Page 131 of The Bad Wedding Date

“This is not what it looks like,” Penn said, his voice short of breath as he ran his hand over his mouth again. “Fuck, that’s not what it was.”

“You’d better explain yourself, young man, before I make a call to the police,” Dad said.

“There’s… there’s something not right about that guy of hers, Mitchell—”

“It’s Mr Grant to you now,” Dad chided.

Penn took that hit like a little girl, physically drawing back as though he’d been slapped by my father for the very first time.

“I’m telling you, Fraser is bad news,” Penn said, pointing at the pictures while he looked Dad in the eye. “I was trying to get her to see that. I thought if she realised bad things had happened since he came into her life, she’d end it. Wherever he goes, trouble follows. I thought if I controlled who threatened her, she wouldn’t be in any real danger. She’d get out of the relationship fast. But if she stays with him, God knows what will happen to her.”

I frowned up at him, entertained by his sorry excuse. “Are you really going to stand there and pretend that paying two men to break into my home was for my benefit?” I laughed, full of sarcasm. “Oh, come on, Penn.”

“If it wasn’t them, it would soon be others, Lottie. You mark my words.”

“Call me Lottie one more time, and I’ll mark your face with my fist.”

He reared back again, looking at me like he was seeing me for the very first time.

I rose to my feet and walked over to him, not a flicker of nerves on my face and not a falter in my step along the way. When we were close—closer than I could bear— I made sure he saw the contempt in my eyes.

“You came to my work and made me think there were threats to my safety when you were the threat, Penn. You went to my father to frighten him, too. You sent two strangers into my home—two people who almost ran me over. You drove me out of my apartment. You played games. You’d have continued to play them if you hadn’t been caught, too.”

Leaning forward, he snarled, unable to contain his anger a moment longer. “Just who the fuck do you think you are?” he hissed. “You walk in here acting all high and mighty. Remember who made you. I did. The only reason people know your name is because of me.”

My hand reared back and was about to strike him when someone caught it in their grip, a warm, familiar touch upon my skin making me look over my shoulder.

Fraser stood there holding my wrist, shaking his head, his face somehow enraged yet calm.

I had no idea how or when he’d entered the room, but seeing him there, grounding me like only he could, I felt grateful.

Dad, however, didn’t hold the same calm emotions as Fraser. Before I could stop him, he’d pushed at Penn’s shoulder to create some distance between the two of us, and then my dad—the man I’d never seen show an ounce of passion to anything other than my mother—threw his fist straight into Penn’s face, sending blood spraying out of his nose, and Penn stumbling backwards.

“I think you’ll findImade my daughter, and I think you’ll find that I will be the one to break you.”

Clutching his bloody nose, Penn eyed all of us like a cornered animal.

Fraser came to stand by my side, entwining his fingers between mine while Dad took a step closer to Penn. “You come near my daughter again, and I swear to Christ, Penn Ridgley, your life will be over.”

My chest swelled with both pride and an unexpected wave of love.

In all the years I’d been that man’s daughter, I’d never seen such a strong, unshakeable display of protection from him. I’d always thought of him as a weak man who stood behind a strong woman, always nodding when he was told to. Only speaking when she allowed it.

Now, he owned the room, and nobody, not even I could stop him from protecting what was his.

I swallowed down a small lump of shame at having not really bothered to find out who my father was before this moment.

“You need to get out of my house,” Dad growled, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. “In fact, if I were you, I’d leave the country for a while. Take a holiday. If I see your face around London before I’m ready to see it, I’ll make sure your life crumbles beneath those awful loafers of yours. I’ll bury you, kid.”

Fraser squeezed my hand, and I looked up at him to see that sexy smirk of his. It pleased him to see my father giving a shit.

I hated to admit it… it pleased me, too.

Penn stalked around the outskirts of the room, his eyes flickering between all three of us as blood rained down his chin and onto his pale blue shirt. Spots of it hit the cream carpet, and I prayed that Gloria could work her magic on those before my mother came home and scolded Dad for it.

I suddenly felt very protective of my old man.

We turned to watch Penn leave, but just when we thought he’d realised there was no way he could come back from this, he stopped by the open double doors, released his nose, and sucked in a breath before he raised his finger to Fraser.

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