Page 92 of Boss Level

With wide eyes and her phone clenched in her hand, Claire nodded and scurried from the living room.

Time to do this.

I kept my exterior calm, despite the fact that my heart was hammering against my ribs so hard, it might break free at any minute, and I opened the door enough to see Dale. “May I help you?”

“Let me see Claire.” His command was firm, and his face bright red, but we were still at theI’m going to intimidate you with my presence, to get my waypart of things.

“She’s not here. Please go.” The shorter my answers, the less room there was for misinterpretation. I nudged the door shut.

Dale jammed his foot in the way. He used his body to shove both the door and me back a few inches. “I’ll wait.”

“No. You won’t.” It didn’t matter that I was several inches shorter than Dale, I raised myself to full height and stepped in his path. “Leave.”

For a heartbeat, his face twisted into something ugly, but his imposing blankness returned quickly. “You don’t need to be involved in this. Tell me where my wife is.”

“I don’t know.” I had no guilt about lying. Not to him. Not now. At least, unlike the non-existent engagement to Dom, this was a worthy mistruth.

“He’s in the house.” Claire’s timid voice filtered into the room.

Fuck. I planted my feet firmly and stood between Dale and the rest of my home. “Leave. Now.”

“Claire,” he shouted. “I just want to talk to you.”

Please don’t come out. Please don’t come out. “Leave. Now.”

“What did you say to her to make her do this?” Dale asked.

My inner little girl was whimpering and backing into a corner, but she wasn’t me. I wasn’t her. I didn’t dare look at anything but him. I didn’t dare take my attention off him or break eye contact or give any indication I was backing down. “Nothing. Get. Out.”

“I just want to talk to my wife.” Dale reached for me.

“Don’t touch her.” Someone grabbed his wrist, and Xander’s low growl almost made me whimper in relief.

Dale jerked away from the touch and whirled. When his gaze landed on Xander, his entire body went rigid. “Who the hell are you?”

In response, Xander took a step toward him.

Dale backed up.

I was aware of Dominic moving deeper into the house, presumably to check on Claire, But I was fixated on the scene in front of me. As Xander advanced, angling his body with each step, Dale retreated, until his back hit the wall.

“If you lay another hand on me, you’ll find yourself in civil lawsuit hell for the rest of your life.” Dale’s voice wavered.

Xander held up his hands and stopped a short distance away.

I couldn’t help but notice it was within Xander’s reach, but not Dale’s. “I’d rather not touch you,” Xander said.

Any other situation and I might snicker at that.

“Good.” Some of Dale’s confidence seemed to return and he moved to step around Xander.

“You do want to hear me out, though.” A low, threatening current ran through Xander’s words.

Dale stalled. “I doubt that.”

Xander dipped his head close to Dale, as if to share a secret. “If you come near Claire again without her initiating, now, ever, your reputation in this state, in your church, will look far worse than what I’d do to your face with my fist.” Xander’s voice carried clearly through the whole room.

Now Dale’s expression had shifted to fury. There was no more blank, neutral mask. “Do you know who I am?”

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