Page 148 of Take My Name

“Bellamy, she’s my youngest sister—” I eagerly explain to Hayes as if he cares. “She handles the marketin’ for the resort and is really excellent at her job. Hell, she has us booked out a year in advance. Anyway, she has a lot of connections too in gettin’ news and press releases out to the public. Probably won’t even take long. Once it circulates locally, it’ll get picked up by a national outlet…”

He doesn’t need to know I’m bluffing my ass off, but I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my wife.

I pull out my phone as if I’m about to text her when Hayes speaks up. “Wait.”

Raising a brow, I pause.

His gaze ping-pongs between mine and Maisie’s before clearing his throat. “She covers her half of the lease for the next six months and gives me back her engagement ring.”

My gaze shifts to Maisie and she gives me a subtle nod.

Reaching over, I squeeze his shoulder until my fingers dig through his skin. “Now, was that so hard?”

His jaw tenses as narrowed eyes glare at me.

The bastard had no clue who he was up against until I showed up. Hell, I should’ve come two days ago and put him in his place, then I could’ve had her home with me already.

“I’ll have our lawyers draw up the papers immediately,” Mr. Callaway says, and for the first time in probably ever, he smiles at me.

Who knew this was all it took to finally get some respect from my in-laws? Not that I need it because fuck them.

“Speakin’ of her engagement ring…” I release my hold on him and dig into my pocket. “Found it on the floor. Fucked it right off her finger when I had her bent over on my bed.”

Gasps echo throughout the room and then Hayes’s fist meets my jaw in a forceful punch. It knocks me off my axis, and I stumble back into the wall, knocking into one of their framed art pieces.

“Hayes! The hell is wrong with you?” Maisie screeches, standing between us. “Warren, are you okay?”

I rub a hand over my chin, stretching it out to ease the pain. When I move to hit him back, Hayes holds up his hand to block me and then swings but ends up nailing Maisie in the face instead.

“Oh shit!” Before his knees can hit the floor, I pull him by his shirt and slam him into the same wall.

“Are you tryin’ to meet God?” I pull him back just to push him into the wall again. “I hope you have life insurance, motherfucker!”

“It was an accident!” He tries to get out of my grip, but I don’t let him.

Maisie’s groan catches my attention and I drop the asshole to thefloor to tend to her.

“Baby?”

One of the housekeepers approaches with an ice pack. I quickly thank her, then lift Maisie into my arms and carry her out of there.

chapter twenty-eight

Maisie

Warren setsme down on my bed and presses the ice pack to my cheek before I lean back on the propped-up pillow. He’s enraged, but I’m relieved he’s here.

I should’ve looped him in sooner, but dealing with Hayes and my parents at the same time was mentally draining. I was ready to sign off on my trust fund to get it over with and so he’d go back to New York. But since Hayes went and had the Save the Dates sent out early, my father wanted to negotiate now that my parents have to figure out how to announce the whole thing’s been canceled, on top of paying for a big event that’s no longer happening.

I guess I should thank my father for not letting me give in or Warren would’ve been too late on his threat to call Hayes out.

“I’m fine,” I tell him when he glares at where Hayes accidentally hit me.

“I’m gonna kill him.”

I roll my eyes although it hurtsto do so. “You did kinda provoke him with that ring stunt. Not that I blame you, but he didn’t mean to hit me. He was aimin’ for you.”

He rubs his fingers along his jawline as if it’s still sore. “He meant to punch me the first time, though.”