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Kahn clotheslined someone else, but his gaze remained locked on Randa. “Stay against the wall, sweetheart.”

“None of this would be necessary, if you guys had just listened to my slideshow. My instructions were very clear. I used bold font and clip art!”

“I haven’t broken any rules! I read Julius’ notes, since he’s your star pupil. I made sure that I knew what you wanted. This isn’t… Fuck.”

Some random biker guy ran in Randa’s general direction. If he planned to attack her, she wasn’t particularly concerned. He was just a human. Also, he didn’t get very far. Kahn grabbed him up and sent him sailing through the front window with a lot more force than necessary. Glass exploded, adding to the noise and mess.

Kahn didn’t care. Now he looked genuinely pissed. “Okay, I’m done with this shit.” He prowled towards Randa. “Don’t move.”

“That window will cost a fortune to replace.”

Kahn ignored that news. He drew some imaginary barrier on the ground and began defending it. Behind him was Randa. In front of him was everyone else. He stood there and mercilessly flattened anyone who got within ten feet of her. They approached, and he intercepted, again and again.

“That’s Kahn.” She told Ashley with an exasperated shake of her head.

“Oh.”

Piles of victims quickly formed a half-circle around their position by the wall, but none of them got close enough to touch either woman. Kahn ensured the men were unconscious before Randa even saw most of them coming. He was like a sentry with a surly attitude and incredible forearms.

Randa watched him move, reluctantly entranced. She was not warmed by how protective he was. She was not impressed with his quick thinking and skill. She was not worried that he’d be hurt.

Ashley blinked at the havoc. “Well, Kahn’s not quite what I expected. But he is very… um…”

“Barbarian.” Randa finished when words seemed to fail her therapist. “He’s very barbarian.”

“Yeah, that’ll work.” Ashley agreed, surveying the chaotic scene.

The jukebox was busted. The furniture was destroyed. The other patrons were either rushing for the exits or filming the battle with their phones. (Except for Tallulah Jayne, who continued to follow Rye through the mayhem, drinking her girly drink and cheering him on.) The bartender was on the phone, no doubt calling the cops.

Sullivan was just going to love this. She’d be lucky if she wasn’t fired.

Kahn glanced over his shoulder at her, scanning her up and down. “You okay? You’re not hurt, right?”

“Just my eardrums. Are fights always this loud?”

He grinned. She did not feel the impact of it like a physical caress. She did not want to smile back. Her heart had not softened towards Kahn, of the Light House.

If she felt anything at all for the man, it was just lust.

Simple lust.

She just had to keep repeating that to herself.

Chapter Eleven

The Elementals have awakened!

The Invincible Iron Man

Sullivan Pryce, Chief of the Mayport Beach Police Department, had been up all night dealing with the Elementals’ chaos.

Again.

When the Phases first arrived in town, he’d been convinced they were a dangerous cult. Situations like this made him wonder if his initial impression hadn’t been right.

Granted, most of the witnesses from the bar agreed that the bikers had started the fight. The scores of breathless women interviewed on the local news had swayed public opinion, painting the Light Phases as handsome victims of an unprovoked attack. Repairs were already underway at the Wastin’ Away Bar and Grill. And Gas-Tank and the other members of his gang were now in the custody of the state police.

Well, the ones who weren’t in the hospital.