I lurched back, narrowly avoiding the fist flying at my face.

“I take it things in court didn’t go the way you hoped,” I quipped. Instantly, though, I wondered about Aerie. Where was she? Did Will make it here before her? Had he done something to her?

“Where’s Aerie?” I demanded and rushed toward the door.

Will’s fist plowed into my face. I stumbled back, surprised, but not really.

“What did you do to her?” I spat, tasting blood.

“Relax.” Will scoffed. “She’s not here. The second she got her freedom, bitch took off and left us both in the lurch.”

Like I was going to believe that. But I did feel better that he didn’t know where she was. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be in here with me.

“That’s the only free hit you’re going to get,” I said, swiping the blood off my lip. “I guess you didn’t appreciate the gift I sent you.”

“Gift?” he said, his eyes going blank.

“You know, that nice basket filled with green lifesavers and plain yogurt?”

His eyes rounded and his nostrils flared. “That was you!”

“I find it a little telling that you actually didn’t know it was me. That it could have been a list of people.”

“You son of a bitch!” he roared and came at me.

I moved at the last second, and he fell into the entry table, knocking the frames and Ten’s Grammy onto the floor.

“You better hope that didn’t break,” I told him.

With a battle cry, he lunged at me again. This time, I wasn’t as quick, and his fist smashed into my jaw. My head snapped back, and a little bit of pain exploded through my face.

“That’s for sleeping with my wife!” he spat, shaking out his hand.

“I’m pretty sure the states of California and Nevada have no record of her ever being your wife,” I snarled, no longer feeling the sting of his hit.

“You smug little bastard,” he growled.

I rushed him, caught him around the waist, and plowed him back. We both hit the wall, but I recovered first, drawing back my fist and burying it in his gut. He made a sound and bent forward. I took advantage and decked him in the face.

Surprise flared in his eyes when his face snapped back. Then he surged at me.

We went down in a flurry of fists and grunts. He was bigger than me, which sucked giant monkey ball sacks, but I wasn’t completely lacking. I might have been on the skinny side, but I wasn’t small. And I spent my high school years on the wrestling team.

Banking some of the raging anger I felt for this asshole, I breathed in deep and moved, slipping out of his hold and putting him in one of my own.

He bucked and fought me, but I held strong.

“Let me tell you how it’s going to be,” I intoned, breathing heavily. “Stay the fuck away from Aerie. Keep your mouth shut to the press. Tuck your tail and that tiny dick of yours between your legs and go home to Daddy.”

He roared and thrust up, literally standing off the ground with me on his back.

Well then. Maybe I took the insults too far?

I felt him bending as if he were going to whip me over his head and drive me into the floor. Thinking fast, I drove my fist into the side of his head, and he staggered. I leapt off him, landing on my ass, then scrambled up.

Broken glass crunched under his feet when he rushed me again. I grabbed him low, spun around, and put him in another hold.

He ran at the wall, the crazy bastard, bouncing us both off it and disengaging my grip. We both crumpled to the floor in a heap.

I lay there breathing heavily, trying to figure out my next move.

I felt his hand grab my ankle and tow me closer. Glass scraped at my arms as he yanked.

I kicked him with my free foot, and he let go. We both jumped up, and he lunged. We landed on the table, me beneath him. I tried to buck him off, but he outweighed me and he knew it. His eyes lit up with some kind of victory, as though he thought he’d won.

His hands went around my neck, and as they tightened, he taunted, “When I’m done with you, I’m going to go find her… and I’m going to fuck her brains out.”

Using all my strength, I drove my knee up toward his groin. I didn’t get the full effect of the hit because of the way we were positioned, but it was enough that he let me go. I scrambled out from beneath him and picked up the Grammy that was close by on the floor.

This thing was heavy, and I knew Ten wouldn’t mind if I used it to knock a motherfucker out.

Will wasn’t paying any attention to me. Instead, he was gazing at the open front door, and a slow, sick smile spread over his features. “Oh, look,” Will mused, swiping at his bloody nose. “There she is now.”

I ripped my eyes off him only long enough to see Aerie standing in the doorway, clutching a bottle of champagne, a horrified look on her face.

“Run!” I yelled.

A few things happened at once… The sound of the champagne bottle hitting the floor and shattering filled the room, and Will darted in the direction of my girl. With a yell, I pulled my arm back and launched the Grammy at him, using every bit of my remaining energy.

The award slammed into him, knocking him sideways, and he crumpled to the floor.

Mac and Ben rushed into the house around Aerie, and I ran toward her.

“You okay?” I worried, looking her over, making sure she wasn’t hurt.

“I’m okay,” she answered, but I was beyond hearing.

“There’s glass.” I fretted. “Jesus, don’t cut yourself.” I lifted her into my arms so her feet wouldn’t touch the ground.

“My face is broken!” Will wailed from his position on the floor. “He broke my face!”

“Don’t move,” Mac said, his voice leaving no room for pity. “Cops will be here in under five.”

“Your arms are shaking,” Aerie said, pushing her fingers through my hair. “Put me down. You need to sit.”

“I’m fine, princess. It’s just the adrenaline,” I said, finally realizing she was okay.

“You’re bleeding!” She fussed, dabbing at my lip.

“I broke his face,” I said, kinda proud of myself.

“Fighting is not the answer.” She admonished.

“Guy deserved an ass beating,” I said, still trying to catch my breath.

“Mm-hmm.” Mac and Ben both agreed.

“Here’s a seat, boss,” Ben said, placing a chair down and gesturing toward me.

“Make sure there isn’t any glass under it. Her feet—”

“He was talking to you,” Aerie said gently.

I glanced around at Ben. He nodded and patted the seat.

“Well, I could maybe sit,” I said casually.

I carried Aerie over to the chair and sat down, keeping her in my lap.

“I’m gonna sue you for everything you’re worth! I’ll see you in jail!” Will threatened, his words kinda slurred.

Mac put his foot on him, holding him down.

“What happened?” Aerie turned my face this way and that so she could see what I was sure were several bruises.

“I came over here, and he attacked me!” Will yelled.

Mac made a sound. “Not the way I saw it. Looked to me like you showed up, tried to pick a fight, and Nate here tried to shut the door in your face. You forced your way in and attacked him. He was just defending himself against an intruder.”

“That’s exactly what happened.” I agreed.

“Liar!”

Mac grunted. “Well, feel free to tell your version to the cops. It will be three against one.”

“You guards weren’t here when I got here,” Will demanded.

“Yeah,” Aerie said. “I sent them here ahead of me.”

All four of us were lying.

All four of us smiled.

“I can’t imagine this is going to go over real good when the judge hears about what happened here today. Especially not after you narrowly avoided going to jail for what you pulled on Ms. Boone.” Ben taunted.

I turned my stare on my girl.

“I’m all yours,” she whispered. “No one else’s. Never was… Never will be.”

“All mine,” I echoed, and she nodded. “That sure makes my face hurt a lot less.”

She made a sound and leaned in, kissing me gently on all the places I was hurt.

Sirens carried in the distance, and Will started yelling more threats that no one bothered to listen to.

“The next time someone puts a ring on that finger,” I told her, “it’s going to be me. And you’re sure as hell going to remember.”

“That’s one ring I’ll never take off.”

Cops filed into the house, and Mac filled them in on what was going down. Will was handcuffed and pulled to his feet. He swayed crookedly and would have fallen over if it weren’t for the officers holding him up.

The whole side of his face was distorted and swollen. I actually had broken his face.

Fucker deserved it.

As the cops towed him out, he turned back and glared at me.

I waved at him with all four fingers and smiled sweetly.

He tried to lunge back into the room, but the cops hauled him out of sight.

“It’s finally over,” Aerie said, relief making her voice shake.

Gathering her closer, I kissed the top of her head. “No, princess. It’s just beginning.”

And what a beautiful beginning it was.