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Before anyone can stop him, Zander turns and slams his fist into Reid’s temple with a sickening crack. Reid’s eyes roll back, and he drops into the snowbank at the edge of the lot.

“Nice!” Jarek laughs. “I just wish you’d let me do it.”

Pascal is already pulling out his phone. “I’m calling my lawyer. And the manager here, for the security footage. He grabbed her first. I want that on record before he tells his version.”

Zander gently takes my keys and the shopping list. His knuckles are already swelling.

“Ride home with Jarek and Pascal,” he says calmly, like nothing happened. “I’ll get the groceries and drive your car back.”

Jarek takes my other arm, and I walk to their car with one of them on each side of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zander head into the store, holding up the shopping list in the hand that isn’t turning purple.

CHAPTER 31

ZANDER

Should I have punched that prick in the face? Probably not.

Jarek probably shouldn’t have either.

Apparently, smashing Reid’s phone wasn’t enough to shut him up. He must have gotten his hands on another one, because within an hour, he’d posted photos of himself, bloody and battered in the parking lot, along with a dramatic story about three powerful men attacking him for daring to tell the truth about Nina.

By morning, it’s gone viral.

Bad-boy billionaires with anger issues on short leashes. That’s what he’s calling us.

Pascal’s lawyer is already demanding the store’s security footage, the part where Reid grabs her first. But footage takes time. Gossip doesn’t.

We went there to protect Nina. Jarek and I hit him to defend her and back the bastard off. Instead, we handed him exactly what he wanted—proof for his sob story, the one where he’s the victim, and Nina has three loose-cannon rich men doing her dirty work. I should have followed my own advice and kept control. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it, though.

I flex my bruised hand. The enjoyment didn’t last.

“Where are you going?” I ask when Nina comes down the stairs with her bags.

“I’m leaving.” Her voice is apologetic. “I’m sorry. I’ve dragged you into my disaster of a life. And I can’t continue this, knowing how it will destroy you.”

Jarek and Pascal come out of the study and are instantly at my side at the bottom of the stairs.

“What? No!” Jarek sounds frantic. “Nina, this is ridiculous. You don’t need to leave. We’ll deal with it. We can handle that asshole.”

“Besides,” Pascal adds, trying to stay diplomatic, though his voice is strained, “your contract isn’t up. You agreed to stay through the end of the month.”

“I know. And I’m so sorry.” Tears fill her eyes. “But I can’t stay another day. The longer I’m here, the worse it gets. It’s like I brought a storm cloud and parked it over your whole vacation.”

“Nina, you know that’s not true,” I say.

She looks past me at the door, like she can’t meet my eyes.

“It was never going to last anyway,” she says, barely above a whisper. “It was wonderful, and I care about all three of you so much. But this is too much. For all of us.”

She walks down the rest of the stairs and waits for me to move. I don’t want to. I don’t want her leaving this house. I don’t want her leaving me. But I refuse to be the kind of controlling bastard her ex was. So I step aside.

Pascal and Jarek move too, just as slowly.

Nina gives us a tiny smile, and it guts me. This is the exact feeling I’ve spent my whole life trying to avoid: being left by someone I let myself need.

“I’ve already found someone to take over for me.” She puts her hand on the door handle, all business. “She’ll be here first thing tomorrow, and she’s been briefed on everything. She comes very highly recommended. She’ll probably be a lot less distracted than me.”

Nobody moves. All four of us just stand there, every one of us fighting what’s about to happen. All of us wanting to say something. None of us knowing what.