Page 87 of Craig

"He- he was here. He came with his new wife. Mimi-" She started laughing and clamped a hand over her mouth to stop the hysteria.

"Such a silly name. Mimi. She's younger than me and has red hair. Brazen red hair."

Sitting down beside her, he turned her to face him.

"Your father came here. What did he want?"

"He wanted money." She was still shaking.

Dammit, when was it going to stop?

"He wanted fifty grand. Said he was gambling and he lost. He wanted money because he saw that we're married. But we're not!"

She sobbed it out, her fingers clutching at his shirt.

"So, the joke is on him. He wanted money."

The tears started streaking down her face.

"I pepper sprayed him. He called me a bitch and looked like he wanted to hit me."

Craig pulled her onto his lap as the tears turned into sobs and rocked her back and forth like a child. His face was grim, his mouth tight.

He was going to find that worthless son of a bitch and set him straight.

No one hurt her, absolutely no one, or they would answer to him.

Her sobs tore him to shreds. She was usually so strong, so independent, so bloody fierce, and now she was reduced to tears.

That son of a bitch was going to pay for doing this to her.

He waited her out. He sat there listening to her heart break while his shattered as well, and rubbed her back, waiting until she was through.

Regina curled her fingers into his sweater and tried not to feel embarrassed and empty. She felt empty and sad, so damn sad, that the man who had helped create her was such a douche bag.

"Take me home," she said quietly. "I want to go home."

Without a word, he rose with her still wrapped in his arms, turned out the lights, picked up her oversized purse, and headed out, locking the door behind him.

Regina felt something twisting inside her at the gentle way he handled her. Brushing her hands aside, he put her in the passenger seat of the car he had forgotten to lock in his haste to get to her, and secured the belt.

"My car."

"I will send someone for it." Brushing a kiss on her forehead, he stepped back and slammed the door shut.

On the ride home, he was silent and so was she. He allowed the silence because he was chewing on some things himself.

The main one was finding Douglas Graham and scaring him stiff. The second was damn well dragging her to Vegas or the nearest chapel and getting married, making them official.

He was tired of waiting, tired of taking a backseat in her life. He wanted all of her.

And she was going to damn well get used to it.

He drove around the back, thinking that she would not want to encounter the staff or his grandfather, considering everything.

"No." She shook her head when he would have lifted her out. "I can walk."

"Yeah." Hauling out her big-ass purse (what the hell does she carry in here?), he slung it over his shoulder and led the way up the stairs that led to their suite.