23

William hit the ground hard, instantly grappling with Nicholas in a tangle of limbs. His usual calm demeanour was shattered by furious rage at the man threatening the woman he cared so deeply for.

Through the red haze of anger, William was vaguely aware of Reyna shouting for them to stop from the porch above. But he couldn’t back down now; Nicholas had to understand that no one laid a hand on Reyna and got away with it.

They rolled roughly across the lawn, each fighting viciously to overpower the other. Nicholas landed a lucky blow to William’s jaw, stars exploding behind his eyes briefly. Shaking it off, he fought dirtier, jabbing his knee into Nicholas’s gut and using the momentary advantage to pin his opponent down.

“You stay the hell away from her; do you hear me?” William growled menacingly, tightening his grip around Nicholas’s throat. The man’s face purpled as he scrabbled ineffectually at William’s wrist. Dark satisfaction curled through him at the sight of the threat turni