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“Cool,” I said, and stood from the bar. I walked a pace ahead of Zander as we made our way through the door. “Let’s go around to the side. You know, these damned buildings got all these regulations on smoking and stuff now.”
“Yeah! The world’s turned into such a wuss! People get all up in arms about a little smoke. It’s bullshit, man!”
The second we had rounded the building, my hand balled into a fist that caught Zander right in the gut.
“Umph!” he groaned, doubling over. He looked up at me, his face full of surprise. “Hey? What the f—”
But before he could say anything more, I punched him again, landing another one in his stomach, and one to the side of his jaw, knocking him clean off his drunken feet.
“Hey, man!” he cried.
I leaned over, grabbing him by the collar. “That woman you speak of, wouldn’t happen to be Joanna Gentry, would it?”
“Hey, how do you—” But his words were cut off by my fist again.
“Listen to me, I’m only going to say this once you sick mother fucker, you come anywhere near her again, you’re dead. I will sue your pathetic ass for everything you’re worth, and then when you think you’re done with me, I will hire the best hitman in the city and kill you. So don’t you dare try me, Zander, so help me God…” I leaned in close to his ear. “And be warned if you somehow land yourself in prison before I can finish you, I know some guys on the inside. They don’t take too kindly to women-bashers. I’ll make sure they know just what a pathetic piece of woman-beating shit you are, and in return, they’ll show you precisely what they think of you. Catch my drift?”
And just to drive home my point, I gave him a square kick in the ribs.
He looked up at me, fearfully. “Who are you?” he asked, blood spilling from his mouth.
“Your worst nightmare, and the wrong guy to be messing with. If you’re smart, you’ll get out of town. You’ll get out of town and never show your face around here again. Because like I said, you come anywhere near Joanna…” I balled my fists once more.
“All right! All right!” Zander cried. “I’m leaving,” he said as he crawled away.
“For good? Never coming back?”
He shook his head. “No. Never.”
CHAPTER 30
Joanna
Four months later
“Oh my goodness, Tobias. You really went all out for this,” I said, glancing around the office, dumbfounded. I had initially planned a baby shower, but then fell in love with the idea of having a gender reveal party instead. And Tobias had happily offered to let me hold it at the office.
“That way, all our coworkers can attend,” he’d said.
What I hadn’t expected was for him to completely transform the place. Decorations practically lined every inch of the walls, there was an enormous and gorgeous cake in the corner, and banners hung everywhere, teasing, ‘Boy or Girl.’
It brought tears to my eyes.
Tobias laughed. “You sure are an emotional little thing these days, aren’t you?”
I playfully slapped his arm and then hugged him. “It’s the hormones!” I said.
He kissed the top of my head. “Ahh, that’s right. I’d forgotten about that.”
Moments later, Anderson rounded the corner. “Okay, the food should be here soon,” he announced. “But I have a little early treat for you.” Grinning, he produced a tub of strawberry ice cream from behind his back.
“You are too good to me,” I said, smiling.
Anderson grinned and kissed me.
“All right. I’m cool with it, but it doesn’t mean I want to actually see it,” Tobias said, giving a disgusted shudder that made both Anderson and I laugh.
Slowly but surely, the office began to fill as our guests arrived.
