Page 149 of Scandalous Contract

And I was ready for that.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

STEFANIE

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"YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTERthan us, don't you?" Arnold sneered. "You always have, you stupid bitch. You’re nothing but one of the many mistakes my brother made due to his fucked up fetish with black women and his...”

He grabbed my wrist, and the rest of his words were drowned out due to the anger surging through me. I yanked back hard, breaking his grip, remaining rooted in place even though every instinct screamed at me to put some distance between us and throw him out of my house.

“Don’t touch me,” I snapped, one hand still in my pocket, sliding the blade open as far as I could, ready to slice this motherfucker up if I needed to.

Arnold’s face twisted in rage as he glared at me. His sister muttered something under her breath, and their mother let out a fake, wounded sob, like she was the victim here.

Arnold bobbed his head as he said, “It seems since my brother is no longer here to teach you a lesson, somebody else has to do it.”

He took a step toward me. I’d just pulled the blade out of my pocket when my front door slammed open with a crash that shook the walls. We all nearly jumped out of our skin at the abrupt bang. I hadn’t even heard Julian’s keys rattling when he opened the door.

But sure enough, there were dangling from the lock as Julian stood there, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling rapidly, fists clenched at his sides. His eyes, normally warm and teasing, were filled with pure anger now.

It was a look I’d never seen in his gaze before. And I won’t lie, it left me a bit shaken. He crossed the room in three strides, stepping between me and Arnold, shielding me from the man who I knew was about to put his hands on me. I slowly closed my blade and slid it back into my pocket.

“You got about two seconds to step away from her,” Julian sneered, his voice trembling with anger.

Though Arnold looked nervous as hell, he tried to keep up his fake bravado.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked, gaze moving from Julian to me, then back to Julian. “What right do you have to burst into my sister in law’s house like that?”

“I’m the man who’s going to bury you if you call her your sister-in-law again. You’re nothing to her.”

Arnold blinked, confusion flickering across his face, followed by fear.

“That’s my brother’s wife,” Arnold said, pointing his finger at me.

Julian gripped his finger and bent it back. Arnold howled in pain as Julian continued to bend. I winced as I watched. Susan and Abby rushed to their feet. I stepped from behind Julian to stand by his side, my glare fixed on both women.