Wild Billionaire Romance - Chapter 96: Chapter 96

JOSEF
When I heard what that weak fucking excuse for a man said to my wife. When I saw his slimy fucking hands on her delicate wrist.
Fuck.
It was all I could do not to snap his fucking neck right there.
Witnesses be damned.
Shock was the only thing that stayed my hand the second it happened. Sheer surprise that even though I’d fucked up in so many ways with this woman, she’d stood up for me against that prick.
Goddamn. What a woman. I was a lucky man.
And Richard Hamilton was a dead motherfucker.
When I heard he’d bribed his way into Marat’s party, a sleight of hand I should have foreseen and wanted to kick my own ass for allowing, I fumed. And when he started to disparage her in front of those people, it was more than I could bear.
I would make my apologies to Marat about the infiltration to his wife’s and Sofia’s party tomorrow. That wouldn’t be allowed to happen again.
My team already received quite the fucking talking to about that.
Someone had gotten lazy, and that was not allowed.
Not on my watch.
All the invitations were supposed to be double checked against properly issued photo identifications like driver's licenses or passports.
It seemed old Dick Hamilton had slipped a few hundreds to one of my newer guys, and the moron allowed him entry.
He wouldn’t be working for me, or anyone, in security ever again.
It was difficult to do our line of work when you were missing certain body parts.
As for Dick.
Accidents happened.
People had swimming mishaps all the time. The Long Island Sound had unpredictable tides.
And really, you should never go for a dip, especially not a moonlight one, without the proper backup or the safety of a lifeguard on duty.
Strong currents had been known to take swimmers out and into the ocean. Especially when the tide was just right.
Even if he could tread water while unconscious, I suspected the blood trickling from the head wound he got when I punched him in the face, and he fell onto the pavement would attract plenty of our local sea life.
The Sound was full of predators from sand sharks to bull sharks, and even the occasional Great White.
Hmm.
I wondered briefly if Meredith would enjoy a trip to the local aquarium.
She used to like things like that. She’d make me drive her to museums, botanical gardens, the zoo back when I knew her before.
I’d have to ask her.
Later.
Right now, I just needed to get her home.
“Josef,” she said, and her voice sounded light, teasing.
“What?”
“Thank you, Husband,” she whispered and flexed her hand.
I looked down, realizing I was squeezing her too tight.
Oops.
“You don’t have to thank me for taking care of you, Little Red.”
I released my hand, loving how she leaned her body into mine.
“But I will,” she replied.
Goddamn. This woman. My wife. My love.
I felt like a piano wire pulled too tightly.
Any moment now, I was going to snap.
“It’s okay,” she said softly, placing her head on my shoulder.
I closed my eyes and just concentrated on the moment. Meredith was okay. She was right there.
By my side. Leaning on me. Trusting me.
I had so much to atone for with this woman. So much to make right. By some quirk of the universe, I’d been given a second chance.
I wouldn’t squander this opportunity to be with her. To show her I could be a good husband.
That prick had come too close to my Little Red tonight, and I wouldn’t let anyone get that close to hurting her again.
I was going to do right by my wife.
I was going to honor her and cherish her for the fucking angel she was.
Meredith was mine now and once more I was consumed with the need to show her what that meant.
And I’m going to start right now.