Page 35 of Saving Saul

"You couldn’t change her mind if your life depended on it."

He still hasn’t backed away from Tessa. His smug little smirk grates against every instinct in my body. And Tessa—she’s rigid, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. I don’t need to see her face to know she’s pissed, uncomfortable. Trapped.

And that? That doesn’t fucking fly with me.

I step forward, slow and deliberate, ensuring the bastard feels every second of it. The smirk on his face flickers—just for a moment.

"Relax, man." His tone is all false confidence. "Just having a little fun."

I tilt my head slightly, sizing him up like I would an opponent on the pitch before I took him down. "Is that what you think this is"—my voice drops low, a razor’s edge—"fun?"

The air shifts. Heavy. Thick with something dangerous.

He feels it now.

His laugh is weak, forced. "Look, no harm done?—"

"You touched her," I cut in, my tone even, controlled. Lethal. "That’s harm."

He has the nerve to scoff.To shrug.Like he hasn’t just made the biggest mistake of his miserable life.

He sneers, stepping forward like a man too stupid or drunk to sense danger. “And who the hell are you to police me?”

I move closer, fists clenched at my sides, my voice lowering to a dangerous growl. “I’m the man who will knock you flat on your ass if you don’t step away from Tessa. Now.”

The room stills. The tension crackles like a summer storm, thick and suffocating.

The fool hesitates, his bravado faltering for half a second, but then his face twists with rage, and he charges.

His fists swing wildly, but he’s uncoordinated and sloppy.Predictable.I dodge with ease, my body moving on pure instinct. He stumbles, regains his footing, and comes at me again.

“Tessa, get back,” I bark, not daring to glance her way.

“Stop it, both of you!” she screams, her voice frantic, but it’s too late.

I’m locked in now.

He lunges, cursing under his breath, his movements reckless. I sidestep again, sending him stumbling forward. The dumb bastard is making this too easy.

He turns back, his arms outstretched to grab me, but I don’t give him the chance.

CRACK.

My fist meets his jaw in a brutal uppercut, the impact reverberating through my arm. His head snaps back, his body seizing for a split second before his knees buckle.

Then he drops.

Hard.

Out. Cold.

The whole room watches in stunned silence, eyes wide, mouths open. The music, the chatter, the hum of the party—allof it fades into a dull murmur beneath the weight of what just happened.

Selene is the first to react, rushing to Tessa’s side. "Tessa!" she gasps, gripping her sister’s arm.

Tessa steps closer, her wide eyes darting between me and the unconscious man at my feet. Her lips part, her chest rising and falling quickly. Shock. Worry. Something else.

“Is he…?” she starts.

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