Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
***
GRANT
Shit, I knew there was going to be trouble after that look. I wasn’t really interested in Marcy and what she felt. I’d told her the truth a while ago, it’s not like I was stringing her along or anything like that. But that look from the hellcat spelt trouble plain and simple. I guess I was about to find out what it meant to be on the receiving end of her shit.
I tried keeping her in my view, but other guests were vying for my attention and there was no way to avoid them unless I gave everything away. That wasn’t looking like such a bad idea, and the only reason I held off was because of her. I knew she wouldn’t appreciate it now, not so soon on the heels of the other major scandal in her life. If it were up to me I wouldn’t give a shit, people are gonna talk either way, but she’d been through enough.
I saw what she was up to from across the room, could practically write the playbook. One of my friendly competitors was in the middle of telling me about some new deal he’d just struck that was supposed to save him hundreds of thousands of dollars, but all I saw was her heading away from the others. It was the set of her shoulders and that look on her face that had me on high alert. Fuck, what now?
I left poor Jerry in the middle of a longwinded sentence when she ended up in the arms of one of my known enemies. I should’ve known she’d pick him. I was beginning to realize that that little girl knew about as much about me as I did her. How else would she know that of all the men here, seeing her anywhere near him would send me over the edge? I’d already told her once to stay away from him yes, but I hadn’t told her why.
I know she had no idea what she was doing, knew that it was her hotheadedness that was leading her now, but there was no way I was going to leave her alone with him. When the two of them headed out a pair of French doors into the garden that ran the length of the house all bets were off.
There was no way Tom could know what I felt for her, how could he? I’d only just acknowledged it myself. I still didn’t put it past that snake to try something with her out there alone though. I was just in time to hear him start his usual spiel. The jackass had the same M.O every time, whether the female was willing or not.
“Tom I think your wife is looking for you.” That caught both of them off guard.
“His wife?”
“Yes didn’t he tell you? He got married within the last month under not very ideal circumstances, I think there was something about a barely legal pregnancy.” His face was like a thundercloud as she moved away from him like he was contagious. He had the good sense not to say anything to me as he huffed his way back inside. “As for you…”
I took her arm and instead of returning inside to the party and our guests, frog marched her a few hundred feet away to the guesthouse. “Where are you taking me? The others will miss us.” I didn’t even bother answering her, I was too mad at the little fool for putting herself in danger.
“You little idiot, have you any idea what could’ve happened to you out there alone in the dark with him? Have you any idea of the things he’s been accused of, not once, not twice but since fucking high school?” I flung the words at her as I pulled her into the guesthouse with the lights off.
“I’m a grown woman, I don’t need you looking over my shoulder I can take care of myself.” She talked a good game but the slight tremble in her voice gave her away.
“All that aside, I told you what would happen if you misbehaved here tonight didn’t I.” That stopped her in her tracks a little bit, and too late she tried escaping me.
I didn’t mean to be that rough with her, but seeing her out there with another man about to put hands on her because she was too stubborn to obey me, pretty much made me lose my composure. I was only going to teach her a lesson, show her that I wasn’t about to put up with any of the bullshit her daddy had been letting her get away with her whole life. But somewhere along the way things got muddled.
***
CAMI
I knew two seconds after clearing the French doors that I’d made a mistake. I’d heard the whispers about Tom of course, who hadn’t? But how was I to know that he’d be so bold as to try anything with all those people around? Talk about a sociopath. I figured he was the best bet if I wanted to get back at Grant, it was childish and stupid, but it was too late to do anything about it.