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Enraged, I growled, “Don’t you dare touch her,” shoving him hard with my hands to his shoulders.
He stumbled backward a step but this time he shoved me back. I went flying into the wall. “Bitch, I said don’t touch me again.” I couldn’t wrap my head around how he was acting. This was not how I remembered him. Not one bit.
“Oh, but I thought you wanted me to touch you.” I sauntered toward him, ready to unleash the full force of my fury. “Is this not quite what you had in mind?”
Gram darted toward the phone mounted near the wide arched entry to the kitchen.
“What the hell is going on here?!” It was Liam and his voice was like a thunderbolt, literally echoing around the empty foyer.
I froze, eyes darting to where Liam stood, staring Owen down like he was about to kill him.
“Oh, you’re screwed now, sonny.” Gram laughed. “He called Holly a bitch and shoved her damn near across the room. And just so you know, Owen, I never liked you.”
Owen’s voice dropped even lower and he went completely still. “You’re fired. Leave. And you better make it fast before I end you right now.”
“You can’t fire me! She attacked me! She’s fucking crazy, man.” Owen stepped up to Liam. “Luke wants the floor finished, he said—”
“Do you really want to find out what Luke has tosayafter I tell him you put your hands on his sister-in-law?”
Owen blanched and shook his head.
“I didn’t think so.”
“You know what? Fuck this. I’m not losing my job over a demented slut like her. She knows I work for Luke, and she knew I was coming by. She fucking wanted it and all I did was try to give it to her. We almost got married so I know how hot she can get—”
Liam’s growl shut him up fast and I swear I could see Owen’s throat muscles work as he gulped.
Liam finally moved, stalking across the floor to where Owen stood. “Keep talking, I dare you.”
“Look at her.” He flung out a hand in my direction. “Everyone in town knows what she’s like, man. Wearing those tight little shorts and looking at me the way that she did. She practically begged me to fuck her. Everyone knows what a whore she became after me. You’ve probably had a piece of her too. Is she still good? I’d really like to know.”
Gram stepped forward, cutting off Liam’s advance. “I should have stuck you with a knitting needle instead of trying to call Luke, you little shit,” Gram snarled. “Restraint gets you nowhere, Holly. Remember that, and don’t ever feel bad for sticking up for yourself.”
He turned on Gram. “You probably want it too, you batty old bitch.”
Liam’s voice roared, “That’s it! I’ve heard enough.” He picked Owen up by his upper arms as if he were a toddler and walked him to the open front door where he proceeded to toss him through it like a sack of trash into a dumpster. Owen stumbled backward over his feet a few steps before landing in the hedges that lined the front lawn. “Don’t come back here. Do not think of coming anywhere near Holly, or this house, or Rosemary, or any of the Barretts ever again. And if one more word about her ever comes out of your filthy fucking mouth you won’t be dealing with Luke or the police, you’ll deal with me. Do you get what that means?”
“Yeah, I get you, man. Chill. I’ll go. Don’t call the fucking cops.”
“Aw, too late.” Gram laughed. “I already did.”
Liam was still glaring at Owen when he gestured in our direction. “Apologize to them. Now.”
“Sorry,” Owen shouted weakly.
“Do not accept it,” he turned to instruct me and Gram. “He doesn’t exist for you.” He turned back to Owen. “And if you don’t do what I said, if you think about coming back here to mess things up, or make threats, you won’t exist foranyone.”
I stood there blinking in shock while Gram let out another satisfied laugh.
No man had ever defended my honor like that. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my ears.
We watched Owen get into his truck and drive away.
“He just threw him,” Gram announced as if I hadn’t just seen him do it. “Picked him up and tossed his stupid little ass right out the door.” She turned toward our personal hero. “I knew I liked you, Liam. I was right about you. You’re a good man.”
Liam slammed the door and grunted in response.
“He’s a good man, Holly.”
