Wed to the Bad Boy(49)

I did the unthinkable.

I punched that motherfucker right across the face in the middle of the office.

He turned away like it was nothing then he looked at me, a smile on his face while blood dribbled off his bottom lip, the scarlet red of the blood filling in the gaps from between his teeth. “She’s a pretty little thing, your Joanna. And she seems to be a sweetie. I met her, you know, before you did. I thought about taking her home too, but a more forceful piece of ass distracted me and now I’m curious. Does she taste as good as I imagine her to?”

I swung again but this time he grabbed my arm and pulled me into him, deflecting the blow and bringing me into a close distance.

“You better watch yourself, boy. You might be the heir to this throne, but you have a contender on your heels, and I’ll gladly take your woman and your life.” He grabbed the folded square out of my pocket and dabbed his split lip with it. “You understand?”

Red. That was all I saw as I slammed my head into his, shoving him aside. I’d had too much training not to know what to do on instinct. So did he. We went back and forth so quickly that no one would understand what was happening if they looked at us. We were well matched to one another and after a few futile motions and movements we disengaged.

“Stay the fuck away from her,” I repeated. “Or I will kill you.”

“I don’t think our father would like that very much, in fact, I think he has taken a liking to me. Our relationship has grown over the past year when you fucked up the first attempt on my life.” He glared.

I had meant to kill him a year ago. I’d even gone as far as attacking him, but when I saw his eyes staring back at mine, I couldn’t. We had the same eyes, my father’s.

It made me hesitate once, but it would do no such thing a second time. I would have his life.

“I’ve got work to get back to, but I won’t take your threat lightly, Greyson. As to Joanna, I think she is capable of making her own choices.” I could see the defiance in his face. He didn’t give a shit about what I had to say. He didn’t care at all.

“She already did. I’m just here to enforce them.” I growled. “Now get out of my sight.”

“Whatever you wish, prince.” He bowed in mock gesture then turned and left.

I waited until I was sure he was down the hall to throw all the shit on my desk off of it and scream. That piece of shit had no idea how dead he was.

He had no idea what he was risking.





Joanna



I did it. I came home from UMBC and pressed my body against the door. I resigned, I picked up all my stuff, and I was officially on leave.

My life was on hold.

Greyson wasn’t home, but he’d been here since I left. I could tell by the way things were arranged. By the folders left out.

He didn’t expect me back here. I was supposed to be heading to the hotel tonight, and I’d counted on it. Retrieving my stuff was just an excuse.

I looked down at my phone and bit my lip. This wasn’t going to be enjoyable.

I want something to hold over Fitzgerald. Get it to me, Jo. I hate to harm my own brother.

A single text from my uncle told me what I had to do. It reminded me why I was here with Greyson. I swore Uncle Dennis wouldn’t hurt me or my father, but from the threat I could tell I was wrong.

I’d underestimated the man, but I couldn’t afford to do that again. I wasn’t here because I got to be with Greyson but because I had to steal from him. I didn’t want to help my uncle, but I had no choice.

Grabbing my things was all an excuse to get me back into the apartment when he wasn’t expecting it. I had to do the one thing I didn’t want to. The one thing I’d been sent to do. I had to get information.

My uncle wanted information, and he was expecting me to get it. He’d threatened me, my father. I knew that he would make good on those promises.

If I just gave him what he wanted he would leave me in peace.

He would leave my family in peace.

I walked towards the folders on the coffee table and sat down. Research was my forte, and this was going to be easy. It would take time, but not as much as pulling documents from an archive.

Two hours later I had nothing. I leafed through each document. Invoices, employment records. It was all mundane. Nothing that was going to help me at all.

Dammit.

I stood up and sighed. I needed a drink.

I padded out to the kitchen and grabbed the rum that I knew was in the freezer. I’d put it there two nights ago. What I needed was a mojito.

Just as I grabbed a glass I heard the door shut.

“Joanna?” Greyson’s voice called from across the room.

“Yeah, I’m here.” I tucked my hair behind my ears and set the unopened bottle back in the freezer. “Had to bring back my things from the office.”