My stomach sinks. Suddenly, I think I know what’s going on here.
“You keep her the fuck out of—”
Danny laughs. “Fuck that. The money is great, but watching this spoiled bitch go down in flames is the icing on the fucking cake!”
He’s about to laugh again when my fist crashes into his face, knocking him to the ground. He screams as blood runs from his broken nose, but David just chuckles, and I realize he’s still taping.
“Perfect, perfect. You’re doing such a good job, Diesel.”
Fuck.
“What is all of this!” Alyssa yells, gripping my arm tight.
“It’s a setup,” I say softly. “For me.”
David smiles. “See? I knew you weren’t just a dumb brute. Correct. This is about making sure you know your fucking place. This is for what you did before.”
“What he did!?” Alyssa storms past me, her face livid as she jabs a finger at David. “What he did?! You asshole, he stopped you from beating on your own wife and son! And you had him jailed for it!”
“Goddamn right I did,” David hisses back. “But that fucking judge only met me halfway. Six years? That’s it?” He scoffs. “Fuck that. When I’m through with you, six years will seem like a sleepover party.”
I smile grimly. “Still mad I fucked up your face, huh? How was that plastic surgery, by the way?”
“Painful,” he spits. “But not as painful as what you’re going to feel in jail, knowing you’re the reason this girl’s career goes up in flames.”
My smile fades, and Danny starts to cackle from the ground.
“Oh yeah. See, when the press finds out that you’ve been the one sending her those stalker letters, that’s going to be bad. But when these pictures leak?” He holds up his camera. “Of her, fucking you,” he sneers, shaking his head. “When they find out Alyssa Campo screwed her bodyguard who’s about to go away to jail again for assault after it was him who mailed her death threats? Well, you’ll go from the ‘wild’ to ‘untouchable’ in this town overnight. There’s being in the spotlight for acting out. But this shit is going to ruin you, and we both know it.”
My jaw grinds together, the rage blazing up inside of me. This isn’t fair. Coming after me again is one thing, but involving her? No fucking way. Something snaps inside of me, and I find myself moving towards David again, fire blazing through my veins like acid.
“You leave her the fuck out of this,” I hiss.
He shrugs. “I just wanted you. She’s collateral. But maybe that makes this even sweeter for me.” He shrugs, tapping a finger on his chin like he’s thinking. “No, you know what, it definitely makes it sweeter for—”
Suddenly, Alyssa starts to laugh.
We all stop, all three of us turning to look at her as the smile spreads over her face and those perfect white teeth of hers flash. She giggles, her hand sliding down to link with mine as she shakes her head.
“You think this is going to ruin my career?”
“You’re fucking your ex-con of a bodyguard who’s going to jail again after he sent you death threats.”
“You sent those.”
Danny shrugs. “I can spin whatever I want. Trust me, the press will think it was him. Oh and it won’t take long. I made sure a ton of them were waiting right at the end of your driveway for when all of this blew up.”
“And you seriously think who I’m with is going to hurt my career?”
He grins. “If it is him? Yeah, you little spoiled brat. It’s going to fucking ruin you, and I’m going to be laughing the whole time.”
I growl, stepping towards him, but she stops me with a squeeze to my hand.
“Hey,” she whispers quietly, pulling me towards her. My eyes drop to hers, and I watch as she just smiles that perfect, soul-filling smile at me and shrugs.
“Well, since it’s not a secret anymore.”
She tugs me down as she stands up on her tiptoes, wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses me. It actually catches me off guard, and I hold back for one second, but not for long. Because slowly, I’m kissing her right back, our lips melting together as my arms wrap tight around her.
“Touching, really,” David mutters. “But it’s time, asshole. I’ve got the authorities on the way, and I promise you, that’s the last kiss you’re gonna get for a long time that doesn’t come from a man named Bubba.”
Alyssa’s hand finds mine, and she tugs on it, drawing my eyes to hers. There’s something fierce there — something wild and untamed. Something that looks like it’s ready to take a leap.
“I, uh…” She blushes as she looks up into my eyes, her teeth raking over her lip.
“I have an idea. C’mere.”
She whirls, and still just wearing a blanket around herself and still in just a pair of boxers, she takes my hand and starts to pull me down the driveway, towards the gates. I follow, but my brow knits as my eyes dart ahead.