that.”
Gemma cringed. “Don’t call him that. He’s probably only doing it to drive me insane, but I don’t see what other choice I have since you have your mystery woman.”
“Danny is good people, Gemma.” Brandon watched as two of the more vapid guys from their social set crowded Megan. The type of boys who never grew up and only cared about how quickly they could spend their family money, Brandon had little patience for them. More so when one rubbed Megan’s arm and didn’t let go as she tried to pull away.
“Daniel gets some sick delight out of teasing me. He always has, since that first time you brought him home with you from school.” Gemma kept talking, but Brandon had stopped listening completely.
He crossed the room without knowing he meant to, his feet carrying him without thought. He didn’t need to hear the words being thrown at Megan by the crowd around her, their ugliness reflected on the faces of the people she used to consider friends. Some friends.
“Excuse me,” he said, stepping between Megan and the worthless troll who hadn’t had the manners to let go of her arm.
He tried to steer her away, but a voice behind him stopped him cold. “You should wait your turn.”
Brandon turned and took two steps towards the coward who thought it a good idea to torment a woman. His woman. “What did you say?”
The idiot’s chin quivered, as it should. Taking out the frustrations of the last few months on this fool would be welcome. He could take this troll outside and show everyone that if they messed with Megan, he would lay them out one by one.
Megan’s hand wrapped around his clenched fist. “Brandon, please. Not now.”
He twined her fingers in his and lifted his chin at the worm. There was more than one way to hurt someone. If he couldn’t do it physically, he’d make sure the Patrick clan found their way into some financial trouble.
He turned and led Megan from the ballroom, grateful that she didn’t try and pry their hands apart even though their exit turned more than a few heads. He pulled her through the hallway and into one of the empty conference rooms the organizers of the party had used to hold decorations before the event. He closed the door and pulled her to him, half-expecting her to push him away.
Whatever had been said in that room had cut her deeper than he feared because she clung to him as if he were her ballast, and he held her closer. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands under the jacket of his dark suit and her head tucked beneath his chin.
He felt her shaky breaths as she calmed herself, and he cursed every one of the spoiled grown-children who’d made her feel less than she was. No wonder she’d run to Pasadena. She must have guessed the jackals would turn on her if she’d stayed.
Megan breathed in the familiar scent of Brandon’s cologne and listened to the sound of his steady heartbeat beneath her ear until she no longer wanted to cry. She’d known facing everyone again wouldn’t be pretty, but she’d never imagined it would get quite that ugly. She held tighter to Brandon, trying to absorb his strength and stability. She needed enough of it to shore her up for a while, like for the rest of her life.
As she calmed down, she realized even Brandon must have an agenda. Yes, he felt guilty about what had happened to her family at his own hand, but there was more to it. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and there was one particular slice of devil’s food in the ballroom that was going to be none too happy about the way he’d left the scene.
That wasn’t her problem. Right now she just needed a booster shot of the confidence she used to have to immunize her against the next few weeks. People were angry about the money they lost because of her father and she was the only Carlton left for them to take their frustrations out on. Knowing that didn’t make the snide remarks and licentious comments any easier to take.
“Hey, you
Gemma cringed. “Don’t call him that. He’s probably only doing it to drive me insane, but I don’t see what other choice I have since you have your mystery woman.”
“Danny is good people, Gemma.” Brandon watched as two of the more vapid guys from their social set crowded Megan. The type of boys who never grew up and only cared about how quickly they could spend their family money, Brandon had little patience for them. More so when one rubbed Megan’s arm and didn’t let go as she tried to pull away.
“Daniel gets some sick delight out of teasing me. He always has, since that first time you brought him home with you from school.” Gemma kept talking, but Brandon had stopped listening completely.
He crossed the room without knowing he meant to, his feet carrying him without thought. He didn’t need to hear the words being thrown at Megan by the crowd around her, their ugliness reflected on the faces of the people she used to consider friends. Some friends.
“Excuse me,” he said, stepping between Megan and the worthless troll who hadn’t had the manners to let go of her arm.
He tried to steer her away, but a voice behind him stopped him cold. “You should wait your turn.”
Brandon turned and took two steps towards the coward who thought it a good idea to torment a woman. His woman. “What did you say?”
The idiot’s chin quivered, as it should. Taking out the frustrations of the last few months on this fool would be welcome. He could take this troll outside and show everyone that if they messed with Megan, he would lay them out one by one.
Megan’s hand wrapped around his clenched fist. “Brandon, please. Not now.”
He twined her fingers in his and lifted his chin at the worm. There was more than one way to hurt someone. If he couldn’t do it physically, he’d make sure the Patrick clan found their way into some financial trouble.
He turned and led Megan from the ballroom, grateful that she didn’t try and pry their hands apart even though their exit turned more than a few heads. He pulled her through the hallway and into one of the empty conference rooms the organizers of the party had used to hold decorations before the event. He closed the door and pulled her to him, half-expecting her to push him away.
Whatever had been said in that room had cut her deeper than he feared because she clung to him as if he were her ballast, and he held her closer. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands under the jacket of his dark suit and her head tucked beneath his chin.
He felt her shaky breaths as she calmed herself, and he cursed every one of the spoiled grown-children who’d made her feel less than she was. No wonder she’d run to Pasadena. She must have guessed the jackals would turn on her if she’d stayed.
Megan breathed in the familiar scent of Brandon’s cologne and listened to the sound of his steady heartbeat beneath her ear until she no longer wanted to cry. She’d known facing everyone again wouldn’t be pretty, but she’d never imagined it would get quite that ugly. She held tighter to Brandon, trying to absorb his strength and stability. She needed enough of it to shore her up for a while, like for the rest of her life.
As she calmed down, she realized even Brandon must have an agenda. Yes, he felt guilty about what had happened to her family at his own hand, but there was more to it. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and there was one particular slice of devil’s food in the ballroom that was going to be none too happy about the way he’d left the scene.
That wasn’t her problem. Right now she just needed a booster shot of the confidence she used to have to immunize her against the next few weeks. People were angry about the money they lost because of her father and she was the only Carlton left for them to take their frustrations out on. Knowing that didn’t make the snide remarks and licentious comments any easier to take.
“Hey, you
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