But I didn’t think he had any moves to play. He was testing me to see what would happen. He was playing a fucking game with all of us. If he wasn’t actively fucking dying, I wouldn’t have a clue what he was doing. What was the goddamned play?

“What did Dave say?”

“Not much. He got her out in time and she’s at home right now. Your grandfather requests your presence.”

I threw my shoes across the locker room with as much force as I could. “Fuck his requests! What I’m concerned about is what the fuck happened to my woman! He can sit and fucking wither away in his office for all I care. Get your shit, we’re going.”

Fuck him and fuck his requests. Whatever he had could wait for all I cared. He could be dying in the hospital with the biggest company secret, and I wouldn’t have shown up.

Reaper took my keys from me and drove us back, muttering something about how dangerous I was when I was angry. I didn’t care. I’d commit every felony known to man if it meant I got to her. Nothing, and I mean nothing, would stop me.

I just about ripped the door from its hinges when we arrived. I wanted to know where she was immediately.

“She’s relaxing in her room,” James, her good-for-nothing bodyguard announced.

I ignored him. “Dave. Status?”

“You know most of the details. Found her half naked locked in a bathroom with that mouth breather, Fitzgerald.

Without thinking, I clocked James in the jaw. Reaper grabbed me and pulled me back before I could all out-execute his ass. “You fucker,” I hissed. “Dave, why weren’t you on top of her?”

“Simply stated: we were undermanned for this.” He looked guilty of the same that James was in my eyes, and I itched to beat the shit out of them both.

“All of you were in charge while I was in that fucking game playing along with the fucked up world, we’re in! I want extra men on her at all times. Never less than three. I can’t trust a fucking soul here.” I shot daggers at her bodyguard while Reaper gripped the shit out of me. “Get off me. I want to go fucking talk to her.” I raged against the hold he had on me.

Dave cleared his throat.

“Brent?”

She looked so beautiful in her pajamas. The last time I’d seen her felt like a lifetime ago. My body went limp at the sight of her, and I swore to myself that I wasn’t falling that hard for this girl, but I was.

“Blondie,” was all I could say when she took my breath away.