Page 28 of Protecting Tiffani

“Why weren’t you here this morning to open up at the scheduled time?” He asks, not pulling his eyes from the stack of money he’s counting.

“What are you talking about? I was here and opened the doors exactly at seven when I was supposed to.” The feeling of something being wrong grows, making me slightly inch back. My body is going into fight or flight, and it looks like it’s settled on flight. My heart is pounding in my chest, sounding like a hammer in my ears. His head swivels toward me, and a sick smile pulls his lips back so tight all his yellow-stained teeth are on display.

“Let me guess, you’re going to say that you missed the note right here on the desk that said the operating hours are now six am to seven pm.” He picks up a yellow Post-it note that was not there a minute ago.

“That wasn’t there this morning, Brad.” I should shut my mouth, but I’m tired of him constantly changing things without telling me. It’s time I stand up for myself. I run this fucking place on my own, seven days a week, and I do a damn good job.

The chair he’s sitting in crashes against the floor, as he pushes away from the desk quickly. I try to back up away from him, but he’s coming toward me fast, like a raging bull after seeing some stupid clown wave a red flag in their face. “Don’t you stand there and back-talk me like you know better than I do. I put that note there last night as I left. It’s not my fault you’re too fucking blind to see it, or maybe you’re just too stupid to read.”

My feet hit thewet floorsign I put out when I started mopping and, for the second time today, I find myself on the ground. At least this time, it’s not gravel, but I would take that over the sneering person looming over me like I’m a damn child. Using my hands and feet, I scoot back, turning, trying to push myself off the floor, but my hands slip on the wet tile. My head is pulled back, and some strains of hair are yanked from my scalp as Brad’s hand grabs my small ponytail. A scream rips from my body, “Let me go!” Even though it hurts like a bitch, I pull my head forward, ripping out more hair, but I get out of his grasp.

“Your father should have taught you how to show respect to someone in charge. Maybe if he had taught you where a woman’s place in this world was, I wouldn’t have to do this,” he says, spit flying from his mouth. Do what? Fear consumes me, but I can’t stand around and wait to fucking find out what he’s talking about. This room has four doors, one to the office, my apartment, the parking lot for customers, and the employee’s parking. I’m closest to the employee’s parking lot and take off toward that door. As soon as my hand grips the handle, I find myself in his grasp again . This can’t be fucking happening right now. No way in fucking hell am I going to be assaulted by this fucking prick. My face is slammed into the metal door, my nose takes the brunt of the blow, and the bones crack and break with the impact.

“Fuck!” I scream as pain blinds me temporarily, tears spring to my eyes, and blood pours down over my lips. “Help!” Even though no one is around to hear my plea, I still have to try. My vision clears in time to see the door coming closer, and I brace myself, but it never comes. Instead, Brad’s hand releases my hair, and I slump to the ground, closing my eyes out of fear. Arms encircle me, but I start fighting whoever it is, screaming, “Don’t touch me! Stay away from me!” Putting my hands under me, I push up and twist the handle, throwing myself through the door away from Brad and whoever else is there.

“Sunshine!” Parkers’ voice comes from the door I just ran through, stopping me in my haste to leave. Spinning around, he’s standing there, one hand holding the door open, the other reaching for me. “Tiffani, you're safe it’s me. Sunshine, it’s me.” The door closes as his long legs eat up the small distance between us, crushing me into his chest.

“P-Parker how…” I can’t get anything out around the lump in my throat. My whole body is shaking with fear after what just happened. He tips my head back. His eyes narrow on my nose but before he can say anything a loud crash comes from behind the closed door, making me jump back out of his arms, racing to see what the hell is happening. Opening the door, Brad’s pinned against the right wall, and averypissed off Levi has his hands wrapped around his throat. Brad’s hands claw at Levi’s, and his face is dark red.

“Who gave you the idea that you could touch any woman like that, not to mention a woman that belongs to me?” The muscles in Levi’s forearms strain as he squeezes harder. Another man is standing shoulder to shoulder with Levi, but I can’t focus on him long enough to figure out who he is.

“S-she,” Brad chokes out.

“Levi,” I shout at him, because I don’t want him to go to jail for killing Brad, even if he deserves it. Levi’s attention turns to me for a second, his eyes narrow on my broken nose before returning to his victim. He lets go of his throat but steps closer into Brad’s personal space. Brad starts coughing straight into Levi’s face, but that doesn’t seem to bother him one bit.

“You did that to her fucking nose?” Levi’s nose to nose with him. Parker comes up beside me and tries to pull me away by my arm, but I shake him off. I’m not leaving.

“S-she stole from me. The bitch deserved it.” Brad coughs out. Levi pulls his fist back, throwing a punch straight into his face. Brad’s head bounces off the wall behind him with a sickening sound. His body goes limp, sliding to the left until it lands on the floor, knocking the mop bucket over. Levi doesn’t stop, though. He stands over him, holding him by the shirt throwing punch after punch into his face.

“Levi,” I scream again. I start heading toward them, but Parker grabs my arm, stopping me. The guy I don’t know grabs Levis’ arm, halting what would have been the fifth punch to Brad.

“Enough, Levi. He’s out cold.”

“It will never be enough, Uncle Sonny. He has been lying to her, watching her, plotting, and then he fucking has the balls to touch her. To touch what is mine. What if we hadn’t got here when we did? You saw what was on his fucking computer, what he was hired to fucking do to her. It will only be enough when I put a fucking bullet in between both of their fucking eyes!” Levi screams at who I now know is his uncle. I heard everything he said, but nothing makes sense to me. I’m missing something.

“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” I scream again, getting all three guys’ attention. The front door opens, pulling all our attention to the person that is stepping through it. Someone I never thought I would see here.

“Hello, daughter.”

“Dad,” I whisper, stepping back into Parker’s embrace.

Chapter seventeen

Levi

I’mstruckspeechlesswatchingTiffani run down the driveway heading toward town. What the fuck? “Emilee, what was that all about?” I demand.

“Hey, watch your tone.” Parker steps toward me, but I don’t let his macho act phase me.

“Right now, Parker, stay the fuck out of this. Why did you question her like that? You were the one that told me to talk to her. For fuck’s sake, you’re her best friend, so why would you question why she’s here with me? You had no right.” Emilee’s mouth drops open at my tone.

“Back the fuck up, Levi. She might be your sister, but that’s my wife you are talking to like that, and I won’t hesitate to put your ass on the ground.” Parker steps into my face. My hands ball up into tight fists. I don’t want to punch my best friend, but I won’t back down either.

“Easy, boys.” Adam steps in between us, placing a hand on our chest and pushing us to take a step back.

“Levi, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I was surprised to see her and worried about everyone.” Emilee cries behind Parker. Her shaking hands swipe at her tears. Okay, now I feel like an ass.

“I get that, Em, but we’ve talked about how a person’s tone can change a sentence into something else. And that question was laced with venom.” I step around Parker to wrap my sister up in a hug. “Come on, sit and calm down before your caveman of a husband buries me for upsetting you.”

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