AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m Franklin and this is my friend Dante.”
Dante was clearly either of Italian or Spanish descent, his chocolate eyes and raven hair more attractive up close. Or maybe it was the effects of the wine that allowed me to think of either one of them as cute. I pressed my hand against Dante’s chest on purpose, unable to keep from throwing a look over his shoulder at Maddox. “Franklin and Dante. What are two fine-looking men doing at my party?”
“We were invited,” Dante said in a sexy voice.
“Fabulous.” When Maddox gave me a stern look, I took a deep breath. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to cause a scene. That would be disrespectful to my father and to Raven. I could hate Maddox all I wanted but this was my father’s house. “Maybe I’ll see you around, boys. Thank you for coming.” I sensed Maddox’s anger, his clenched jaw a clear indication.
I wanted to laugh in his face, but I had to admit that I was slightly ashamed of my behavior. Instead of following through with telling me I was a bad girl, he turned around and walked out of the room. So much for making him feel jealous. I wasn’t certain what the hell I was doing.
“You play beautifully,” Dante said, lifting his glass and giving me a nod.
“Thank you very much. A true passion of mine.”
“Passion. We understand the concept well,” Franklin said under his breath, a slight growl making the moment uncomfortable. They glanced at each other and I had the distinct feeling they’d shared a woman before. Oh, no. That wasn’t the kind of girl I was at all.
“I’m certain you boys have passions of your own.” I glanced toward the door, butterflies continuing to swarm into mystomach. I felt a moment of disappointment bridging on despair when I didn’t see Maddox’s larger than life frame in the doorway.
“Oh, we do, princess. Don’t we, Franklin?” Dante said, his tone even darker than before.
“Absolutely, including requiring beautiful women to surrender to our needs.” Franklin laughed, as if this was nothing more than a game.
That’s the moment I became incensed. My anger reared its ugly head, and it had nothing to do with wine. I hated men who believed women should kowtow to them, surrendering in any manner. “First of all, I’m no one’s princess, nor will I ever surrender to a single man. Second, the two of you are rude. Have an enjoyable evening.”
When I started to walk away, Dante had the nerve to grab my arm.
“Where do you think you’re going, princess? You only leave when I tell you to leave.”
I snapped my head in his direction, glaring into the man’s eyes. Why did he seem familiar all of a sudden? “Take your hands off me.” I tried to keep from making a scene but as his fingers dug into my skin painfully, I hissed, ready to launch into a battle if necessary.
Instead, he inched closer. “Not until I decide to do so.”
A strange tingling sensation rushed through me, a jolt of current that could only be caused by one thing. Maddox.
“The lady said to get your hands off her. I suggest you do so.” Maddox was glaring at the man with so much hatred that I wasswooning. He stood at least six inches taller than the two boys, the anger in his eyes sparking more than just my full attention. If I didn’t know better, I’d say a jealous streak ran through him.
“Get lost, fuckhead,” Dante made the mistake of saying, stupid enough to turn his back on the powerful man.
I’d seen Maddox smashing a man’s face before when he’d dared try to abduct me years before. I knew exactly when he reached the breaking point, his eyes darkening and his nostrils flaring. Very few people understood that underneath his sophisticated attire and boyish grin was a man possessed, one full of rage when necessary.
Maddox wrapped his hand around the back of Dante’s neck, digging his fingers in and tossing the asshole as if he was a ragdoll. As Dante’s body was slammed against the wall, the man slowly sliding to the floor, Franklin remained in shock, his eyes opening wide and his mouth hanging open.
I almost retorted he should be careful not to suck down a fly but held my tongue, curious as to how far Maddox would go.
The moment Maddox turned toward him, he threw up his hands, tossing half his drink onto the floor.
“I suggest you get the fuck out of this house without any delay, or I’ll do much worse,” Maddox said in his commanding voice, barking like a dog when Franklin remained in shock.
Unfortunately for Dante, he made a huge mistake by struggling to his feet, daring to pull out a weapon from his pocket.
“Look out!” I screamed.
As I’d seen dozens of times, Maddox’s reflexes were quick. He turned abruptly, snapping his fingers around Dante’s wrist,bending it to the point I could swear I heard bones snapping. As he issued two brutal punches to the asshole’s face, there was no doubt Maddox had crushed his nose.
Dante howled and Franklin all but ran out of the room. Within seconds, two of my father’s soldiers rushed into the room.
Maddox stood over Dante, shaking his head. “Get the fuckers out of here,” he snarled, issuing a command to the soldiers.
“You got it. Happy to,” one of the soldiers said.
