The Virgin Next Door (Stud Ranch)

At least until he saw Calla shrink away from him, her hand to her mouth.

He didn’t have more than a moment to register it, though, because the next second Liam was back on his feet and lunging for him.

“Ya cocksucker!” he yelled, fist swinging.

Mack blocked the first blow but when Liam followed up with a mean jab to his ribs, Mack wasn’t fast enough.

And fuck but the bastard could fight, even when he was drunk off his ass. Mack barely had time to recover from the fist to his stomach before Liam swung again. He jerked back but Liam still clipped his jaw.

Which just fucking enraged him. You didn’t survive super max for almost a decade without knowing how to fight, and he couldn’t believe this pansy-assed motherfucker had actually gotten in two hits on him. He could count how many times that had ever happened on one hand. With a roar, he charged Liam and took the bastard to the ground.

Mack was just about to get a choke hold on him when a pissed off voice demanded, “What the fuck is going on here?”

Shit. The boss was here. But even that wasn’t enough to stop him from trying to get the upper hand on the little Irish shit. He almost had him pinned—

Suddenly a huge hand jerked Mack off Liam and tossed him onto his back. Mack scrambled to try to get at Liam until he finally registered a very pissed off Xavier Kent standing over him.

“You want to fucking explain what the fuck you’re doing fighting in my kitchen. I could hear you all the way from the stairwell.”

Mack blinked, the haze of rage starting to clear from his vision. He looked around. The twins had grabbed Liam’s arms and were holding him back. Calla stood behind the kitchen island, arms crossed over her chest, her features showing clear mortification.

“Well?” Xavier demanded, the mottled skin on the burned upper left of his face going all but white in his anger even while the other side reddened.

“Sorry boss,” Mack said, getting to his feet and looking at Xavier. “Won’t happen again.”

“Sure as fuck better not,” Xavier growled. “You two—” He pointed a finger at Liam, who was still on the floor although no longer being held back by Jeremiah and Reece. Next, he pointed at Mack. “—are on KP duty for the next four weeks. And I better not ever have to deal with this shit again.”

With that, the big man turned on his heel and was about to stalk from the room when he seemed to notice Calla.

“Cal.” When Xavier acknowledged her, his voice was still gruff but not angry. “Glad to see you made it here okay.”

She cringed, glancing between Mack and Liam. “Sorry for all this.”

She hadn’t been afraid of him when she’d first seen him but there was a wariness in her eyes now. Dammit. He was usually so good at hiding his monster. Out of all the times to lose it on Liam, it had to be tonight? In front of her? He’d just gotten so pissed when Liam had openly disrespected her. He clenched his jaw all over again just thinking about it.

Xavier shook his head, taking a second to glare over his shoulder at Mack and then Liam. “Not your fault these two are assholes who don’t know how to behave in front of a lady.”

Calla smirked. “No one’s ever accused me of being a lady before.”

Xavier shook his head, his hard face softening. “Well that just goes to show you,” he paused, glaring back at Mack and Liam, “if this little display didn’t already—what absolute fucking idiots the male population is. Get some sleep. Day starts early tomorrow.” He patted Calla on the shoulder and then pushed out through the door. She followed on his heels. A moment later, two pairs of footsteps, one heavy and one light, could be heard as they went up the stairs.

“Hey, who’s food is this?” Reece asked as he pulled his blond dreadlocks into a ponytail and stepped toward the counter. “I’m starving.”

Mack moved and snatched the plate off the counter before Reece could touch it. “Not yours,” Mack growled, turning and leaving the kitchen without another word.

He knocked lightly on Calla’s door once he got upstairs. It had to be hers. Isobel used to stay there but it had been empty since she’d gone to live with Hunter.

“You forgot your food,” he said through the door.

No response.

Shit. Like she was gonna open the door to an animal like him.

He took a step back. Why the fuck did he even care? He’d come to terms with what he was a long fucking time ago. He’d done what he had to in order to survive. Become what he was. He knew there was no going back.

The image of her sweet, open face and how innocently she’d extended her hand to shake his flashed through his head.