“Jealous much?” Trent asks, smirking.
I ignore him, fixing Shandra with a genuine sympathetic look. “Commiserations.”
“Fucking bitch,” Trent snaps, and Charlie shoves him across the floor, slamming him up against the wall.
You could hear a pin drop in the room.
“Listen up carefully, Montgomery. You don’t speak to my fiancée like thatever. You don’t disrespect her, or even fucking look at her, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
Trent pushes Charlie away. “I’m quaking in my boots.” He shoots him a derogatory look as he shoves past him. “And you needn’t worry about your precious fiancée. I’m through with the slut.”
“Need I remind you of the conversation we had last week with our fathers,” Drew calmly says as Trent reclaims his seat beside Shandra.
Trent grinds his teeth and his knuckles blanch white. “I don’t need a reminder.
“Good.” Drew leans back casually in his chair. “Because I’d hate to inform my father you’re already breaching the terms.”
Charlie sends Trent a smug grin as he drops into the seat on the other side of me and drapes his arm around my shoulder.
Shandra clears her throat, and her eyes twinkle with mischief. “I hear commiserations are in order for you too,” she teases, eyeballing me.
“Charlie is the catch of the century.” I smile adoringly at him. “I’ve zero complaints.”
I send her a pointed look to say, “unlike you, you poor bitch.”
Charlie grins, delighted with my fake sentiment, pressing his lips to mine, and I don’t know if he believes it or he’s just playing along.
A scuffle breaks out in the background, and I pull away from Charlie, grabbing some items off the tray, pretending like I’m not aware of what’s happening.
“Get the fuck off me.” Kai’s angry tone is like a dagger straight through my heart, because I know he just witnessed that. I want to look up so badly, but I remind myself of why we’re doing this and stick to my resolve.
Trent grins, and the menacing glint in his eye spells trouble. “Guess Anderson didn’t get the memo.” He pops a piece of pasta into his mouth, chewing slowly while I mentally compile a list of ways to kill him. “Was murdering his bastards too subtle for him?” he adds when he’s finished, and I explode.
Jumping up onto the table, I throw myself on top of Trent, and we crash to the ground in a tangle of limbs. I don’t even feel the impact as the chair breaks underneath our combined weight, and we hit solid ground. Grabbing hold of his head, I bounce it off the floor, slamming it up and down before he flips me off.
Strong hands reach around me from behind, attempting to lift me up, but my reflexes are fast. I lunge at Trent, scraping my nails down his cheeks, enormously satisfied when he roars in pain. Arms reach for me again, and I rip my stiletto heel off one foot and smash it into the side of Trent’s head, getting two good hits in there before Charlie throws me over his shoulder.
Blood gushes from Trent’s temple and trickles from his injured cheek, but it’s not enough. I want to slice his cock off and feed it to him before I chop him into itty-bitty pieces and pin his severed head to the wall.How dare he say that to me!!I pummel my fists into Charlie’s back. “Let me down! I want to fucking kill him!” I yell.
“You’re going down for this,” Trent threatens, pressing a paper towel to the wound on his temple.
“You snitch and it’ll be the last thing you do,” Drew says, standing and walking around the table. He glares at Trent. “You deserved that. And if you ever repeat that comment or make any of those remarks to my sister again, I will fucking end you myself.” Drew puts his face all up in Trent’s. “This is your last warning.” Drew walks over to us. “Get Abby out of here.”
Charlie nods, striding toward the exit with me still strewn over his shoulder. In my peripheral vision, I spot Jackson and Sawyer physically restraining a fuming Kai. Our eyes meet across the room, and I want to go to him so badly. Especially after Trent’s cruel words because the only arms I want comforting me are his.
But I won’t be selfish.
We silently communicate, and his pain, anguish, and longing are mine too, but we can’t fall at the first hurdle. We are stronger than this. I subtly shake my head just before Charlie exits the cafeteria, leaving chaos in our midst.
“I’m not saying he didn’t have it coming to him,” Charlie says, when we’re outside in his car a few minutes later. “But you can’t go around attacking people. Your father would go apeshit on my ass because I’m officially responsible for you.”
“Trent won’t say anything because he’ll land himself in hot water if he does.”
“Agreed, but you need to stop and think before you react, Abby.”
“Why are we evenatthat table?” I question, wincing as a dart of pain shoots through my hip. I’m a little achy in parts, but Trent cushioned most of our fall, so I’ll live. I’m betting his back will be black and blue by tomorrow, and it couldn’t happen to a more worthy recipient.
“Your father has patched things up with the Montgomerys, and we were given strict instructions that things were to return to normal.”
