Built to Last (Middleton Hotels 2)

“You love me?” Roxie asked in a soft voice.

Rachael scoffed and walked to the door to hold it open.

“No, nutbag. I’m sorry that I put Rachael in danger with your nonsense.” My rage had never been so intense. I saw red and felt like popping her neck if she kept fighting me.

It wasn’t a minute before my brother’s security head, Tony, came rushing into the room with Julian in tow.

“Are you okay?” Tony asked, looking at Rachael. “I’ve got cuffs.”

“What do we have going on here?” A police officer came in the room.

I waited until they had her before letting go of my hold on her. I turned to look at Rachael and she was still in her towel. “One minute,” I said to the officer. Looking up and down at Rachael, she caught my meaning and blanched. “Go put some clothes on,” I bit out. “Your eyes focused on the cuffed one.” The two cops had been checking out my fiancée. Tony and Julian didn’t bother to look, already aware that this man in front of them wasn’t the usual me. I was seething beyond control.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“I had to get Rachael’s bag, and when I came back in the room I saw Roxie with a knife pointed at my fiancée.”

“Is she an ex or something?” One of the officers asked, pulling Roxie off the wall.

“She was my assistant. I was about to fire her.”

She started kicking and struggling to get out of the officer’s hold. “I hate her. She ruined everything.” Roxie turned her head violently, attempting to bite the officer. He slammed her on the ground.

Rachael came rushing out of the room nervously. “Baby, come here,” I said, holding my hand out for her. She took it and I pulled her close to protect her.

“Miss, can you tell us what happened?”

“Joseph went to get my clothes that I left in the bride’s dressing room. I thought he came back because the key card pinged. I wondered if he forgot something, but Roxie confronted me with a knife.”

“Where’s the knife?” the officer questioned Rachael.

“I kicked it over there,” she pointed to the corner chair and peeking out was a large kitchen knife.

One officer went to look at it, pulling it out with a pair of gloves on. “I have to go get the bags.” He put it back and stepped out of the room. “Everyone out of this room while we retrieve the evidence and take her down to the station.”

We settled it with the officers to meet down at the station to formally press charges. “Whatever we do

, this doesn’t get out yet. I don’t want Jacob to cut his honeymoon short.”

“Got it,” Tony said while Julian nodded. I placed a kiss on Rachael’s temple and mentally thanked the heavens that she was safe.

Chapter 16

Joseph

It took a week, but we were back in Dallas. Roxie had been arrested on assault and unlawful entry. She wouldn’t get much time at all in the grand scheme of things. The judge set her bail at one million dollars, but she’d been bailed out by her family and I didn’t know when the trial would begin if it even goes to trial. She was forced to stay up north, but the detectives got a warrant to search her property here on the grounds that all three of us had been from Texas and it was happenstance that she chose to attack out of state. I wanted Rachael to marry me like tomorrow and I didn’t want her parents involved in it. I hadn’t forgiven them for trying to ruin my family just to get my brother to marry Rachael. I was pleased as fuck I stood my ground because she might have gotten along with my brother.

“Joseph, you know you don’t want a feud with them. This is not worth it, especially with everything going on,” my father argued. We managed to keep the mess a secret, but it wouldn’t be long before everyone found out, including her parents. “I’d say inform them that you are marrying Rachael. How they react will determine your next course of action.”

“I’m going to ask Rachael about it. If that’s what she wants, we’ll head over there right now.” I hung up with my father and walked out of my home office and into the living room where Rachael was watching some television in one of my college t-shirts and nothing else. A low growl emanated from my chest as I stared at her legs tucked under her bare ass.

“Anything good on?” I asked, strolling up to her and plopping down on the ultra-cushy couch.

“It seems like you found this entertaining.” It was the feed to the hotel lobby. I turned red right away. My adoration of her had taken on the stalker level and I hoped to hell she wasn’t pissed about it.

I looked at her and admitted it. “Yes, I did and I told you I did. Although, now it’s lost its appeal.”

She grabbed the remote and was about to click it off when she gasped, “That’s Tony and Denise talking, and she’s hiding her belly under the counter.”