More Than Protect You (More Than Words #6.5) - Shayla Black Page 0,61

reveal mussed brown hair, panicked brown eyes, and a pasty face. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Well, a little… I thought if you were frightened enough, you would come home and—”

“You’re the one who’s been terrifying me? And you broke into Nia’s house with a knife?”

“Just for show. I was never going to use it.”

“Oh, my god. You have stitches where I hit you with the vase?” She gazes at the angry red wound crisscrossed by dark thread.

He nods. “And a mild concussion.”

“Why would you do all this?”

“Do you really have to ask? You know how I feel.”

Is he serious? This was some fucked-up way of telling her he loves her?

I wedge my body between him and Mandy—and come face to face with her “nemesis.” He’s probably a decade younger than me, but he doesn’t look as if he’s spent more than ten minutes of his whole life being athletic.

Mandy glares at him around my shoulder. “You wanted to win me over so I’ll…what, marry you?”

He nods earnestly. “Yes.”

“And you thought scaring me would accomplish that?” She sounds as confused—and furious—as I feel.

If this guy has made half a billion dollars, he’s not a complete idiot. At least in theory. “Are you fucking kidding?”

He flinches, then scowls my way. “Shut up.”

“In case it’s escaped you, asshole, I’m the one with the gun.” I glance at Mandy over my shoulder. “Call the police.”

“No! I just want to talk to her.”

“Do you have his phone number?” I ask Mandy. But I already know the answer.

“Of course.”

I turn to Bruce. “If she had wanted to talk to you, pal, she would have called. Instead, you tried to scare a mother and her baby and…” I glare at him. “Did you hire the angry mob, too?”

“I-I…” He stops himself, then ignores me for Mandy. “Just for show. Sweetheart, I only want to talk to you. I don’t care what happened between you and Reed. I’ve always thought you were so beautiful that you should be my wife.”

He wants her for her looks, not her heart?

Mandy shakes her head like she’s still befuddled. “When did you come to Maui?”

“The day you did. My jet brought me here that same afternoon.”

She looks stunned. “How did you find me?”

“Well, it was easy to guess you would go to Nia’s first. You’ve been talking about visiting her for months.”

“I mean after that.”

He hesitates, wild-eyed, and my gut clenches. Whatever comes out of his mouth next is going to be a lie. I feel it in my bones.

Finally, he points my way. “From him. A couple of hours ago, he told your dad where you two were holing up so that I could persuade you to come home. By the way”—he reaches into his pocket to produce a check, then shoves it into my pocket—“here’s the hundred grand he promised you. And I’ve got your bonus if Amanda agrees to be my wife tonight. Will you, sweetheart?” He drops to his knee. “I know this seems crazy, but that should tell you how much I want to spend my life with you.”

Mandy freezes, then turns to me, gaping and angry. “You told my dad where to find me? For money?”

“No!”

I try not to be offended that she immediately believes Bruce. After all, she’s known the guy most of her life. I only met her two days ago. After the way Reed treated her, it’s no surprise she has deep trust issues. But damn it, I’ve protected her. I’ve listened to her. I’ve comforted and helped and done my best to understand her. And she believes the D-bag who skulked around like some stalker and says he wants to marry her because she’s pretty?

“No, you didn’t tell him? Or no, you didn’t do it for the money?” She scoffs. “It doesn’t matter. I trusted you. I told you everything. Oh god…”

“I didn’t divulge shit to your father. He’s lying.” I point at Bruce. “I wouldn’t betray you. You should know that.”

“Should I? I want to believe you, Tanner, but how else would Bruce have known where to find us? I didn’t tell anyone.”

“Exactly,” Bruce cuts in.

Other than a scowl, I ignore him. “Maybe he followed us. The island isn’t that big, and I knew that Mustang might be a problem. Only one like it on the island, I’ll bet. Or maybe…” I try to think of another plausible scenario when the truth hits me. “Your dad pinged the location of your phone and told your Romeo. Your location services