Free Kissing with Fangs by Ashlyn Chase

suppose it matters that he told me not to open my door to anyone.”
    Tory grinned. “We’re not just anyone, sweetheart. We’re the cavalry.”
    That’s for sure. These two were her favorite regulars from the bar. She’d never pictured missing their daily presence in her life until the building went up in flames.
    She slid open the lock, opened the door wide, and walked into two bear hugs.
    â€œSo, is Anthony coming back?”
    â€œHe said it was safer for you if he didn’t.”
    She glanced from one to the other. “Do you know about Ruxandra’s hissy fit? How she reacts whenever she thinks we…I mean, that Anthony and I…but we never have!”
    Kurt chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I was there the day the bar opened, the first time she threatened you. She’d act the same way toward any beautiful woman Anthony looked at for two seconds.”
    â€œShe called me a whore!”
    â€œShe’s just projecting the worst of herself onto you.”
    â€œYou mean, she…”
    â€œI shouldn’t have said anything. Just ignore me.” Kurt sported his silly grin. “You know how full of shit I can be.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” Tory said. “We won’t let anything happen to you. And Anthony can take care of himself.”
    â€œWhere is he now?”
    The guys looked at each other.
    â€œTell me.”
    Kurt cleared his throat. “I think he’s trying to convince Ruxandra to leave town.”
    That sounded like an exercise in futility. How many times had he asked her to leave now? Twenty? Thirty?
    Claudia’s shoulders slumped.
    Tory rubbed her back. “I know. She’s been a pain in the ass for years, but I think he’s come up with some inventive new threats that might work.”
    Claudia didn’t know how she felt about that. She certainly wanted Ruxandra out of the way, but did she want Anthony threatening anyone? And would he be able to follow through?
    As if Kurt could read her mind, he said, “Don’t think about it. Please. Anthony knows how stressful this has been for you, and he’ll take care of it. He wants you to be able to relax and live your life.”
    â€œIt doesn’t seem like too much to ask,” she muttered.
    Tory put an arm around her shoulder. “Grab your keys. This furniture isn’t going to move itself.”
    ***
    Anthony hated the idea of spending any more time than absolutely necessary with Ruxandra, but he had to protect Claudia. He lured his irksome ex to the Harvard Square area, in the opposite direction from where Claudia, Kurt, and Tory needed to go.
    They shared a patch of grass on someone’s front lawn. The fragrant foliage wasn’t enough to overcome the irritation of being forced to give Ruxandra his undivided attention. Or it would have been undivided, if he could get Claudia out of his mind.
    Why he’d begun a relationship with the beautiful human he’d lusted after for five years was anyone’s guess. But he refused to call it a mistake. He and Claudia had put their happiness on hold for far too long.
    The few months they’d spent together since their first kisses were the happiest he’d had in a long time. Under the guise of planning the new business, he’d given Ruxandra the slip and met Claudia in various places around the city. It hadn’t been easy, but he’d become fairly good at it. Unfortunately, he’d gotten cocky too. Now Claudia was in danger, and it was all his fault.
    â€œI’ve told you over and over again…you don’t love me. You’re obsessed. It’s as if you want me just because you can’t have me.”
    â€œThat’s ridiculous. I want you because I love you. And you need me.”
    â€œYou don’t know what love is. If you loved me, you’d want me to be happy.”
    â€œI can make you happy. I can hunt for you. I can defend you. I can