Page 563 of One More Kiss

Mick

I knewsomething was wrong before I even reached for the knob. Muffled voices—plural—came from inside, sending ice sluicing through my veins. The scream was what sent me over the edge.

I threw open the door—and froze as I took in the scene before me. I knew getting into a fight would violate my parole. Hitting him would undoubtedly send me back to jail for more time than I cared to think about. But those thoughts disappeared the moment I saw the man standing in front of Andrea, pinning her to the wall.

I flung myself into the living room, already reaching for him. Almost in slow motion, I watched my hands close around him and pull the man away. His head whipped around at the last second, and I ducked the elbow he threw my way as he spun. I wasn't so lucky the second time, and his fist collided with my jaw. The momentum carried us to the floor, and we landed in a sprawled heap of swinging limbs.

From somewhere in the background, I could hear Andrea yelling—at me, at him, at both of us. I wasn't entirely sure. The words were distorted over the blood thrumming through my ears and the sound of flesh hitting flesh as we traded blows, each of us grappling for dominance. I grunted as his fist landed in my ribs, expelling the air from my lungs. I returned the favor, pounding my fist into his face as hard as I could. His hands came up to block me, but I didn't let up. I couldn't.

Driven by rage and a fierce protectiveness, I continued my assault on him. His face was already bruising, and blood spurted everywhere as my knuckles connected with his nose. Andrea’s desperate pleas finally penetrated my fog of fury, and I dropped back on my heels. Kneeling on the floor next to me, tears poured down Andrea's face as she took it all in. A sense of shame and disappointment assailed me. I’d never wanted her to see the side of me. Deep down I would always be a criminal, the monster they'd labeled me years ago.

I looked from Andrea to the man on the floor in front of me. His breath panted in and out as he fought to draw air into his lungs. I didn't know who he was, but it no longer mattered. I saw my future—what could have been—flash before my eyes before dissipating into thin air. I was so close to having everything. But just like last time, one stupid choice had changed my life. Heaving a sigh of regret, I pushed to my feet and leaned against the wall behind me for support.

The man on the floor slowly rolled to his side then propped himself on an elbow and spit a mouthful of blood onto the floor. “Fucking asshole. Who the hell do you think you are?”

Before I could say a word, Andrea spoke up. “He’s my boyfriend. And you have no room to complain. If you’d left the first time I asked, none of this would have happened.”

I watched as Andrea climbed to her feet then moved toward me. “Are you okay?”

I couldn't quite speak yet, nor could I look at her. I gave a little nod, my eyes still fixed on the man on the floor. With great effort, he maneuvered to his knees, then stood and threw an angry glare my way. “I should have you arrested for assault.”

The mere thought sent fear sparking through my veins, but Andrea spoke up again before I could formulate a thought. “You broke into my house. You’ll go right back in for the exact same thing you did last time. Is that what you want?”

Her words surprised me, and my gaze flew to her as she continued. “Do you think they’ll go easy on you this time? I don't think so. Do us all a favor and pretend this never happened.”

“Yeah, right,” the man scoffed. “The second I leave, you’ll call the police. I’m not going back to jail.”

Part of me wanted to step in, but Andrea apparently had it under control. She gave a little shake of her head. “I promise. We won't say a word if you just leave.”

After what seemed like forever, the man let out a little snort and headed for the front door. He picked up a duffel bag I hadn't seen before now, then tossed one more angry look our way before slamming outside.

Silence descended, and neither of us spoke for at least a minute as we stared at the door. A small fist landed in my bicep as Andrea punched me. “You idiot.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but she threw herself into my arms, stalling my words. “I could've lost you. You could've been arrested and taken away for God knows how long. Then what would I do?”

I tightened my hold on her. “I know, I'm sorry.”

She burrowed her head into the crook of my neck, curling her fingers into my back where she clung to me for dear life. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Emotion clogged my throat, and it took me a second to speak. “I’m not going anywhere, babe. I promise.”

Slowly, the fear began to recede and our hearts returned to normal. She finally peeled herself away and tipped her head up to look at me. “Why did you do it?”

I stared down at her for a second. “You don’t know?” She shook her head, those pretty blue eyes locked on mine. “Silly girl. Because I love you.”

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