I opened Isa’s door the next morning and watched her sleep. Her chest heaved and she made these cute little sighs. I didn’t want to sleep next to her, afraid something would startle me and I’d wake up with my hands wrapped around her throat, thinking she was an enemy. I hadn’t allowed myself to sleep next to a woman since my injury.

Isa stretched in the bed and opened her eyes. Her lips widened into a smile when she saw me. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, sexy.”

The doorbell rang, and Isa jumped.

“Are you expecting anyone?” she asked, her voice weak.

“Nope.” I stood up and walked over to the security cameras. Some young, cheese-dick-looking guy stood outside. Despite the fact that it was eighty degrees, this douchebag wore a black V-neck shirt, skinny jeans, and a fitted leather jacket. Once his face came into focus, I recognized him as Pasha, Isa’s ex partner.

Isa came over to me and peeped over my shoulder. “That’s Pasha, my old partner. What on earth is he doing here?”

I gritted my teeth. “How does he even know you’re here? Do you still talk to this guy?”

Isa’s eyes widened. “No.” Her face turned blush. “But . . . I did see him recently. I went to the studio to ask Benny, the producer, if he could help get me on the show so I could pay for my tuition but he wasn’t there. Pasha was though. He said there was no way, unless some celeb requested me.” She paused and I was certain she was keeping something from me. “But that was before I asked you about my dad writing your memoir. I haven’t spoken to him since that day.”

So had she been able to get on the show, I probably would’ve never seen her again. She asked me about the book because she was desperate and had no choice. Fine, I refused to let that bother me. We were here now, and I was going to try my damnedest to make her happy.

“Don’t worry, babe, I’ll handle him.”

I opened the door. His skin was tight and my first thought was that he resembled an alien. It immediately struck me that his pale blue eyes seemed hollow. His mouth stretched into a sleazy smile, and he eye-fucked Isa openly. Hell, no. I wanted to deck him, but I controlled my temper.

He stuck out his hand to me. “It is the pleasure to meet together with you, Grady. I’m Pasha Gravilov.”

I shook his hand, noting that his grip was weak and insincere.

He embraced Isa in an awkward hug, and she quickly escaped his grasp and clung to my side.

“Privet, Bellichka. Now I understand it is that you rejected the offer from me”

What offer? Isa squeezed my arm and whispered to me. “He asked me to teach at his studio.” She turned to Pasha, her body remaining by my side. “How on earth did you know I was up here? Did you just drive up from L.A.?”

He let out a deep laugh. “I went to see your old man and he told to me where it is I find you. I am smart man so I put two and two together.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Only reason you did agree to work together with her dad is to get to Bella, da?”

I stared Pasha down. “That’s it, buddy. I’m not sure why you’re here, but it’s time for you to leave before I throw you out.”

Pasha ignored me, plowed past us, and made himself right at home, sitting on the sofa.

“It is a beautiful place, Grady.”

“Why are you here exactly? I’m giving you five minutes before I kick your ass out.”

He slicked his hand through his greasy hair. “What is it your plans with the Marines?”

Here we go.

“I’m getting medically retired. After that, no clue.”

His gaze shifted. He wanted something from me. “The producer, he has his eye on you. You could do show, dance with beautiful woman, make money. How does that sound?”

I swallowed hard; though I could barely understand him with his thick accent and broken English, I knew one thing for sure—this guy saw me as a meal ticket, just like Isa had seen me as a pity fuck. “I’m not interested. I just want to find something that makes me as happy as being a Marine does. This book is a one-shot deal with me. I’m not going to be your right-wing gun-toting show pony.”

I glanced over at Isa, who shook her head and muttered something under her breath.

Pasha let out a cackle that reminded me of the bleats from the goats in Iraq. “Grady, listen to me. You will get money, endorsements, TV shows. I can make you.”

Fuck, I already told this guy no. For a second, I wondered if Isa put him up to this shit—a way to get her back on the show. But the scowl on her face told me she was as angry with him being here as I was. I needed to get this prick to leave. “Not happening.”

“Dammit, just leave him alone,” Isa said in a sharp tone.

He leveled her with an icy scowl. “Bella, stay out of this. This is not concerning to you. Why do you not shut up and let the men talk together about business. Go pour me a coffee.”

Isa shot a cold, dead glare at him. “Fuck you, Pasha.”

Fuck this dude. I didn’t give a rat’s ass that he was on TV or he used to dance with Isa. No one was going to talk to her like that in front of me.

I grabbed him by the arm and tossed him off the sofa. “Isa’s my woman, not yours anymore. Get the fuck out of here.”

“Your woman?” Pasha’s eyes widened as he straightened his clothes. “You must be blind, also. A woman as beautiful as Bella can never love a man as hideous as you. She’s using you for money—just like she used me to dance.”

My hands wrapped around his neck and I shoved him against the door. “I may be blind in one eye but you must be deaf. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. You contact either of us again and I’ll break both your legs and you’ll never dance again.”

I released him, and he slumped to the floor. This motherfucker wasn’t worth going to jail over.

He clenched his fist. “Good job, Bella—you will never get back on show. You left dancing together with me and now want to date this freak?” He slowly stood up. “And Grady, if you lay your hands on me again, I will have you arrested for assault.”

Ha. That was almost funny. “Assault? Go right ahead—that will be great for your public image—arrest a war hero who you begged to go on your pathetic show. I’m not afraid of you. Fuck you and fuck your show. What are you going to do? Sue me? I don’t have a fucking dime to my name and I’m about to get kicked out of the Corps. I jumped on a grenade to save my buddies’ lives—I’ll do whatever it takes to protect what’s mine, and that includes Isa. If you come by here or harass us, or you talk to her like that again, I’m going to fuck you up. Am I clear?”

His head made a slow, disbelieving shake. “Crystal. I let myself out.”

Isa bit her nails, her eyes glued to her feet. I put my arm around her as her ex-partner slammed the door.

I locked the door and set the alarm, then turned my attention back to Isa. Her hands were clutching her stomach.

“Hey. It’s okay.” I pressed my hand under her chin.

She gulped. “He’s just such a jerk. He only cares about himself. Always has.”

I stroked her hair. “Forget about him. I got you.”

“No, you don’t understand. He has a reason to hate me. He’s still mad because I ended our partnership right before Blackpool. We probably would’ve finaled that year.”

“He doesn’t matter.” I planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

She sobbed in my arms.

After a few minutes, she abruptly stood up. “I’m going to go take a bath.”

I remembered the night I’d met her at the party, how her friend had ditched her. She hadn’t mentioned anyone else close in her life. My gut told me, that as of today, I was the only one she had.