This is Love by (Checkmate Duet 2)

“You recorded you guys having sex?” I whisper. “That’s not exactly something a guy like him wants leaked.”

She shrugs and her indifference feeds my anger even more.

Reluctantly, I walk back outside and face him. “She says she threw it out the window, which means there’s no way it can go viral.”

His jaw ticks, and I watch as his hands ball into tight fists. “Bullshit. I know she uploaded it to the iCloud.”

Dammit, Mia, I mutter to myself.

“She won’t upload it. I know Mia. She’s all talk.”

“You think I’m going to take your word?”

Before I can respond, Mia flies out the door and begins swearing at him. I can see people inside the diner watching us from the windows. Mia is all fired up, and Will is a second away from losing his shit.

“What are you so afraid of? Worried that people are going to wonder why I had to fake every single orgasm? Or maybe you’re worried what people will think when they see you crying after you come?”

She storms past me, and I’m quick to grab her arm, pulling her back. For a petite girl, she’s pretty determined when she’s pissed.

“You fucking cunt,” Will hisses. His body unleashes, and before he can make contact with Mia, I push her out of his way and take the hit.

I immediately lose my footing, and I can hear Mia shouting in the distance. His hands are on me before I even collide with the ground. Thankfully, the punch he served to my gut makes my head veer forward instead of slamming against the cement.

I block his next hit, but just barely. There’s commotion and screaming around me, but I can’t open my eyes long enough to find a way out. It’s obvious this guy feeds off anger, and he won’t stop till I’m a lifeless lump. It’s engraved into him, so I do the only thing I can to break his fog.

It’s a bitch move, I know, but I lift a knee up and kick him right between the legs with every inch of strength I have left.

As soon as I feel his weight lift off me, I roll out from under him and pull myself up. He’s muttering a variety of curse words as he cups his junk and struggles to breathe.

“Oh my God, Travis!” Mia runs toward me, a handful of customers now outside watching behind her. “Are you—”

“Get in the car,” I shout.

“What?” she asks as she runs behind me.

“Get in the fucking car! We’re getting out of here.”

I grab my keys from my pocket and unlock the doors as fast as I can. I know he’s probably going to be down for a while, but I can’t risk someone calling the cops on me. I’m already in deep shit at work; I don’t need to add a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace on top of that. They could lock my ass up in the county jail, fine me, or both.

We both slide in and I rev the engine, shifting it into reverse and back into drive again. My heart is hammering in my chest as we make our way out of the parking lot, tires squealing and dust kicking up in our wake.

“What the actual fuck?” I’m so pissed to be in this position, that all I can do is drive faster and hold the steering wheel tighter. I’m so angry; I can’t even look at her. The ounce of control that I’ve worked so hard to keep all day is slowly slipping, but she doesn’t dare say a word, which I’m thankful for because I’m on the edge of losing my shit. Honestly, I think she understands what she’s done, and I hope she feels a small sliver of regret, but as I glance over, I’m not sure if that’s even possible. I already know what kind of girl Mia is; she’s trouble.

“You just had to go piss off one of the strongest guys in the country?” I yell once we’ve cleared the area and are cruising back on the highway. The next time I turn and look at her, she’s pale, and I can see her chest rapidly moving up and down.

“Mia?” I reach over and shake her knee, trying to grab her attention. “You all right?”

She shakes her head without looking at me. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

She’s going into shock, and there’s no shoulder on the highway for me to pull over.

“Mia, listen to me,” I say softly, trying to change my tone. “Your adrenaline is decreasing, and you need to try and stay calm. Listen to my voice. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.”

She abides and grips my hand that’s still resting on her knee. I want to pull it away, but I don’t because she’s in shock and I’m genuinely concerned.