“Whoa, whoa, dude.” He held his hands up. “What’s your problem?”
“What did you say?” I yelled, incensed.
“Relax, bro.” The assistant grabbed my arm. “Like he said, he’s her manager.”
I threw the assistant’s hand off as Sanaa came running around the side of the house.
“Ronan, stop!” Her hair a mess, her eyes wild, she looked between me and the piece-of-shit manager.
Glaring at the manager, I threw an accusation at her. “You signed a fucking contract with this asshole who just said he’s going to rape you?” After I told her not to. After I told her they would use her. After I told her to wait until I got back from my first fucking deployment before signing anything.
She recoiled as the asshole protested. “Whoa, dude, I never said that. Sanaa, come on, babe, don’t believe this guy.”
Glaring at her, I yelled. “Answer me.”
Tears falling down her face, she flinched. “You weren’t supposed to find out this way, Ronan.”
“Babe, stop, let me handle this guy.” The manager held a hand up to her, then looked at me. “Listen, buddy, I don’t know who the fuck you are, but—”
“I’m her goddamn boyfriend.” I was her boyfriend. Was.
The asshole assistant smirked. “Sanaa didn’t say she had a boy—”
I slammed my left elbow back, hitting the assistant dead center in the face, then I drove my right fist into the manager’s jaw.
The assistant dropped, the manager’s head snapped back, and Sanaa screamed.
Rage-fueled adrenaline flooding my veins, breathing fucking fury, my first two strikes started a chain reaction.
“If you…” I drove my fist into the manager’s face again. “Fucking…” Slam. “Touch.” Slam. “Her.” Slam. “I will…” Slam. “KILL YOU.”
Blow after blow, I didn’t stop.
Blood, screams, breaking cartilage, feet kicking, fists pummeling, I didn’t fucking stop. I didn’t hear Sanaa crying that someone was dead. I didn’t hear Vance come up behind me. I didn’t stop hitting the bloodied, motionless would-be rapist even after he hit the ground.
I just kept fucking swinging.
Until heavy arms locked around my chest from behind and jerked me back. “Stop.” The arms tightened. “Fucking stop or you’ll kill both of them.”
Dropping my weight, turning in to him, I drove my elbow back into his ribs before slamming my shoulder into his solar plexus.
Grunting, Vance dropped his hold.
“Oh dear God, no,” Sanaa sobbed.
My gaze cut to her.
Kneeling on the ground, her hand on the assistant’s neck, she looked up at me and her face twisted with horror. “He’s dead.”
“Jesus Christ.” Vance shook his head, then looked at me with disgust. “Leave.”
I glanced at the bloodied fucking manager lying prone.
“I said leave.” Vance shoved me in the chest.
My gaze cut to the assistant, and I knew my career in the Marines was over before it’d started.
“Goddamn it, Ronan, you deploy tomorrow. Get the fuck out of here before the cops or, worse, the MPs show up. I’ll handle this.” Reaching in his pocket, he withdrew a wad of cash and thrust it at a crying Sanaa. “Get a hotel room and fucking disappear until I call you.”
Sanaa stared at the cash. I stared at the dead man.
“Now,” Vance yelled.
Flinching, Sanaa grabbed the money and scrambled to her feet.
Then she ran.
Staring after her, I had to force my feet to stay put. “I’m not leaving.”
Pulling his phone out, Vance eyed me. “You’ve got a choice. Stand there, be pissed at me and throw your life away.” His gaze dropping to his phone, he started to dial. “Or fucking leave.”
I stood there.
My twin tipped his chin toward the dead man as he held the phone to his ear. “You think that piece of shit is worth losing your future over?”
I’d already lost my future.
Vance snorted. “Then again, if you’re going to find religion every time you see a dead asshole, then maybe you shouldn’t be in the Marines.” His call connected, and he turned his back.
I’d wanted to be a Marine for as long as I could remember.
Before her. Before this. Before I knew what I was capable of.
She cleared the corner and disappeared from sight.
His phone to his ear, Vance glanced over his shoulder and threw me a final warning. “Last chance.”
I selfishly turned and walked away in the other direction.
Mentally shaking myself out of the memory, I scanned the garage again.
Then I told Luna a truth I’d never spoken about. “Abernathy should’ve targeted me.” The next morning after that night ten years ago, I was on a transport heading downrange when I’d gotten a two-word