8. Malicious Intent

Chapter 8

Malicious Intent

Hunter

T here’s a reason why the private booths in my club are not fully enclosed with walls and doors. A lot of very violent people tend to want privacy. Therefore, I need someone on my team to be within earshot of everything going on in this place. So, even with the heavy bass of the music thumping downstairs, I immediately heard the sound of glass shattering.

And the noise was enough for me to pause right in the middle of my meeting and send Parker and Lars to check out what was going on. Before he has a chance to speak, I already know that it has something to do with her once I see the look on Lars’s face.

“Boss, it’s Megan.”

Of course, it is.

I don’t hesitate.

“Excuse me a moment.”

Now that I’m making my way down the hallway, I can hear some part of the conversation.

“Where’s your old man now?”

“Does he know you work in this dump, or is this where you met him?”

It’s the taunting voice of a woman, and I can only imagine who it is because it is clear that the words are targeted toward Megan.

My Megan.

“I’ve got this,” I tell Parker and Lars, my veins turning icy. “Lars, please make sure my guests are still comfortable. Parker, you stay.”

I yank open the curtain and make my presence known.

“Her old man knows every fucking thing about her. How can I help you?”

I can see the startled faces of the young women (and that damn little boy she used to play with) who are surrounding a furious Megan standing in the middle of a broken glass table. I can see that I’ve interrupted her in the middle of throwing a punch.

Too bad.

She has nicks and cuts all over her arms and legs, and as I stride toward her, I make a mental note to get rid of anything made of glass around this woman. I don’t want any more injuries marring her beautiful, deeply melanated skin.

I shrug off my favorite Tom Ford blazer and wrap Megan’s form in it as she glowers at me. I know she wants to be the one to settle this, but I cover the jacket around her tightly, my voice full of malice. “You had your chance. Now, it’s mine.”

I see a small figure try to dart out but Parker steps in the path of the female server.

“Now, who would like to explain what is happening here?” I ask pleasantly as Megan continues to breathe fire.

There are several familiar faces in this booth. I thought college was a place of civility and higher learning, but clearly, it’s also a place where elitism and bullying continue to thrive.

Besides the boy, I definitely recognize the young woman standing next to him. The same girl whose family tried to steal Megan’s exhibition spot. She clearly has it out for Megan, but this nonsense stops tonight.

Her eyes gleam as they run over me in open appreciation. “And who are you to question us about what we’re doing, old man ?”

“I’m the owner of this club,” I study her. “Care to explain what happened here?”

A look of understanding shadows her face, and I can see the malicious intent enter her eyes as she steps toward me.

“Your manager or girlfriend or whatever tried to assault me! She made an overt pass at my boyfriend, and when he rejected her, she attacked me. When my friends came to the rescue, she stumbled and fell through the table. I want her fired.”

Megan is still under the crook of my arm and I can feel her breathing slowing as she calms herself down.

“It doesn’t look like you were attacked,” I comment. “However, it does look like my manager was assaulted.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but–“ The young woman flips her hair over her shoulder. “Do you know who I am? My father is the CEO of the Parillo Investment Group. I’m Ashley Parillo.”

Her smile is more meaningful this time when she runs her eyes over me in a deliberate attempt to let me know she’s checking me out.

How amusing.

“Why would somebody like me,” Ashley continues haughtily, “lie about something like that?”

Megan starts to interrupt her, but I give her a quick squeeze. She’s had enough of this girl’s vitriol for a lifetime.

“Besides,” Ashley points towards the server, trembling in front of Parker. “She saw the whole thing. Didn’t you?”

I look at the girl who looks terrified, and I wonder if she’s going to make the right decision.

“I – I saw it,” she stammers. Her eyes focused on the ground. Whatever she’s about to say is going to be a complete lie. That’s clear as day. “Megan gave me a note to give to her boyfriend, and then she came up and tried to attack her.”

I’m not completely unaware of the hostility amongst the staff when it comes to Megan and her new promotion. Gage mentioned a thing or two to me about it.

The only reason I haven’t interfered with things so far is because this is a learning opportunity for her. Megan is talented, smart, and strong but some people have to learn from their mistakes a few more times than others. And she needs to learn the lesson of “threshold,” also known as how much shit a person is going to take from another person regardless of who they are or who they know. However, I did not anticipate the amount of malicious intent aimed at her at school and at my place of business. Sometimes women can really be cruel to their own.

“I see,” I respond to their server coolly. I can't even remember her name right now. “Parker, why don’t you-“

“Hunter,” Megan’s voice is sharp and I meet her gaze, seeing the discreet shake of her head.

She wants to handle this one herself, and I don’t blame her. It’s obvious the server is lying through her teeth, and Megan is her supervisor. This is between them.

“Fine.” I’m curious to see how she’ll handle things. “Take her downstairs and keep her in my office until Megan and I are finished up here,” I tell Parker.

“What?” The server’s eyes widen. “But I didn’t do anything!”

“Let’s go, Diana,” Parker says, his voice unforgiving.

“But it’s her fault!” she cries.

“I won’t ask again,” Parkers adds, and this time she complies.

Now that it’s just us, I look at Ashley and her crew of college idiots. “You were saying?”

“Why did you send her away?” Ashley has an uneasy look on her face. “She was my witness.”

Funny how she thinks she’s entitled to some sort of fair justice in my building.

“How I handle my employees has nothing to do with you,” I respond lightly.

“The hell it doesn’t.” She frowns. “She’s our witness.”

“She’s not a very reliable witness.” I smile at her. “She’s not a very good server either. Maybe this isn’t the place for her.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ashley says after an uncomfortable beat. “The fact of the matter remains that your employee came at us, harassed us, and we had to defend ourselves. She’s crazy. We want her fired. Otherwise, we’ll sue.”

“All right.” I tuck my free hand inside my pants pocket, watching her calmly.

“So, you’re going to fire her then?” Her expression clears, and her lips curve.

She looks towards Megan, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction, “Let this be a lesson to you. Next time–“

“I’ll contact my lawyers,” I cut her off smoothly. “You or your daddy can deal directly with them. In the meantime, if you want to sue me, then I should at least give you a legitimate reason to do so.”

I turn my attention towards the boy, Ricky. I’m just about sick of this bastard. If he wasn’t someone that people would miss, I’d have put his ass underground a long time ago. He has no backbone and serves no purpose on this planet, as far as I'm concerned.

To some people, that might seem harsh, and I realize that most of my feelings may be influenced by the fact that once upon a time, his dick was in my Megan’s mouth, but whatever.

“I thought you and I already had a talk about this?” I say to him.

“Just because you talked doesn’t mean I listened,” he responds, clearly impressing his entourage with his misguided bravado. Ashley and her minions smirk.

Does he think I won’t do anything to him because there are people watching?

The gun tucked behind me in my waistband is in my hands within seconds, pointed at his puny chest, and he freezes.

“Senator Wyatt owes me plenty of favors. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I teach his nephew a lesson.”

“W-What?” Ricky’s face drops. "You know Uncle Wyatt?"

“Oh my God, he has a gun,” another girl murmurs.

“Oh shit, he’s a gangster,” the other one says.

“I warned you the other day not to put your hands on my woman ever again, didn’t I?” I question him.

When he doesn’t answer, sweating like a pig, I speak in a soft but menacing voice. “I believe I asked you a question.”

“I was...“ He stammers, his watery eyes darting toward Megan.

“Don’t look at her,” I say coldly. “How dare you look at her. I find it baffling how you would allow a woman you’re fucking to come to Megan’s place of business and harass her in this way. What kind of man are you?“

I can hear the sounds of the girls whimpering behind me, frightened at this sudden turn of events.

“What are you doing?” Ashley sputters. “You can’t just shoot people in a public place. My father will have you put under the damn jail.“

“Your father is trying to secure a contract with my company at this very moment,” I glance toward her while my gun is still aimed at Ricky.

“That’s a lie. What would my father want with a shitty nightclub?”

“This establishment serves as an office for my actual business and considering that your father’s company is on the verge of bankruptcy, it’s quite unfortunate that his daughter’s actions are going to lose him that contract. I won’t do business with a man who raised a bitch like you.”

After my words, I can feel Megan's energy filling the room with newfound confidence. Good, she needs to understand that this isn’t just about someone making a scene in my club but about me showing her that I will always protect her.

“W-What?” Ashley looks uncertain. “That’s not true.”

I glance at Ricky’s crotch and can see that he’s peed on himself. Sometimes I forget that Megan’s life is filled with soft college students and not hardened criminals like mine. Pulling a gun on this asshat was probably overkill, but I still can’t help but smile to myself. What a pussy.

“You might want to take care of that,” I say to him as I lower my gun and place it back in my waistband.

“Call him,” I return back to my conversation with Ashley. “Ask him if he’s trying to negotiate a contract with the Middleton Financial Group.”

I triumphantly grin as the slow realization of my identity finally becomes apparent to her. I guess my reputation in this town precedes me.

“Wait, you’re Hunter Middleton?” Her voice is almost faint.

“As I said, I’ll have my lawyers contact you and your father,” I inform her. “After all, you claim that my manager assaulted you, right?”

Cold satisfaction moves within me at seeing the horror in her eyes once she puts all the pieces together.

I am Hunter Middleton.

Of Middleton Financial.

I also own this club.

Where Megan is the manager.

And also my girlfriend.

Ashley is fucked.

“The video footage will be the proof we will provide. I make it a point to have both audio and video surveillance in all areas of the club,” I say calmly.

I’ve known many women like Ashley, and now that she’s cornered, I can see herself trying to figure out a way to bullshit her way out of this.

“Megan knows it was just a misunderstanding. Come on, Megan, tell him.“

Megan shrugs, and then, to my utmost delight, she takes a step back and casually sits down on the couch behind her, tightening my coat around her shoulders. “Tell him what? My boss seems to be handling the situation just fine. Do what you want, Hunter.” Her eyes give me a slight warning. “Just, well, you know, don’t do that .”

I smile at her.

No torture.

No shootings.

Got it.

“You heard her.” I shrug. “It’s time for you and your merry band of idiots to leave the premises.”

“You bitch!” Ashley spits out, losing her temper. “I will make sure you never step foot on campus again.“

I pull out my Glock again and shoot at a random spot on the painted concrete floor. I do it to make a point and because I already know that it’s safe. The concrete will stop the bullet from traveling and hitting anyone below us.

The shot goes off near Ashley’s feet, and she stumbles to the ground in shock and fear. Her companions burst into hysterical tears.

“That sounded like a threat,” I say icily to her. “And no one threatens Megan. Not ever again.”

I finally get an appropriate reaction from Ashley as one lone tear falls down her cheek.

“I only give warnings once,” I tell the whole lot of them. “There’s never a second time. Are we clear?”

“Listen, this wasn’t my idea,“ Ricky says like the coward he is, but the time for excuses and explanations is over.

I don’t let him finish his sentence, my gun now aiming at the ear over his right shoulder.

“Don’t kill him!” Ashley pleads in a high-pitched voice of desperation. “We’re leaving.”

“Hunter,” Megan says softly.

I can feel and hear every bit of warning in her, but the longer I stare at this piece of shit, the more I want to hurt him.

“Are you protecting him?” I ask angrily through clenched teeth, my eyes still entirely focused on his ear. If I shot him there, there’d be blood and a significant amount of pain, but he’d live another day.

It doesn’t escape me how far down a dark path my conscience seems to be wandering. It’s why I usually choose not to get close to women. I’ve seen men start wars over them and now I see why. I hate that this kid has touched her intimately, and I especially hate that she let him.

“No,” she assures me calmly as she moves to stand next to me. “I’m protecting you.”

Fuck me.

Is she protecting me ?

I thought I was protecting her.

Ah, of course, I think to myself. She’s protecting me in the same way she pushed me out of the way of the assassin’s bullets in the penthouse. She is safeguarding me from the biggest threat of all – myself.

I reluctantly tuck my Glock back into my waistband and consider how I’ve allowed myself to be totally put in check by this art student.

Hell, if I know.

All I know for sure is that this beautiful creature is going to be the death of me, and now I have to find another way to appropriately punish everyone responsible for pushing her through a glass fucking table.

I will not let that shit stand.

And I don't care what Megan has to say about it, even if she says it in bed...and now my dick is hard.

This damn woman.