Page 55 of New Girl in the City
“Liam, let’s go.”
“Not while he’s threatening you.”
“He isn't’,” I replied automatically, because I wasn’t sure anymore if telling me he was following me was threatening, or just Martin being Martin.
His eyes cut to mine. “I heard him say he was following you.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I pressed, but Liam was coming forward as he reached out and set me to the side.
“It does matter,” he said, eyes locked with Martin’s, a man who suddenly didn’t look so sure of himself. “It matters that you feel safe, and I know a man lookin’ in on you doesn’t make you feel that way.” He stepped closer to Martin, putting me squarely behind him. “Who do you think you are to her, huh?”
Martin drew himself up at that, hands going to smooth out his suit jacket. “I’m her husband—”
“Ex-husband,” I cut in. I was pretty sure everyone on the floor was staring at us now. Even without this confrontation they would have been watching Liam after his win that night. We were free entertainment and I hated that Martin had made this happen. “He’s my ex-husband,” I bit out.
Liam froze, but he didn't look back at me, instead he kept talking to Martin. “Then that really means you’re no one to her.” Martin opened his mouth, but his words didn’t come out. I guess it was hard to talk with his shirt twisted up in Liam’s fist. “You don’t come near her. You don’t look at her, and if you do, I’m going to know. If I find out you’re bothering her, you’re going to need a lot more than the money you made off me tonight to save you.”
Then Liam let him go. He’d said his piece and he turned away from Martin and looked at me. “You got anything to add, Princess?”
He’d had his turn to say his piece and he was giving me my chance to have mine. Holy shit. Was it possible to be falling for someone this fast?
Because I was. Shit yeah, I was.
“No,” I said, eyes on him. I was glad to see they weren’t so focused, not so cold. They were warming up the longer they were on me. “He’s no one I want to talk to.” There was nothing left to tell Martin. I’d either said it all those years ago, or now. Every word I had wasted on him was one too many. I had nothing left to say when it came to Martin.
He nodded and came forward, taking my hand in his. “Then you don’t talk to him.”
We left the floor hand-in-hand, and didn’t give Martin, or anyone else, a second look.
