Baby For The Mountain Man

“Berkley Cassidy,” I responded.

“Want me to sign something, Berkley?”

I shook my head. “No, I just wanted to meet you.”

A devilish smile played across his chiseled features. “I’m glad you did.” He took my hand and squeezed it. I watched his muscled back as he walked away. I had met some famous fighter, and all that I could think about was getting him into bed.

I turned around but I couldn’t get back to my seat. There were too many people around the cage. I strained my neck to see above the crowd. Suddenly I realized I couldn’t see Naomi or the guys. I was alone in a sea of people.

FIVE

DILLON

I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way out the back door. I didn’t like all the photo ops with the paparazzi waiting out front, so I tried my best to avoid them. When I emerged into the dim light of the streetlamp, I immediately dropped my bag. The girl I had seen earlier, Berkley I think it was, had her back against a wall with two thugs talking to her. She looked terrified.

My hands immediately curled into fists as I walked over to them. “Do we have a problem here?”

Both the guys turned around and looked at me. The one was taller than me, but the other was about my height. The one who is my height sauntered over to me like nothing was going on. “No of course not, man. She was just looking for a good time is all. We’re just about to show it to her.”

She tried to walk away but the taller guy grabbed her by her wrist. “I don’t want any trouble. I just was looking for my friends…”

I called to her, “Looking for your friends? I’m guessing you don’t know these guys then.”

“No!”

With that, the guy in front of me attempted a left hook. But I caught his punch in my hand. I squeezed and heard the crackle of his bones breaking in his hand as he screamed out in agony. I took his hand and pulled around it back and walked him over to the wall. His friend hadn’t decided what to do yet. I would make the choice easy for him. My right hand was still attached to his left behind his back when I took my left hand and pushed his skull into the brick. “If you touch her,” I said looking pointedly at his friend, “your friend’s hand? Well his head will feel a lot like that. Now I suggest you two assholes clear out of here. Before I end you.”

The big guy started to run, and as soon as I released the other jackass he followed him. I was glad; I didn’t really want to have to kill someone in an alley.

I walked back to the door and grabbed my bag before slowly walking over to Berkley. “You okay?”

She looked like she was checking her arms for scrapes and bruises. “I think so. What the hell did those guys want with me?”

I shrugged. “A piece of ass?”

She looked at me and took a deep breath. “Thanks for your help. I should really go find my friend. Somehow I left my phone with her and now I can’t find them.”

I didn’t want to let her walk away from me. I wanted her to stay, so I could keep her safe.

“You look pretty shaken up.” It was true, she had mascara running down her cheeks, and as much as she had tried to look brave both in front of them and me, almost getting assaulted would shake any girl up. No matter how strong she was. “There’s a really good pizza place across the street. How about we go in there and grab a slice? We can watch for your friends from the window. If they don’t show up soon, I’ll take you home.”

She looked at me, confused. “You would do that? I mean, you don’t even know me.”

“I don’t have to.” I paused, thinking about it for a minute. “But I’d like to.” I think it was those little-too-full lips that pulled me into her. Something that made me desperately want to get involved. I wasn’t the type of guy that liked to attach myself to things, but she was different. And I needed to know why.

A smile played on her lips before she nodded. “I’m paying. They might’ve grabbed my cell phone, but I still have my wristlet. And you just won a huge fight. So pizza and beer, to celebrate.”

I was never a guy who turned down a free meal. “After you.”

I followed her across the street, my eyes focused on her walk as her hips swiveled back-and-forth on her small frame. The girl had an ass on her, and I wasn’t denying that it turned me on even more.

She ordered a pepperoni pizza and brought two beers over the table where I sat. We were directly in front of the windows so she could see her friends if they passed by.

By the time the pizza had been delivered, I was worried her friends were never coming. “This is so not like her.”

“Who?”

“My best friend and roommate. We always take care of each other when we go out. It just doesn’t make sense that she would abandon me. I guess I’m going have to take a cab home. She must be really wasted.”