Page 94 of The Heartbreaker

Even though it was Ridge, it wasn’t. Because everything about him was different.

His voice.

It was stern. Dominant.

His eyes.

They were angry and revengeful.

“He was hurting me. He wouldn’t let go. I asked him to again and again, and he wouldn’t.” If Ridge wasn’t holding me so tightly, I would have looked behind me at the mouth of the hallway to see if the guest had come out. “I kicked him. And then I ran.”

“Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“Where are your clothes?”

I didn’t know.

But I did.

“In the back room—” My voice was cut off when his hands left my face, and his arms surrounded me, and he lifted me into the air and held me against his chest. As he carried me, we passed the main lounge, then a short hallway, and finally the cashier, who was stationed by the entrance.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going with her?”

Ridge halted and turned us around.

I blinked, staring at the man in front of us, realizing it was my manager.

“I’m taking her home,” Ridge shot back.

“You can’t do that.” He took a step forward. “She’s an employee. She’s working. She’s?—”

“Watch me,” Ridge barked.

My manager’s neck craned back. “Watch you?”

A security guard had joined him, and they were both getting closer to us.

“Her shift is over,” Ridge said. “She’s no longer one of your employees. Once I put her in the car, I’ll be back to deal with you. Don’t fucking move.”

Ridge kicked open the door to the club, the gap now wide enough that we could fit through, and he brought me to his car. He maneuvered me in a way that he could open the passenger door, and he carefully set me on the seat. Once he was happy with my placement, he reached behind me and returned with a blanket that he placed over me.

“Daisy gets cold, so I always have one in my car.” He knelt; his face lined up with mine. “I’m going to lock you in. I don’t want you to be alarmed. I just don’t want anyone to be able to get into my car.” He moved some hair off my face and adjusted the blanket, and he reclined the seat several inches. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Will you be all right here?”

I nodded.

“Addison, I need you to speak. I need to hear your voice.”

“Yes.” I didn’t know where his hand was, but I somehow found it and held it. “Where are you going?”

“First, I’m going to deal with your manager. Then, I’m going to find the motherfucker who touched you, and I’m going to kill him.”

TWENTY-THREE

Ridge

“Where’s your office?” I said to Addison’s manager once I walked back through the entrance of the club, the motherfucker still standing there with a bodyguard.