“What do you know?” I asked in lieu of a greeting.
“You’re not going to like it,” he warned.
“I figured,” I growled, already pissed as fuck before I even knew what he had to say.
“Is she with you?”
“She just left for school.”
“So she didn’t go home?”
Fury was building inside me with every second, my mind whirring through worst case scenarios.
He went on to describe her living arrangement in a house in an upscale neighborhood not far from mine. “The landlord doesn’t charge her much, so she can afford to pay her tuition.”
I was annoyed that the circumstances didn’t give me more leverage, but I waited to hear what else he had to say. Obviously, he hadn’t reached the part that he’d warned me about.
“Up until about three months ago, I would have said she was in a great position.”
I waited silently for him to get to the fucking point.
“The woman’s son moved back in with her,” he stated.
“Other than wanting to kill the motherfucker for being around my woman all the time, what is it about him that’s bothering you?”
“He moved back in after being released from prison.”
My jaw clenched and my free hand balled into a fist, while the other squeezed the phone so hard I was surprised I didn’t crush it. “What was he doing time for?”
“Assault. He put his last girlfriend in the hospital.”
“What the fuck?” I shouted. I wrenched open a drawer and snatched underwear, a T-shirt, and socks. Then I tossed them on the bed as I headed to my closet.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Owen,” Xander cautioned.
“If it were Calista, what would you do?” I snapped. Despite her being a badass and one of Xander’s best security specialists, he was extremely protective of his wife.
He sucked in a breath, and I heard what sounded like a faint growl. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, motherfucker.
“I’ll meet you with a couple of guys at her address in an hour and we’ll clear her out of there,” he informed me. “Do not go in before we get there.”
I started to argue, but he cut me off. “You can’t protect her from prison, man. Calm the fuck down and think logically.”
He was right, but it was a struggle to agree. “One hour. But, if you guys aren’t there in sixty minutes, I’m going in and that asshole better pray he isn’t there.” Xander made a sound of confirmation and we both hung up.
I was ready, out the door, and waiting just up the street in twenty minutes. To keep myself from doing anything stupid, I sent a text to Sienna.
Me: How is your day going, baby?
I wasn’t sure if she was in class and unable to answer, but the text bubble popped up less than a minute later.
Sienna: It’s all academic.
I chuckled as I typed a response. Before I could finish, another text appeared.
Sienna: My name is Sienna, not “baby,” Owen.
This time I laughed out loud. She was fucking adorable.
Me: When are you done today, baby?
I could practically feel her sigh in irritation, making my smile wide.
Sienna: Actually, my last class of the day was cancelled, so I can come in to the restaurant early.
I spotted a couple of black SUV’s pulling up to the house and shot off a last text.
Me: That’s great, baby. I’ll meet you and we’ll have a late lunch.
As an afterthought, I added,
Me: Go straight there.
I didn’t wait for a response before shoving my phone in my pocket, pulling the car forward and climbing out of my deep blue Jaguar. Xander lifted his chin in greeting, and I responded in kind.
An hour later, we’d collected all of Sienna’s possessions, paid the rest of her lease in full, and put the fear of God into the pathetic, sniveling weasel whose eyes filled with lust at the mere mention of my woman. He only escaped with his face intact because Xander had stepped in before I snapped.
“Seriously, Owen?” Sienna sighed and shook her head as she stood in the doorway of my office. “I was gone what”—she checked the slim black watch on her delicate wrist—“six hours and you’ve already moved me in? You think you could give me a minute to adjust to things before steamrolling me?”
I shrugged and stood, walking over to her and tugging her up against me. “Hi, baby,” I murmured before pressing my lips to hers. “How was your day? I missed you.”
She huffed even as she melted into me. “I don’t know what you’ve done to me, Owen. But, I missed you too.”
I grinned and kissed her once again, this time using my thumb to nudge her jaw down and sweeping my tongue inside to taste her. Her hands gripped my biceps tightly, and she moaned. My cock had been well aware that she was near, but he began to strain towards her, swelling to painful proportions.