Page 18 of Ruthless Redemption

“Jesus Fucking Christ, Houston. What the fuck did you do?”

Chapter Eight

Izzy

I tried to scramble back away from the men glaring down at me, but Houston’s grip on my arm was too tight. He’d managed to use my skirt to cover the important parts, but I didn’t need a mirror or a self examination to know what this looked like.

“JD, don’t start. I know what this looks like but things —“

“What it looks like? You mean out of hand? It looks like Izzy has been attacked. For fuck’s sake she’s got strangle marks around her neck.”

My hands flew to my neck to cover myself.

“That’s not what happened.” I said, rushing to defend what we’d done while a familiar shame began to bubble up inside me. My father always did this to me and apparently he wasn’t the only one capable of making me feel like a piece of dirt.

Axel had walked in behind JD and when he got his first look at me he went berserk.

“Fucking bullshit.” Axel stalked closer, balling his fists at his side. Any second now violence was going to erupt and I had a feeling if it did, it wouldn’t stop.

Fortunately JD caught Axel by his cut and hauled him back to his side. “Just hold on. Let them explain before you lose your shit.”

“I’m not listening to a word he says,” Axel pointed to Houston. “This is a classic case of like father, like son. Maybe you can stand by for that shit, but I can’t.”

The words were barely out of Axel’s mouth and Houston lunged for him. The sickening thud of bone against flesh filled the space around them moments before they crashed into the glass coffee table. Their combined weight shattered it into a million tiny pieces and I cried out.

“Goddamn it,” JD roared. He started after them and then just as suddenly stopped and turned back to me. “Pull yourself together and go get cleaned up. I need this damage repaired as soon as possible. You’re both due downstairs in less than an hour.”

“But what about—“ I could barely get the words out over the cacophony of noise that Houston and Axel created in the melee of their fight. At this rate they were going to kill one another.

“I’ve got this. You just do what you can to get ready. There is no way in hell we are taking a step back now. This shit will be done tonight.”

My eyes darted between JD’s hard, lined face and the tangle of two men doing the best they could to kill each other while destroying the hotel suite in the process.

“Go, Izzy. I don’t have time to coddle you.”

With that, he turned away and strode across the room and grabbed Axel and Houston both by the backs of their necks. As much as I wanted to stay and watch and make sure that no one died, I understood JD’s anger enough to comply with his demand.

I also had to leave. Coddle me? Was he serious? This level of testosterone was more than I wanted to handle.

I disappeared into the bedroom suite and hurriedly locked the door. If I couldn’t stay out there and do something to help, then I wanted no one bringing that mess in here. Besides, I needed to think.

The way Houston had used my body should have frightened me. Or at least given me pause. But it didn’t. Instead I felt I might finally have a little idea of what was truly going on with him—and me.

I did however feel raw, emotionally speaking. And if I was going to face my father I needed to move past that and get my armor back intact. If I showed up an emotional wreck he was going to chew me up and spit me out before I could say hello.

I crossed the room quickly, only wincing once when I heard a loud crash coming from the other side of the door.

If they managed to kill each other, the whole point of tonight would die right along with them. Kind of. There was still the matter of making my father and my fiancé pay for their sins.

My mind raced with a complex array of memories, possibilities and regrets as I dumped my formerly elegant gown in the trash and stepped into the oversized shower. Unlike before I did not linger. There was too much at stake for me to be late.

I stretched and scrubbed until every remnant of my encounter with Houston had disappeared. If that gave me an unpleasant pang, oh well. I had to admit that our timing wasn’t great—as usual.

There was also the fact we hadn’t used a condom. I buried that thought deep for now. I had no choice. There’d be time to deal with all of that later.

I’d barely had time to dry from the shower and don a robe when a soft knock sounded from the bedroom suite door. Feeling more than a little irritated, I stomped to the door and cracked it open. I had no time for delays.

Only where I’d expected Houston or JD or even Axel to be on the other side, I instead found a woman I didn’t recognize.

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