Forbidden Harmony (Harmony Falls #3) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,128
her to find a random guy and fuck him. A freebie if you will before she settles down and marries me. She’d only been with me and I thought it was only fair that she has a,” Harrison paused, “new experience. Especially since she was so willing to overlook what happened with me and Crystal. She agreed.”
He looked Preacher up and down. “I’ll admit that I’m surprised she chose you to be her free pass, but maybe she knew you wanted her, and she felt sorry for you?”
He studied Preacher’s face. “You okay, Preacher? You look kind of nauseous. I imagine it’s a bit of a shock to know that I was aware Addison would sleep with someone else and that she had my permission.”
His head spinning, Preacher tried to school his features. The little fuckwit had told Addie to sleep with someone else and she had. She’d slept with him. Was everything she’d told him a lie?
“Look, I get that maybe you thought this could be something more. Addison’s a sweet girl and she wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings, but she’s obviously not in this for the long run with you. I guarantee you that she’ll be back with me before the month is over. You need to walk away, Preacher.”
“Thanks for the fucking suggestion, but I’ll talk to Addison about what she actually wants,” Preacher said. “Now get the fuck out of my shop.”
Harrison’s look of pity shredded his already frayed nerves. “You think what she wants is an ex-convict?”
All of the air sucked out of Preacher’s lungs and the shop suddenly seemed too small and too hot.
“I know you went to prison, Simon,” Harrison said. “Simon Wells, a proud inmate of the New Cassel Correctional Center for four years.”
He wanted to tell Harrison to get out of his shop. He wanted to punch his fucking face in, but his legs were wobbly and there was still no goddamn air in his lungs.
“You’re probably wondering how I found out, right? Trust me, it wasn’t that difficult. I’m a defense lawyer at a firm specializing in criminal law. We deal with the scum of the earth like you, all the fucking time. One phone call to a private detective and a shockingly cheap amount of money and I know everything there is to know about you, Preacher. What do you think Addison will say when she finds out you’re a convict?”
Preacher’s fucking stomach was somewhere near his feet and he couldn’t get the image of Addison’s sweet face out of his head. Of the look of horror and disgust that would cover it when she discovered his past.
“Even if Addison was willing to overlook your criminal past,” the fucking dipshit wouldn’t stop his yapping, “her parents never would. She’s close to her mom and her dad and if she chooses you over me, they’ll cut her out of her life. They’re important to her, maybe almost as important as I am to her, and do you really want to be the guy who destroys her relationship with them? They love me, Simon. Do you know why? Because I’m a good guy.”
“Get out of my shop.” Preacher’s heart was thudding, and the rush of adrenaline was making him feel sick. His ears were starting to ring, and he could barely hear Harrison, but the fucker still wouldn’t shut up.
“You don’t have a future with her, and you know it. Do the right thing and walk away,” Harrison said. “Don’t destroy her life just because you think you deserve someone like Addison. You don’t. You never will.”
Preacher’s hands clenched into fists. He stared Harrison in the eye and Harrison’s face paled. He groped for the door handle as Preacher said, “Get the fuck out of my shop and don’t come back. I won’t tell you again.”
Harrison’s groping, trembling hand finally found the handle. He yanked open the door and when it was obvious that he was going to say something else, Preacher said, “Say one more word and I will rip your fucking tongue out of your mouth.”
Harrison’s mouth shut with a snap and he quickly left the shop, letting the door slam shut behind him. Preacher locked the door and staggered the few steps to his tattoo station. He sank down on the stool, the adrenaline fading and his heartbeat slowing. He stared at his trembling hands as his stomach churned before reaching for his phone. He sent a quick text off to Addie and then turned off his