"Hi," the man said, "I’m Grant Holbrook. This is my wife, Kate."
"Nice to meet you," Allie said, shaking his hand. Coming up behind her, Carter coughed and punched her lightly in the hip.
"I mean…" She inwardly cringed, repeated to herself,Ten thousand dollars, then said, "Maybe I landed the wrong Holbrook." She tried to give her best trashy look and show off the ring on her left hand.
Grant looked alarmed. "Is this some sort of joke, man? You're marrying this…thingthat you picked up in a bar?" he demanded of Carter.
Carter looked at him in wide-eyed innocence. "Isn’t she great?"
"Oh my word!" Kate exclaimed. "Her dog is going after Gus!"
The adventurous corgi had tried to make friends with Margot, who was having none of it. The Chihuahua mix growled and nipped at Gus. The corgi yelped, and Grant swooped in to scoop him up.
He turned his cold gaze on Allie. But she wasn’t fazed in the slightest—she dealt with all kinds of marines at the bar, and Grant Holbrook was no different.
He handed the corgi to his wife. Allie noticed blood on his hand, from his dog, she presumed.
"I don’t know who you think you are," he said, advancing on her. "But you don’t belong here. I know what kind of woman you are. Some marine-hunting slut who is trying to take my cousin to the cleaners. You are not welcome here. You need to give that ring back and get out."
She held her ground and gave him a slow blink.
"Don’t talk to my future wife like that," Carter demanded.
Ah, and now the inevitable territorial fight, she said to herself. She loosened up and widened her stance.
"What is wrong with you?" Grant yelled in Carter’s face. "Don’t you see? She’s using you! She's going to take your money and drag you through the streets!" Allie could feel the ugly glares of Carter’s family on her. She didn’t care. She’d been in worse positions before.Just think of the money,she told herself.You can finish your degree. So what if these people hate you? Your worlds will never again overlap.
"I’m sick of all of you!" Carter screamed. "You’re hypocrites. All your work at the Holbrook Foundation, and you treat my fiancée like crap. You especially can shove it, Grant, considering whereyoucame from."
"That’s not the same at all, and you know it!" Grant bellowed. "I tried to better myself. She’s just here to steal something, fall pregnant, take your money, and ruin our family."
"I hate all of you!" Carter yelled and threw a punch at Grant.
He blocked it and swung at Carter. Allie watched the Holbrook cousins grapple. She could tell they weren’treallytrying to kill each other.
She waited a beat to match the rhythm of the fight then lunged between the two men, swung Carter over her back, and slammed him to the floor. She heard the air rush out of his lungs as Kate screamed.
Grant grabbed her arm. "What the—"
Allie snatched his hand and twisted it. Grant grunted in pain.
"Stop it," she said quietly, releasing Grant after she saw the grimace of pain on his face. "No fighting inside."
Carter stood up slowly, trying to catch his breath, and Grant massaged his hand.
Allie turned at the sound of slow applause. A tall, well-dressed man stood in the doorway. He was an older version of Grant and Carter, the same dark hair and blue eyes.
"I’m glad to see someone can put these boys in line," he said with a smile.
Allie gave him a nod.
"Walter," he said, introducing himself.
She recognized Walter Holbrook, Grant's father, from the pictures of Kate and Grant's wedding.
She supposed breaking up a fight was trashy enough for an evening. Carter’s family was still sort of looking at her, stunned, so she went over to the bar to make herself a drink.
"I can make something for you, Ms. Larson," Stefan said.
