After days of thebitch constantly complaining, undermining and insulting Rhys and just being a pain in the ass, I finally crack.
I’m not usually a violent person, but seeing Rhys’s face and the smugness on Jerri’s face as she tore him down is the final straw. All I can think about is the day of my wedding and how Gale humiliated me in front of the entire church. Just like Jerri does with Rhys. Or how Ethan had laughed in my face and told me I wasn’t worth anything but a quick, casual fuck when I begged him to stay all those years ago…
I see red, and the next thing I know, my fist is slamming intoJerri’s cheek.
The pain is instant, radiating upward from my bruised knuckles, but the satisfaction of hearing Jerri’s scream overrides the hurt. It’s like music to my ears, and I can’t help basking in it for a second as she collapses to the ground while clutching her injured cheek.
“She hit me!” she shrieks, sounding like a banshee as she points at me. “She fucking hit me! What the fuck?”
“I don’t care who you are or how scared you are, you don’t get to treatanyonelike that,” I snarl at her before turning my attention to the rest of the room.
Every single person in the barn has their eyes on me. Some are staring at me with a mixture of horror and shock, while others are shaking their heads and tutting with disapproval. Some even shuffle back away from me, their eyes wide and their faces ashen, like I’m some sort of rabid animal that’s about to pounce on them.
I pay them no attention. The only person who matters in this room is the man I defended.
Rhys looks at me like he’s never seen me before. However, it’s not just shock in his honey eyes, but smouldering desire. He looks like he’s trying to decide between strangling me, spanking me, or bending me over and fucking me—maybe all three.
I’m not going to complain.
“Damn. Beautiful hit, sweetheart.” Alex’s voice causes me to jerk my eyes away from Rhys.
He, Theo, my brother, and Rachel are all standing there, alternating their gazes between Jerri—who’s still screaming and crying on the ground like the drama queen she is—to me. Theo and Alex both have matching expressions filled with awe and heat, whereas Tobias looks horrified and confused.
Rachel grins at me. “I feel like a proud parent,” she says, bouncing on her feet.
Harlow barks her agreement, causing her, Theo, and Alex to laugh.
“What the fuck? Why did you just punch her in the face?” Tobias demands, his voice cutting through the amusement as he shoves past me to crouch next to a wailing Jerri.
Huh? Was he not here when she ripped into Rhys like a rabid hyena? Honestly, she’s lucky I didn’t do more to her considering how murderous I’m feeling. God knows she deserves it.
“Probably because the harpy deserved it,” Theo answers, echoing my thoughts as he sidles up to me. “Were you not here when she was spitting her venom?”
Tobias shakes his head. “No, I was on guard duty.”
“Can I have a look at your hand, baby? I want to make sure you didn’t do any damage while serving out justice.” Theo’s eyes twinkle with feral glee as he grins at me.
I nod and give him my hand, which is now trembling. I’m still reeling from the memories summoned by Jerri’s toxic words and the adrenaline surge from the rage and punching her to speak.
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Tobias bites out as he yanks the screaming woman’s hand from her face so he can see the bruise already forming there. He sucks in a sharp breath. “Jesus.”
The sight sends a thrill of sick satisfaction through me.
“Damn,” Rachel says in awe.
Theo whistles and presses a kiss to the back of my hand after examining it. “Verygood hit, baby, and you didn’t even hurt your knuckles that badly. I’m so proud.”
Alex chuckles as he moves to my other side. “I didn’t even know you could punch like that,” he says, pride shining in his eyes as he smiles down at me.
I beam up at him, my chest warm from their praise. “I didn’t either.”
“Violent little thing.” He gently takes my hand and presses a kiss to my bruised knuckles.
“That slut fuckingassaultedme and all you’re doing is congratulating her?” Jerri screeches as she stares up at us with hate-filled, watery eyes. “What the hell iswrongwith you people?”
Tobias sits back with a sigh. “Ah, now I get it,” he says as she continues to rant.
I shake my head and pull my hand free from Alex’s grasp. “It wasn’t her name-calling that set me off. She started verbally ripping into Rhys and...” I swallow hard. “She reminded me of Gale.”
