Page 100 of Prince Charming

Maybe stab you in the neck with your own acrylic nails.

Trap your head in the vending machineorbury you in a snowdrift.

“You can stay the hell away from my man for a start, is what you can do for me.”

While it didn’t come as a surprise, the spit of words from the younger woman’s tight lips raised Marianna’s brow. “Excuse me?”

“You speak atrocious English,babe, might want to fix that while you’re inAmerica, but you understand me fine. You need to stay away from Tag. Having you around only makes him play the hero. He likes to helpweak peoplewho are too dumb to help themselves. No offense.”

“You misunderstand me. I meant,” Marianna stared her dead in the eye, unfazed by the threat. One possessive woman would not make her cower. She’d endured the fucking mafia. “Would you like a towel or a key card for the steam room?”

The woman made a noise like a hissing cobra. “You don’t want to become a person of interest to me, do you understand? It won’t work out well for you. So stay the fuck away from Tag. He’s mine. He’s always been mine, and he always comes back to me when he’s had his fun with his littleprojects. I’ve seen how you look at him.” Marianna wanted to know when. Save for the three times seeing this woman, she hasn’t been around her before.

Bitch was a liar.

“Don’t set your heart on his, babe. It’s not yours to have.”

Before she could spit her own retort, a stern voice got there first. “The exit is that way, Sofia.” Tag said, icily.

The woman’s nastiness morphed into a smile, giving Tag a finger wave. “Sure, babe, have to head to work.” The stare aimed at Marianna would have turned her to stone had these been biblical times. Watching Sofia strut out, she turned to Tag, who was watching her with serious, unsmiling eyes.

Not as though she was his girlfriendwith rightsto bitch him out.

His sigh, when she walked away, gusted across the gym.

Trying to keep Sofia’s words out of her head.

He likes to help weak people who are too dumb to help themselves.

Don’t set your heart on his. It’s not yours to have.

Was she a project to him?

She’d never felt that way.

When she’d held him at arm’s length, he’d been the one to push for closeness.

It didn’t explain Sofia’s status, though.

The hour was late, and the weather was chilly when she finally pushed open the door to leave that night. Her simple snow boots skidded to a halt when she saw Tag climbing out of his truck parked out front. He came around and opened the passenger side door without a word.

His stance was challenging as though expecting her to refuse.

“Spasiba.” She thanked him and climbed in. The blast of the heat hitting her in the face as she slipped on the seatbelt was welcome while she watched him climb in.

There were many things she could have said as a conversation starter.

How was your day?

Did you have a good training session?

Are you excited for your fight?

Though, maybe not that one because Marianna wasn’t excited for him, she didn’t want him to get seriously hurt again.

After fiddling with her phone to make sure she was about to say the right thing. It was nothing so polite when she spoke. “You have lousy taste in girlfriends, Tag. She’s clearly a cobra.”

Sitting forward with her gloved hands tucked neatly on her lap, Marianna didn’t need to look at Tag to feel the temperature around him dropping to below frigid.

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