught movement.
Noose emerged from the trees to our left, Jag from the right.
My brothers, drawn by the commotion, moved with the quiet purpose of men accustomed to trouble.
“Everything OK here?” Noose called, his voice deceptively casual as he approached. He even managed to give everyone a friendly smile. Unless you looked at his eyes. Tall and lean, with a watchful gaze, Noose had a way of appearing relaxed while being anything but.
Eric’s head snapped toward him, then back to me. “Jesus Christ, how many of them are you fucking, Mia?”
Jag’s voice came from the other side, deep and controlled. “Enough.” He’d positioned himself at the foot of the porch steps, arms crossed over his chest. Unlike Noose’s casual demeanor, Jag made no effort to hide the threat in his stance.
Eric took a half-step back, finally sensing the precariousness of his position. But whatever self-preservation instinct had momentarily flickered to life was quickly overwhelmed by his wounded pride.
“This is bullshit,” he spat, voice rising again. “Is this your idea of moving on, Mia? Trading up from one man to a whole gang?”
I felt a growl building in my chest, my patience thinning with each poisoned word from his mouth. Mia’s fingers pressed against my arm, whether to restrain me or steady herself, I couldn’t tell.
“What the bleedin’ Christ is this happy horse shit?” came a firm female voice from behind us.
I turned to see Hannah striding purposefully across the space between cabins, Violet and Ada flanking her.
There was something in their collective presence that made even my brothers straighten slightly.
I almost winced. The women were out for blood and while literal blood might not flow, words could cut just as deeply. And sometimes left the worst scars.
Ada reached us first, smoothly maneuvering past Noose with a brief touch to his shoulder.
Hannah followed, her quiet grace belied by the steel in her eyes as she assessed the situation.
Violet completed their triangle, her fiery hair catching the late afternoon sun as she positioned herself directly in Eric’s line of sight.
“Step back, gentlemen,” Ada said, the command in her tone unmistakable despite her pleasant smile. “Let’s give everyone some breathing room.”
Noose and Jag exchanged glances, then retreated a few paces, not leaving but creating some space. I remained at Mia’s side, unwilling to abandon my post.
“Oktober,” Ada said gently, “why don’t you get Mia some water?”
I hesitated, knowing the women were equipped to handle the little weasel but unwilling to leave Mia’s side. I looked to Mia, who gave me a small nod.
“I’ll be right inside, K?tzchen,” I told her softly, making it clear I wasn’t going far.
As I reluctantly stepped back, Ada and Violet moved to Mia’s side, each woman placing a steadying hand on her shoulders.
The simple gesture transformed Mia’s posture and had her spine straightening, her chin lifting slightly.
Hannah stepped forward, putting herself directly between Mia and Eric.
Despite being a foot shorter than him, something in her stance made Eric take an instinctive step backward.
“You need to leave,” Hannah said, her voice calm but carrying an undercurrent that brooked no argument.
“You’ve said what you came to say, and you’ve been given an answer. ”
Eric’s lip curled. “And who the hell are you?”
“Someone who recognizes when a man doesn’t understand the word ‘no’,” Violet replied evenly from beside Mia.
Hannah leaned forward, her voice so quiet that I had to strain to hear her. “The more you push,” she said, “the more you prove she’s made the right choice in walking away from you.”
Something in Hannah’s words seemed to penetrate where our more direct approaches had failed. Perhaps it was the unvarnished truth of them, or the calm certainty with which she spoke. Eric’s shoulders sagged slightly, the wind momentarily gone from his sails.
“Mia,” he tried once more, his voice taking on a pleading edge. “Please. Don’t do this. You’re making a terrible mistake.”
From inside the doorway, I watched Mia shake her head. “No, Eric. The mistake was wasting three years with someone who couldn’t be faithful. The mistake was trusting people who didn’t deserve it.” Her voice didn’t waver. “I’m not making that mistake again.”
Jade, who had remained silent during the confrontation, suddenly stepped forward. “Mia, I know you hate me right now, and you have every right to. But please don’t throw away your life because of what we did.”
“I’m not throwing anything away,” Mia replied. “I’m choosing to explore something better.”
The words hung in the air between them, final and undeniable. Eric’s face contorted through several emotions before settling into cold anger. He grabbed Jade’s arm, pulling her back toward the car.
“When this all goes to shit,” he called over his shoulder, “don’t come crawling back.”
Jade resisted for a moment, looking back at Mia with what appeared to be genuine regret in her eyes. Then she allowed Eric to tug her away, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
We watched in silence as they climbed into the car. Eric gunned the engine, tires spitting gravel as he executed a wild turn and sped away down the drive.
“Well,” Ada said dryly, “he seems delightful.”
A startled laugh escaped Mia, quickly followed by a shuddering breath that might have been a suppressed sob. Violet immediately put her arm around Mia’s shoulders, while Hannah moved to her other side.
“Come on, honey,” Violet said gently. “Let’s get you out of here for a bit. Our cabin has better coffee and more booze.”
Mia nodded, visibly exhausted from the confrontation. As the women guided her down the steps, she glanced back at me, a silent question in her eyes.
“Go,” I said softly. “I’ll make sure they’re really gone this time and lock up.”
She gave me a grateful look before allowing Ada and the others to lead her toward the larger cabin.
I watched them go, feeling a surge of gratitude for these fierce women who had stepped in without hesitation, handling the situation with a grace and effectiveness that put my bristling protectiveness to shame.
Noose approached, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Man looked like he was about to shit himself when the ladies showed up,” he observed with grim satisfaction.
I nodded, my eyes still on Mia’s retreating form. “I’m going to make sure they leave the area completely.”
“Want company?” Noose offered.
“Nein,” I replied. “Stay close to the cabins. Mind keeping an eye on Mia from a distance? Not hovering, just… nearby.”
Noose nodded, understanding the request without further explanation. “Absolutely, brother.”
I strode to my bike, swinging a leg over and firing up the engine. Part of me ached to follow Mia, to hold her and whisper that everything would be OK. But I knew she needed this time with the women, needed the particular comfort they could offer that I couldn’t.
Instead, I would do my best to keep her safe from a threat I couldn’t kill.
Though, if it meant that little pissant compromised her safety, all bets were off.
Once I knew Eric wouldn’t be back, I would return to her.
I’d offer myself to her however she wanted me.
Then I’d pamper and spoil her until she couldn’t imagine a life without me.
Which was absurd. I knew nothing about this woman except she apparently had horrible taste in men and friends. The irony wasn’t lost on me.
As I pulled away, I glanced back at the cabins one last time.
Through the window of our larger rental, I could see the women gathered around Mia, their protective circle both fierce and gentle.
They showed her what real support looked like.
What real love looked like. And that, I thought as I gunned the engine, was worth defending at any cost.