I shifted my gaze to the newcomer suddenly standing beside me., With slightly curled black hair and a pair of piercing blue eyes, it was clear from his hooked nose that he was of mixed heritage, a blend of Eastern and Western features., He greeted me as if we were old acquaintances, calling me

"the Snooker Girl,

" yet I couldn't recall ever meeting him before.,

"Hmm?

" I frowned slightly, puzzled.,

"My name's Brown. Saw you playing pool at Jefferson's place with him. You were... cool! No, the word is 'slick

"!

" He gave me a thumbs-up., His explanation cleared up some of my confusion, but something still felt off. I learned how to play from Conrad, and I only played with Jefferson Daniels when Conrad was around. We hardly ever had outsiders join us., If someone like him had been there, I definitely would've noticed. Yet, he described it with such accuracy that it was clear he had seen us., But I wasn't interested in getting to know strangers, especially not those connected to the world of snooker.,

"You've got the wrong person,

" I denied.,

"No way, it was definitely you,

" he insisted, his blue eyes locking onto mine.

"Your name is... Jo, Joanna, right?

", The fact that he knew my name only made me more reluctant to interact with him., A stranger knowing my name, regardless of his intentions, was a sign of trouble.,

"Sorry, I don't know you,

" I said, turning to leave, but he blocked my way.,

"I mean no harm. I just want to be friends.

", I felt a surge of irritation.

"I'm not interested in being friends. Move.

",

"I just want to play a game with you,

" he persisted., My annoyance grew.

"Move.

", I was stern, hoping he'd take the hint and back off. Instead, his excitement seemed to increase.

"You're as fierce as your game.

" His compliments made my skin crawl.,

"If you don't move, I'll call for help,

" my patience running thin., I,

"Felicia, I really think you and I could, I, have a great game. Trust me, I'm every bit as good as Jefferson. You'l have a new experience, believe me,

" he said with confidence, stepping closer in a way that felt threatening. , So, when he got too close, I instinctively kicked at his foot, a defensive move I was good at., He winced in pain, his patience apparently wearing thin as well.

"Felicia, to use your people's words, you're ungrateful. I'm offering you a game as a sign of respect. , His so-called respect was the last thing I wanted., And his insistence on playing a game felt more like harassment., With Jefferson recently facing trouble in Houston, any mention of him made me wary., I had no desire to deal with this man any longer and turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm with a vicetike grip, sending a jolt of fear through me. ,

"Let go,

" I struggled., Instead of releasing me, he pressed closer.

"Play a game with me, and I'll let you go.

", Before I could respond, another arm intervened.,

"What's going on here?

" Grant stepped in, scolding the man while forcefully pulling his wrist away.,

"I just wanted to play a game with her,

" Brown explained., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.