Page 55 of Sunset

I look at the girl at the front desk, and she can’t be more than eighteen or nineteen, and she’s cowering away from the situation. I can’t blame her. Taking Brynn’s hand, I pull her over there.

“Hey, call Kade,” I tell the girl at the front desk.

Okay, at least, he’s on his way. My mind races with everything. I need to make sure Brynn is safe at the same time, and getting to the mayor without killing him with my bare hands.

“I did, and the cops,” she whispers.

“Where is Dale?” I ask about Sunrise’s daytime security.

“There was a problem with a couple yelling upstairs.” She says, and I nod.

“Video,” is all I have to say to Brynn, before she has her phone up to record all this for the cops.

“I suggest you get your hands off her for your own safety.” I bellow across the lobby, getting the mayor’s attention.

He turns his head, and his eyes land on Brynn. I step in front of her, because the thought of his eyes on her makes my skin crawl. He’s always looked at her like some piece of meat, even when she was underage, and it’s never set well with me.

He doesn’t drop his hands. “Ahhh, there’s the other one.” He sneers.

The terrified look on Lin’s face says enough is enough.

I make my way across the lobby, not hiding that he’s my destination, and yet, the asshole doesn’t remove his hands from Lin. This guy really is as stupid as he looks.

“I said remove your hands, or I’ll do it,” I grit out, when I’m just a few steps away from him.

This is also, when Kade bursts through the door. I can tell the moment his eyes land on Lin, and he sees the mayor’s hands on her.

“You son of a bitch!” Kade yells. I reach them faster and shove the mayor hard enough to throw him off balance, but not hard enough to throw him against the coffee table, like I want, too.

He regains his balance quickly and tries to take a swing at me. I block it, grabbing his arm and swinging him around. Then, I put my hands around his throat and slam him hard up against the wall he had Lin pinned, too.

His eyes go wide, and I smile. “I’m not the shy kid that could be pushed around anymore. I defend what’s mine, which includes friends and family.” I tell him.

“Do you even know how much you cost me by blocking this land developer? These guys are going to be pissed. You have no idea what you did!” He yells.

“Sadly, I don’t care what they do to you.” I hiss just as Nate and his partner, Dan, come running. I went to school with both of them and heard they joined the police department.

“Jasper, back up,” Nate says, as he reaches my side.

My temper gets the best of me, and I slam his head against the wall hard, before letting go and taking a step back.

The next hour is spent explaining everything that happened, going over the video Brynn got, and talking about our meeting with the state.

According to Lin, she was at the front desk, helping the new girl learn the booking system. The same girl who called Kade and the cops. There was a couple upstairs yelling, and the sound of glass crashing, so Lin sent Dale up to deal with it, and Kade went with him.

Turns out, the husband was too handsy with a girl at the pool, and the wife threw the lamp at his head. There was lots of yelling and a few more items being thrown, before Kade and Dale got them separated enough to calm them down. Needless to say, they checked out early soon after.

During the time Dale and Kade were upstairs, is when the mayor came in. He was yelling all sorts of things about costing him money. Calling Lin a bitch and a whore, and then saying she and her friend were going to pay. Her friend being Brynn. I can tell by the rage in Kade’s eyes he’s just as pissed about hearing all this as I am.

Lin tried to back away to run upstairs, but the mayor stopped her, and that’s when he slammed her against the wall, demanding to know who she fucked up at the capital to get the state to intervene.

Apparently, Brynn and I walked in right after that. The video was enough to get harassment and assault charges filed against the mayor. They’ll also be looking into what the mayor was going on and on about with the land developers.

Once the cops leave, Kade takes Lin to their room, and I lead Brynn back to hers. Not a word is spoken on the walk there.

This is not how I thought our date would end.

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