Page 104 of Imogen

I press harder against his neck. “Yes, you do. You used Imogen’s insecurities and heartbreak to worm your way into her life. She barely noticed you before. And don’t think I’m not aware of the crap you pulled to tarnish her other relationships, and how you emotionally manipulated her into thinking you were the better choice. Now her eyes are wide open and you hate that you can’t control it. Control her.”

“She was mine before she was yours,” he spits out. “She’ll always be mine. If it wasn’t for you, we would still be together. I know it. You know it. She knows it.”

I’ve only ever witnessed hatred and jealousy so pure and dark in one person’s eyes before. It was the man who stabbed me, who nearly took my life.

And I see this isn’t just about Imogen’s choices. This is about me. And the fact he hates that she cares about me. Maybe even still loves me.

“The only reason you can still walk is because she asked me not to get involved, but push me one more time and I can break that promise as fast as I can snap your neck.”

He smirks. “And that there proves she still loves me. You’ll never have her the way I did. She’ll never let you fuck her the way I did.” He gasps for air for a second. “I’m going to make sure I’m the only person she has left. I’ll push her until she has no choice but to come back to me. Leaving her alone is going to give her what she wants, and I’m not going to give her the satisfaction. I won’t stop until she’s broken and back under my control, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

I press harder against his neck until his eyes begin to bulge. “You’ll die before I let you do that to her.”

I let him go, and he bends at the waist, gasping for breath. “And I’ll still win. Because I would have taken away the one person who means the most to her.”

“Then you never knew her at all. If you did, then you would know her family are the most important people to her, and nothing, not even you, could ever rip them away from her.”

He begins to laugh, but I don’t want to give him any more of my time. Instead of giving him the beating he deserves, I head back to the entrance—and notice Imogen standing there, her eyes wide as she glances up at me. I quickly guide her back inside, and the minute the door closes behind us, she pulls me aside, taking my hands.

“I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologise for him,” I tell her.

She shakes her head, tears gathering in her eyes. “That’s not what I’m apologising for.”

My brows pinch together. “Then why?”

“Because I misjudged you. I’ve been telling you for weeks now that you don’t know me but you just proved me wrong. What you said about my family meaning the most to me is something no one else has ever understood about me. You did. So I’m sorry for misjudging you.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I won’t pretend I know everything about you because something tells me there are more layers to you than anyone realises. And I want to know them all.” I can’t look away, not when she’s watching me so intently. “And what he said out there, it’s not true. I know it’s not, because I know your heart, Imogen Smith, and you will not break.”

She swallows deeply. “I know.”

I lean down until I’m close. “And you can tell me I was right about the cameras later.”

Her eyebrows narrow as she smacks my arm. “You’re a fucking dick.”

I laugh as I wrap my arm around her shoulders, steering her back over to the table. “Let’s go eat. I didn’t put three hundred in that box to only eat garlic bread.”

And hopefully my family will work hard to make her forget about the scene Zach just caused.

It’s far from over.

But I’m involved now.

So if a fight is what he wants, a fight is what he will get.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Imogen

Christmas is less than a week away and everyone at work is in high spirits, looking forward to some time off. Dad doesn’t make his staff request time off. He thinks life is too short to be ball and chained to a job. So if they need time off for a holiday or another event that’s a week or two long, they just need to write it on the board. And if someone needs an emergency day off, the others step in to make sure everything is covered. But Christmas… Dad makes sure his staff spend it at home with their loved ones, and this year, we are closing up early because Harris swears it’s going to snow. And he’s never been wrong before.

The Christmas party is beginning to get rowdy. Family and friends have joined us, but I make my way to my desk, slowly lowering myself into the chair.

This morning, Aiden and Bailey had their door kicked down by the police, who were under the impression his daughter, Sunday, was in danger. Aconcernedmember of the public had called them and said he’d witnessed a young infant being dragged inside. Thankfully, Bailey has cameras installed.

But I knew when Mark called to say someone had stabbed his tyres, and Hope had eggs thrown at her house, that it was only the beginning.

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