“I’m an early riser too. It’s just someone wore me completely out.”
“Whoa, is someone starving? Let’s get up then. I can’t have you wasting away on me.” I get out of bed and see the sunlight beaming through my messy room. Holy shit. Yesterday had been too damn crazy to even understand. “I need to go back to the room I was staying in. My clothes are there.”
“Get your pretty ass dressed first. I don’t want to beat anyone to death for seeing you like this.”
“Luckily, you didn’t ruin my dress.” She slips it back on without anything underneath. “I’ll be ready to go down in twenty minutes.” I wag my brows at her, wondering if she purposefully said that. She winks at me and I can’t stop myself from closing the distance and bracing my arms around her. “We’ll never make it down to breakfast that way.”
“Well, maybe later then, handsome.” She kisses my cheek and pulls out of my hold, running from the room. I stick my head out of the room and watch her scurry down the hallway. As soon as she’s in the room, I close the door and look at the chaos before me. Quickly picking up the scattered clothes, straightening the bed and fixing some of the furniture, I jump into the shower.
I’m stepping out of the bathroom to find Addison leaning against the door, although this time she’s facing me. “Wow, a repeat?” she asks with her mouth gaping at my tented towel.
“No.”
“Fine. I just came to tell you that I’ll meet you downstairs. I just ran into your father in the hall. He said breakfast is ready.”
“Good. Get some before everyone else eats it all.”
“What about you?”
“I need about five minutes and then I’ll be there.” I open the bedroom door and then pat her ass as I scoot her out of the room. I need like five minutes to get myself under control. The kitchen’s down the hall from the main staircase, but as I get closer, I feel my rage build. Addison’s leaning against the wall with Frank’s hands trapping her in.
“You and the freak? He couldn’t please you like I can. I bet he couldn’t even make you come.”
“Get away from me. Let me go,” Addison pleads. I don’t need to see or hear another word, he’s dead. I rush over, grip his shoulder, and then spin him toward me. As soon as our eyes make contact he knows that he fucked up. My fist goes to Frank’s face before he can react, sending him onto his ass. “You put your hands on my woman?” I roar, giving no shit who hears. He scoots back and stands up ready to fight, but he messed with the wrong man. Stupidly, he comes at me again. “Are you that dumb?” I swiftly move to the side and hit him in the kidney with a good body shot.
“Whoa, what the hell is going on?”
“Your son’s a fucking nut.” This time I cut off his next words with my hand on his throat. “If you ever come near her or me again I will find a nice spot to put your remains so no one will ever find you.” I shove him away and step back to watch him hold his mouth.
“I’m going to sue you.”
“Go ahead. This house has surveillance cameras throughout the house.”
“Get rid of him,” my father tells his security team. I turn my head to Addison who’s crying. Fuck. I didn’t mean to scare her. I take her in my arms, grateful that she doesn’t pull away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lose it like that.”
“No, no. I’m not upset about that. It’s just I thought I would have handled a confrontation like that better than I did. I’ve been able to stop him from cornering me before, but I was distracted, and he had me pinned to the wall.”
“I know. It’s over now. He’s never going to come around you again. I’m sorry that you had to deal with that at all.”
“Seriously, Emmitt needs better friends.”
“Well, kids, how about we eat and forget about that unseemly behavior.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bryant.”
“You’re welcome, sweet girl. Besides, I can’t have all that food go to waste.” I take her hand, reeling with anger still. She gives it a squeeze for reassurance. I stare down at her and do my best to smile, but the thought of that bastard’s hands on her plays over in my head.
“If you want me to go, I can just go home, Tanner.”
“What? Have you lost your mind?”
“Excuse me,” she hisses, stopping and crossing her arms.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean that. I just don’t want you to go anywhere.” I’m botching this thing up.
“I’m kidding. I knew what you meant. You just look so angry, I wondered if you were mad at me. I swear I didn’t want his attention.”