Beauty and the Billionaire

Not giving a shit, I park right out front. My eyes flick to a Tesla sitting on the curb, making my hackles rise up. I take off on a dead run. Why the fuck would he be here? I hear a scream before I even get to the front door. I don’t bother knocking.

My foot connects with the door, and it explodes inward and off the hinges. Logan’s head jerks my way. He’s got my Remi pinned to the wall in the living room. She is holding a towel to her body, and he’s trying to yank it from her.

Rage unlike any I’ve ever felt before floods me as I launch myself at him, grabbing him by the back of the neck. I fling him away from her. He hits the wall, sinking partially into it before sliding to the ground, and I’m on him again.

10

REMI

I stand there paralyzed as I watch Grant beat the shit out of Logan. It takes me a second to snap to. It all happened so damn fast. I don’t even know how Logan got into my apartment. When I’d gotten home, I texted Faith to let her know I was still interested in the job but I needed a bit to shower and change. I don’t know how long I stood in the shower and sobbed before I forced myself to get out. When I stepped into the hallway, I thought I heard something. I knew both of my roommates were gone.

The second I stepped into the living room area, Logan was on me, pinning me to the wall. The smell of alcohol surrounded him as he shouted about Grant always getting what he wanted, but not this time. That it was my fault Grant pulled out of some deal or something. Whatever the hell any of that even freaking meant.

“Holy shit!” I turn to see Faith and her husband Ace, who I met briefly the other night standing in the doorway to my place. Shit. I’m really making a great impression. When I mentioned I’d be grabbing the bus to get to the center, she offered to pick me up. Okay, not offered. She demanded. “Grant!” she shouts.

Wait. How does she know him?! Ace pulls Faith back from the doorway to make a grab for Grant. He has to tackle him to the ground to get him off Logan. Grant swings, hitting Ace in his side. Ace grunts as they wrestle around on the ground. Grant is in a blind rage.

“Grant!” I scream as loud as I can. He suddenly stops fighting Ace, his head snapping my way. His eyes lock with mine. They’re wild at first, but slowly he seems to come back to reality and calm down.

“Let me up,” he growls at Ace.

“Are you under control?”

“Not really,” he admits, but Ace lets him go before they’re both coming to their feet. Grant heads right to me, lifting me off my feet. “Which room is yours?”

“Second on the left,” I manage to get out. He carries me down the hallway. My eyes meet Faith’s over Grant’s shoulder. She’s got a phone pressed to her ear. Her eyes are wide as she watches Grant carry me down the hallway. My gaze drops to Logan, who is on the floor. He groans and rolls to his side. His face is covered in blood. He’s lucky Ace and Faith showed up when they did, or I’m not sure what would have happened to him.

Grant enters my bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him. He goes straight for the bed, sitting down on the side. He shifts me to straddle him. His hold on me tightens as he buries his face in my neck, his breathing still heavy.

“I’m okay,” I reassure him. I run my hand up and down his back, trying to calm him down further.

Somehow, I know I’ve messed up. Now that Grant is here, with his arms wrapped around me, my mind is running over what I’d heard him say on the phone. In the short time I’ve gotten to know Grant, the one thing I do know about him is he’s a good man.

“I’m going to cuff you to me,” he growls against my neck. “I let you out of my sight for two seconds, and you get hurt.”

“I’m not hurt.” This time at least.

“I’m going to kill him.” He slowly lifts his head.

“You’re not going to kill anyone.”

“Bet.” As I stare into his dark gaze, I know he’s not teasing. He definitely looks like he would kill Logan, and I don’t think he’d lose sleep over it either. It’s the first time I’ve seen real darkness coming from Grant. It should probably scare me, but it doesn’t. Grant will obviously do anything to protect what belongs to him. No, scared is the last thing I’m feeling.