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“I will destroy you,” Angie seethed. “I will cut off your fucking fake-ass tits and sell the saline bags to the highest bidder.” She struggled against her father’s hold. “Say it again, slut. Say it again, I dare you.”
The crowd around them was only growing bigger and I had to push my way through. By the time I reached them, Scott had appeared as well as both Georgia and Carolina. Georgia had a smug look on her face, but Carolina was frowning back and forth from Angie to her mother. I saw a few cameras flashing and realized that this was exactly what Jillian had wanted all along. She was going to get her Christmas wish when her picture was plastered on the morning edition of every tabloid in the country.
I felt a hand at my waist as I slowed down and realized Jace had followed me.
“Control your daughter, Jacobson,” Scott barked. “She’s making a spectacle of us all.”
Instead of encouraging Carter to deal with Angie, however, it stopped him cold. He slackened his hold on her and she would have gone for Jillian’s throat if Caleb hadn’t stepped between them.
“You’re giving her exactly what she wants,” I heard my stepbrother grumble to his twin. He had to use his full strength to hold her at bay as she struggled against him with triple the strength her little body could possibly have had.
“I don’t give a fuck,” Angie snarled. “She doesn’t get to talk about Kin like that and continue breathing.”
While Caleb’s hold didn’t slacken, his eyes did narrow. “What the hell did she say, Ang?”
I didn’t care enough about what Jillian might have said about me to listen. My attention was pulled from the twins to my stepdad now standing toe to toe with my father. “Control my daughter?” Carter spoke in a voice so calm and collected I knew there was real trouble brewing. Carter only got that calm, dangerous look in his eyes when he was so pissed he was trying to hold himself back. I’d seen it a few times over the years and usually when dealing with business, never in a personal situation like this one was. “How about you control that bitch of a wife you have, motherfucker? Maybe if you grew a set of balls you could stand up for yourself for once in your life and take care of the important things.”
I heard Jace’s breath hiss out of him as he listened to Carter rip into Scott. “Burn,” he muttered with a low chuckle. “Fuck, I’ve missed your family, babe.”
I couldn’t find a reply. It was turning into a war zone around me, and while any other time I would have been standing right beside Carter and Angie throwing my own punches, right then I was picturing the outcome of what was happening. Angie arrested for aggravated assault if she got to Jillian. Carter’s name plastered on the front of stupid tabloids and ruining his business.
I wouldn’t let that happen. Not over me.
Stepping forward I wrapped my hands around Angie’s wrists. She jerked as if I’d electrocuted her, her head snapping back almost like I’d slapped her. Wild blue eyes met mine and some of the rage dimmed. “She said—”
“I don’t care, Angie. Whatever she said doesn’t matter. She doesn’t matter. Stop this before you get into trouble.”
Pain mixed with her anger, making her chin tremble ever so slightly. “She’s evil, Kin. You shouldn’t have to deal with her.”
I pulled her away from Caleb and into my arms, hugging her tight. “She doesn’t matter,” I repeated. “You’re better than her so don’t stoop to her level and give her what she wants.”
She went slack in my arms and I knew what would follow the storm that had nearly turned into an all out hurricane. I felt her tears on my bare shoulder. A sob bubbled up, but I held her head against me, drowning it out so the gossip-hungry vultures around us wouldn’t hear it.
I held on to her for a full minute before looking up at Jace. Behind me, Scott and Carter were still throwing insults at each other and I had to intervene quickly before Carter’s reputation was ruined. As if reading the question in my eyes, Jace stepped up next to me and I handed Angie
over to him without saying a word.
Caleb was quiet beside us, his eyes accessing Jillian who was once again surrounded by her flock, which had grown by at least six women now. I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about him doing anything stupid, though, so I turned to my father and pushed between him and Carter. I shoved Scott back, and fuck, but it felt good when he stumbled back a few steps.
“That’s enough,” I told him before looking up at Carter. “Please, stop. You’re better than this, Carter. Don’t let them bring you down. Don’t let him ruin what you have. He destroys everything he touches. I don’t want to see you added to the trash pile that’s already a mile deep, Carter.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist when he lowered his eyes in shame. “Let’s go,” I murmured, my tone quiet and gentle like I’d heard my mother use when she had tried to soothe her husband in the past. “Let’s go get something to eat and chill out in your hotel.”
“I’m so sorry, Kin.” He released a harsh breath. “Your mother would be so ashamed of me right now.”
My arms tightened around him. “Well, I’m pretty proud of you, and since she isn’t here, that’s all that matters.” I gave him an impish grin, which got me a halfhearted smile from him in return. “I’m really, really hungry. Can we have Chinese?”
Behind me, Jillian let out an angry protest that sounded almost like a squawk. “You’re not leaving with them. I won’t allow it,” she bit out. “You came here with us, McKinley, and you will leave with us.”
I sighed and turned to face her, my expression blank so she wouldn’t see how pissed I really was. She’d already gotten one show for the night, I wasn’t about to give her another one. “I think we all know that you don’t count by now, Jillian, so what you want doesn’t really matter.” I wrapped a hand around Carter’s much larger one.
“See you tomorrow,” I called over my shoulder as I led them away from the crowd like I wasn’t affected by the shit-storm I was sure would follow the next morning.
Jace, still with his arms full of Angie, followed us. “I could really go for some honey chicken if we’re getting Chinese.”
“Only if you promise to share it.” I shot him a thankful smile as we left the venue and Caleb handed over his valet ticket. He was changing the subject, acting like nothing had happened and I wasn’t scared to admit—at least not to myself—that I loved him for it.
“If you share the noodles, babe.”
