Page 12 of The Billionaire's Bride
The door opens and Baron enters. He glances between us, then walks over to Ava. "You okay, Eve?"
"Don’t call her that," I snap.
"Oh, and why is that?" He leans forward to slide his hand about her neck and Ava freezes. "Baron, please, don’t."
He frowns, looks like he is about to protest, then nods. He lowers his hand to his side. "Why can’t I call her Eve?" He frowns at me and I glower back. Anger pounds at my temples and I clench my fists at my sides.
"You know why," I growl. "I call her Eve. I referred to her as Eve on the phone when I called you."
"So?" Baron raises a shoulder.
"So, I called her that first; I get dibs on it."
"Dibs?" Ava barks out a laugh. "Did you just say ‘dibs’?"
My neck heats. Yeah, I did. What can I say? She does that to me—totally wrecks my self-restraint. Makes me recede into the most primitive corner of my brain, which I’d hoped I had gained control of a long time ago.
"Yeah, did you?" Baron drawls. "How very mature of you, Chase."
"Fuck off, Masters," I snap.
"I see your time at whichever-beach-you-decided-to-spend-the-last-few-weeks did a whole lotta good for your temper." Baron smirks.
"It was a monastery, you bastard."
"Oh, is that what they are calling it nowadays?" Baron’s grin widens. "Tell me, how much of the time did you spend high? How often did you have to say your prayers? Oh, wait," Baron pretends to think, "that was when you were a Father. Now that you are not, you don’t have to pretend to have conversations with God, and all that other bullshit."
"I am going to shove your balls up your arsehole." I throw off the bloody sheets, swing my legs onto the floor.
Baron’s chest seems to expand. He bares his teeth, throws up his fist, just as Ava steps in between us.
His knuckles brush the side of her cheek and anger explodes behind my eyes. She stumbles back. I snatch her toward me, pushing her behind my back, then plant my fist in Baron’s face.
He stumbles, straightens. A drop of blood drips from his face. A stricken look twists his features. "Shit, Ava, did I hurt you?"
"Yes, you did," I snap.
"No, it’s fine. Really. It was just a tap," she protests.
I turn, survey her features. "Does it hurt?"
"No." She shakes her head. "He barely brushed my cheek."
"Let me see." Baron, the asshole, tries to brush past me and I turn on him.
"You’ve hurt her enough."
"I’m not the one who left her and went off gallivanting to wherever it is that you went." He glowers.
"I’m not the one who turned his back on the man you swore to stand by."
"I saved your life, you asshole." Baron growls, "I did everything possible to help you through the aftermath of the incident."
"Saved your life?" Ava pushes at my shoulder, trying to glance around me, "What the hell does that mean?"
"Nothing," I snap.
"Nothing," Baron mumbles.
