Page 78 of Shephard
Jameson was fuming, the bright light shining directly in his eyes. If I knew it wouldn’t come back to haunt me, I’d kick him while he was down. Right now, I just wanted him to get the hell outof my life permanently. I would ordinarily bristle when any man declared ownership, but the way Shephard did it was entirely different.
My entire body was tingling.
“Just let him go, Shephard. He will leave and never bother me again. He knows why.”
Shephard tilted his head in my direction. The man could look right through you in a split second. He finally rose to his feet, keeping the gun handy as he moved by my side, but far enough away to allow me space.
And control of the situation.
He would ask what I meant later. I could see it in the limited reflection in his eyes.
Jameson took his time getting up, rubbing his chest for a few seconds before slowly turning to face me. “I’m getting married. You act holier than thou about our past, Denise, but you forget I know you too well. I will do what’s necessary to keep you from attempting to destroy what never belonged to you. Keep that in mind. I know people.”
“Go now. My trigger finger is itchy,” Shephard snarled.
He knew I had the goods on him to do exactly what he feared. His grin was the same one he’d used after punching me in the face. It was one I’d never forget.
On the flipside, Shephard was entirely different. The man oozed not only power but sex. Even now when I’d just been threatened. I found it ironic all I could think about was seeing myself through his eyes. He was pouring hot fudge all over me,prepared to lick off every drop. My body throbbed in a way it hadn’t before even with our rounds of extreme passion.
He’d claimed ownership and I liked it.
No, I loved it.
I forced myself to look back at the jerk before I possibly made a fool of myself. “Now, get out of here. I am the law around here and will arrest you if you dare set foot on my property again.” He didn’t need to know the sheriff would have a coronary if I did that.
“I’m warning you. I won’t let this drop until you give me what you owe me.” Jameson acted entirely different. He was on edge. His company’s stocks had all but tanked. He’d lost the respect of dozens of people and his father had even turned his back on him.
In other words, the man could be considered dangerous. But enough to commit murder? I wasn’t certain.
Shephard slapped his gun against his other hand, walking closer to the man.
It took a few seconds, but slowly the bastard disappeared into the night. What surprised me almost as much as his sudden arrival was the fact I almost crumbled. He’d managed to rip a part of my confidence away.
Shephard didn’t budge at first, but when he did, I could tell by the look on his face he remained furious. “Let’s get inside.”
It wasn’t a request but a command that I followed. I was happy to. By the time I made it inside, I was weak in the knees, shaking like a leaf.
“Oh, God.” My cry was muted, but full of anger.
“You’re going to be okay,” Shephard insisted.
“Pepper. He hurt you. I’m so sorry. I will never let him touch you again.” I dropped to my knees, wrapping my arms around my pup. There was no reason for tears—that would be giving in once again to the man’s horrible tyranny—but they streamed down my face anyway. That embarrassed me more than I wanted to admit to myself. I buried my head in Pepper’s neck, trying to keep the sound down.
“Go. Sit down. I’ll grab drinks,” he said, his voice gentler than I’d heard before.
I managed to get to my feet, checking to see if the door was locked. I moved to the window, unable to see the asshole. Somehow, I had a feeling I’d collapse if I didn’t sit down. Which I did.
I seriously doubted a man like Shephard Fox could tolerate a weak woman. I was proven right when he re-entered the room, stopping only a few feet away from the couch. I’d sensed his presence seconds before as I always did when he was in close proximity.
Maybe I expected him to say something, chastising me for being stupid or walking out in the middle of the night. But he didn’t. He placed the drink on the table in front of me and moved to the chair opposite. His silence was almost as unnerving as everything else had been.
He also wasn’t the kind of man to ask questions, which I would ordinarily appreciate. Now? I wasn’t certain. It was almost as if I was all alone in a war I wasn’t certain I could win.
When he did speak, it was so obvious he’d done a deep dive into my ex’s life that I was impressed instead of being pissed.He knew his way around information that Jameson’s family had tried hard to suppress.
“Jameson Charles Reynolds. First-born son in a family with a lineage in Atlanta that goes back to the Civil War. They own half of the eastern seaboard in either commercial or residential land development. They are rich yet have several secrets lurking in their closets. That makes them highly dangerous. Your affair was expected to be shoved under a rug, something he was used to, since I hate to tell you, but you weren’t his first.”
“Or his last. I was just the girl who recently accepted a position in Charlotte being charmed by an asshole. I didn’t know anyone and I don’t make friends easily. You figured that out.”