Page 135 of Matlock
But I couldn’t hear any of it over the sound of Tony’s ragged breathing. His chest heaving like he’d just run a marathon. His hands clenched tight by his side, his shoulders tense, his body coiled, ready to fight, waiting for Goliath to retaliate.
“Tony—” I whispered, my voice shaking.
“Mine,” Tony snarled, and the word came out broken and raw andfurious.“He’s fuckingmine.Do you hear me?MINE.”
My knees nearly buckled.
Oh God.
Oh God, he just—
Tony spun and grabbed me by the waist, his grip bruising, possessive as he pulled me against him. He pinned me witha glare, searching my face for something. His eyes, hard and angry.
God, his eyes.
They were wild. Blazing with jealousy and rage andpain. Years of it, decades of it, all of it pouring out in this single moment. His pupils were blown wide, his face flushed, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping.
“You don’t fuckingtouchhim,” Tony growled, his gaze locked on Goliath even as he held me against him like a lifeline. His voice cracked on the words, raw and broken. “No one fucking touches him.No one.He’smine.”
The possessive declaration sent heat flooding through me, arousal and shock and disbelief andterrortangling together until I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but feel the way Tony was shaking against me, the way his fingers dug into my skin like he was trying to brand me, claim me,ownme in front of everyone.
“Six fucking years,” Tony bit out, and his voice was shaking now, trembling with fury and desperation. “Six fucking years. Six years of watching other men look at him, touch him,wanthim, and I couldn’t do a goddamn thing about it because I was too much of a fucking coward.”
His grip on my jaw tightened, and I felt his breath hot against my ear as he leaned in, his words coming out in a broken rasp.
“But I’m done,” he said, and the words sounded like a vow and a threat and a prayer all at once. “I’m fuckingdonehiding. He’s mine. He’s always been mine. And if anyone tries to fucking touch him again, I will fuckingendthem.”
Goliath straightened slowly, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand. Then he smiled.
It was a wide, knowing grin that made his split lip bleed harder.
“It’s about fucking time,” Goliath said.
Tony froze.
I felt the moment realization hit him. The way his bodywent rigid, the way his breathing stuttered. He stared at Goliath, his expression shifting from rage to confusion to dawning comprehension.
“You—” Tony’s voice was hoarse. “You did that on purpose.”
“Damn right I did,” Goliath said. “You were never gonna do it on your own, brother. Figured you needed a push.”
“A push?” Tony’s voice rose. “A push? You fuckingkissedhim!”
“And you punched me in the face and claimed him in front of the whole damn town,” Goliath shot back. “So I’d say it worked.”
Tony turned to Haizley. “Did you know he was going to do that?”
She grinned back at him. “Who do you think told him to do it?”
Tony’s grip on me loosened slightly, his hand sliding up my back. I could feel him trembling, whether from rage or fear, or relief, I couldn’t tell.
I turned in his arms, my hands coming up to rest on his chest. His heart was racing beneath my palms, his eyes still wild as they finally met mine.
“Tony,” I whispered.
He didn’t say anything. Just stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time.
Chapter Forty-One
