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I'm not surprised. I'm not thrilled, but I'm not surprised. She's too used to handling everything on her own to willingly bring anyone else into her problems, especially someone she cares about. Olive is her best friend. She wouldn't want to involve her or Madden when Lyle runs in the same circles and could complicate their lives.
"What's the play? I'm not inclined to give this prick another chance to get close to her," I murmur, two eyes on the salon. I can't see shit through the tinted front windows, but I watch anyway.
"Is she going to the fundraiser tonight?"
"Yep."
"Good. Then her name won't be involved," he says, smug satisfaction in his voice. "I'm not giving him another opportunity to come after her. I'm going for his throat. I assume you want in."
"Obviously. He should have kept his goddamn hands to himself."
"I don't suppose I need to tell you that I'll break your fucking arms if you break her heart?" Madden asks, slipping it into conversation casually.
If he were anyone else, I'd tell him to fuck off and mind his business. But he's the closest thing she has to a brother. I appreciate the hell out of him for looking out for her. She deserves that in her life. Especially since I know damn well her mother isn't stepping up to the plate to be the support system she deserves.
"You don't have to tell me," I murmur. "But I appreciate you for saying it anyway."
He falls silent for a minute and then laughs. "Well, son of a bitch. I guess that explains why she stopped texting me the middle finger emoji yesterday afternoon."
"She was texting you the middle finger emoji?"
"All morning long."
I throw my head back, laughing loudly.
"What do you want?" Zayne grumbles into the phone fifteen minutes later. "I'm busy."
"Stalking Emma doesn't count as an item on a to do list, motherfucker."
"I'm not stalking her."
"Since when?" I lift a brow, surprised by this news. Last time we talked, he was sitting outside her house, losing his shit.
"Since Gideon hired me as her bodyguard." He sounds awfully chipper about the situation.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, suddenly wishing I hadn't asked. Or called. Or been born into my crazy ass family to begin with. "I've been gone for twenty-four hours. How the fuck are you two possibly dismantling the entire company already?"
"You have absolutely no faith in either of us, do you?"
"Nope."
"Prick," he says with a laugh. "What do you want? I have a wedding to plan."
"I need to talk to the Zayne who hasn't lost his mind. Can you let him out for five minutes?"
"I haven't lost my mind. I think I've only just found it," he mutters. "But yeah, whatever. What's up, brother?"
"Lyle Taggert is threatening to have me arrested."
"For fucking what?"
"Apparently, he didn't like it when I told him I'd feed him his own dick."
"You think he'd be used to the taste of his own bodily fluid by now. He's had his head up his own ass for long enough. You worried he's actually going to follow through?"
"After tonight? Maybe." I drum my hands on the steering wheel. "Madden and I are going to destroy his world. Madden's releasing all the dirt he dug up on him."
"He'll love that. What do you need?"
