was, I despised aggressive women who wouldn’t back down and take no for an answer. But coming from Adalynn Walker, it was hot as fuck.
“I see you haven’t met me,” she spat. “You think I’m some weak-minded nitwit who will bow down to the men around me. That what, Trey, since you’ve given me choices, it makes your demand more palpable? That I’ll feel warm and fuzzy that you’ve given me options about how you’re gonna take over my life? That’s not a no, that’s a fuck no. No to all of it. No to you taking it to the table—whatever the hell that means. No to you spending the night and moving in. No to me moving my patients. And a big, fat, huge no to my dad thinking he’s gonna move me in. I am under no delusion he’s not gonna try, he will, and I’m telling you right now, you go into work tomorrow and make a big deal out of this, you’ll be the cause of World War Three. No, come to think of it, it’ll be more like Armageddon. Dad’s gonna push, I’m gonna dig in, and when he tries to pull what you just did, I’ll set him straight, too.”
“Baby, I do not think you’re weak-minded or a nitwit. I don’t think you bow down to anyone. But I know you’re smart,” I stated calmly.
“Damn right, I am.”
I’d underestimated Adalynn. I’d never thought any of the things she’d accused me of. But I had wrongly thought she was easygoing. Maybe I’d even mistaken her shyness for something else and thought she needed to be shielded.
“Being that you’re smart, I know you didn’t miss the threats. But more, I know you didn’t miss that something’s not right with Jake.”
“Trey—”
“Let me finish,” I spoke over her. “You’re smart, damn smart. So I know you didn’t miss the way he was looking at you. That worries me more than him squaring up. I’m a man, I can handle myself if it came down to that. But he lost his shit in a café full of people. I calmly and clearly communicated he was done speaking to you. He was of another mind, and made that clear.”
“Right. But, Trey—”
“Not done, baby.” Addy clamped her mouth shut but plainly conveyed with her squinted eyes she was not pleased I’d once again interrupted her. “So, being as you’re smart, you didn’t miss his outburst. But beyond that, I know you love your family—all of them. You know they’ll worry and you don’t want that for them. No one’s—or I should say, I’m—not taking over your life or invading your privacy. What I’m doing is helping you give them peace of mind while we look into this douchebag. And while I’m helping you do that, I’ll have you covered so if he does think to approach, he’ll think twice. If he thinks on it and is still stupid enough to try to get close, I’ll have your back. Which means it will be me dealing with him and not you.”
“He’s right, Addy,” Hadley interjected.
“Hadley,” Addy sighed. “You know—”
“What I know is a man yelled at my sister. A man who invited her to lunch to explain why he left her. His excuse was he wasn’t in the regular Army, but something far more dangerous. Which means, he’s dangerous. Then he shows up at her house uninvited after Trey made it clear he wasn’t to get near you. Obviously, I wasn’t there, but I have a feeling Trey didn’t mince words when he told Jake he wasn’t to get near you again.”
Hadley was breaking through. Addy bit her bottom lip and her gaze skidded from her sister to Brady then to the wall. “What I was going to say is, you know I don’t want everyone to worry. But maybe Jake just wanted to apologize.”
Was she insane?
“Don’t do that,” Hadley scoffed. “I get that out of all of us, you’re the one who wants to see the best in people. But don’t be stupid.”
“I’m not being stupid,” Addy defended herself.
Before I could get a lid on a Walker Twin argument—which I knew from experience could get heated and loud. Not to mention both women were stubborn in their own ways. Addy silently. Hadley loudly and more determined to win. Hadley went in for the kill.
“I almost died.”
I heard Addy draw in a breath. But more, I felt so much fury rolling off of Brady it filled the room and coated my skin.