“Then you aren’t welcome.” She glares at me, but blanches as soon as she notices Grace.
“I see you understand the reason for this visit.” I grab Grace’s hand and walk past Karie into the house.
“What do you mean? It has nothing to do with us!” Karie says hurriedly. She doesn’t seem to realize her reaction has given her away. She shows no shock at Grace’s swollen cheek, which by this point does look a bit shocking.
I stride to the living room. Nelson is in the middle of pouring himself a whiskey. But when he notices me, he flinches, spilling the alcohol. “Oh, shit.”
Vivienne starts toward me until she notices I’m not alone. “Why issheback here?”
“Viv!” Karie hisses.
I scan the room. “Where’s Mick?” The asshole could be hiding like the gutless coward that he is.
“He’s not here. Busy at work.” Nelson licks his lips. “Why?”
I pull Grace forward, gently but firmly. “Who did this to her?”
Karie lets out a shaky breath. “How are we supposed to know?”
Vivienne glances at Nelson, who turns his glass with listless fingers.
“No explanation whatsoever for the injury?” I say, my tone growing increasingly icy. “She was fine just this afternoon. And I doubt anybody at the Pryce Family Foundation did this to her. Then she came here.” I look at each of them in turn, my eyes coming to rest on Nelson. “So. Who was it?”
He clears his throat. “She’s a clumsy girl.”
I cock an eyebrow.
“She probably ran into a wall.” Avoiding my gaze, he opens and closes his right hand.
You. A fiery need to get justice for my woman erupts. I leap the distance, grab the back of his head and smash it against the wall hard enough to make the liquor cabinet shake.
“Augh!” he screams.
I smash his face into the wall again. Just because I feel like it, and he deserves to suffer.
He garbles another word that sounds likefuck, but it’s hard to tell with the blood gushing from his nose.
I let go. He crumples to the floor. Karie rushes to him, then glares up at me. “You asshole!”
Vivienne starts crying hysterically. Grace just stares, her mouth slightly parted. I put a finger underneath her chin and lift it up, closing her mouth. I put my arm around her.
“Gonna sue yer ass,” Nelson mumbles. “This is a fuckin’ lawsuit.”
Like I give a damn.I let my gaze sweep over the trio of Webbers. “Touch my woman again, and I’ll end you.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Grace
Back in Huxley’s car, my emotions feel settled, and I’m no longer operating on autopilot. I don’t know how this kind of calm is possible after seeing such explosive violence. Huxley appears so civilized and suave that it’s just incongruent that he was capable of ramming Nelson’s face into a wall.
Twice.
“He only hit me once,” I say as Huxley maneuvers his car on the road.
“The second one was for my satisfaction.”
I mull that over for a moment. “Okay. And do you feel satisfied?”
