Chapter 7 #2
Tanner turned back to Junie, jaw tight, voice dropping low and gravelly. “End it with him, Junie. Or I will. Preston is my problem now. I’ll deal with it.”
He bent down, snatched the album off the floor, and headed for the door.
Cherry stepped right into his path, nearly blocking him. “Well, well. What a surprise to see you here, Tanner. I haven’t seen you in months. We should really get together again sometime.”
Tanner looked at her, irritation flashing hot through his veins. He shook his head. “I've never gotten together with you, Cherry. And I damn sure don’t have time for you today. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
He stepped around her without another word, the album gripped tight in his hand, and Junie’s taste still burning on his lips.
“Oh, of course,” Cherry cooed, stepping aside with a sickly sweet smile. “Anything for you, Tanner. Anything.”
If he’d had a mind to look at the woman, he’d have rolled his eyes. As it was, he didn’t spare her another look. Jaw locked tight, he stalked out of the bakery, the bell jingling behind him like a mocking afterthought.
Just as the door swung shut, Junie’s voice floated out after him, bright and professional. “So good to see you, Cherry. What can I get for you?”
Tanner headed toward Wilder Wealth while the fire he’d just lit between them still raged inside him.
Preston’s father, Harlan Lassiter, had built Wilder Wealth Management from the ground up years ago.
Wild River Ranch had never done a lick of business with them, but the man clearly knew how to make money.
The Lassiters’ big house, flashy cars, and country-club lifestyle made that plenty obvious.
Tanner only knew Preston by sight, thanks to the lovely little photo album the bastard had so thoughtfully put together.
According to Kenzie, he’d been in the same ninth-grade class as Junie and her, but that was all Tanner knew.
Well, other than he was an entitled ass who didn’t understand the meaning of the word no.
He spotted an open parking space right in front of the building and yanked the wheel hard, sliding the truck into it with a sharp jolt. He killed the engine, grabbed the album off the passenger seat, and climbed out, boots hitting the sidewalk with purpose.
The glass doors of Wilder Wealth Management loomed ahead. Tanner didn’t hesitate. He pushed inside, eyes scanning until they locked on the door with Preston’s nameplate.
Without so much as a knock, he turned the handle and walked straight in, the heavy album gripped tight in his hand like a weapon.
A buzzer sounded the second Tanner pushed through the door, alerting everyone in the office that someone had opened the door, but Preston’s receptionist’s desk was empty. The fewer ears to overhear this conversation, the better.
An interior door to the right opened, and Preston stepped out, voice smooth and professional. “Sorry, sir, our receptionist is out. Is there anything I can do—” Preston broke off as recognition slapped him in the face.
Tanner didn’t smile. Didn’t speak. He just stared the man down, the heavy album still gripped in his hand like a threat.
Preston forced a nervous laugh and stuck his hand out anyway. “Good to see you, Tanner. What brings you in here today?”
Tanner ignored the offered handshake completely. He took one slow step forward, boots thudding heavily on the polished floor, eyes locked on Preston with cold, unwavering fury. This piece of shit thought he could keep sending Junie twisted gifts, circling her pictures like she belonged to him.
The possessive heat in Tanner’s chest burned hotter as he stood in the middle of Preston’s slick, overpriced office. The faint smell of leather polish and expensive cologne hung in the air, the kind of scent that screamed money and entitlement.
She’s mine.
His jaw clenched tight, fingers flexing around the album. He was done with the games. Tanner wasn’t here to play nice. He was there to stop Lassiter from harassing Junie and make sure the man understood exactly who Junie belonged to now.
Tanner’s jaw tightened, his words edged with danger. “We need to talk.”
He slammed the album down on the receptionist’s desk hard enough to make the wood crack. “This is what brings me here today.”
Preston reached for the album, but the smug confusion on his face only fed the fire roaring in Tanner’s chest. “Why in the world would something like this upset you, Tanner? It’s just a gift to my friend Juniper.”
“Junie is not,” Tanner growled, biting off every word. “Your. Fucking. Friend.”
He grabbed Preston by his fancy silk tie and yanked upward until the man was forced onto his tiptoes, choking. “She’s given you plenty of hints she doesn’t want your gifts or your attention. But you just don’t get it. So now you deal with me.”
His grip on the tie stayed iron-tight, heart pounding with pure, protective fury. Junie was his. He’d be damned if he let this entitled piece of shit keep breathing down his Little girl’s neck for one more day.
Sweat starting to bead on Preston’s forehead, but the bastard still had the nerve to open his mouth. “I can give gifts to anyone I like, Tanner,” he sneered, trying to sound confident. “Besides, she’s not with you, is she? Did she even ask you to come down here?”
Tanner clenched his fist. He couldn’t punch the guy in the face. But it sure was tempting. “She damn sure didn’t try to stop me.”
Preston smiled like he’d won a prize. “So that’s a no.”
White-hot fury surged through Tanner’s veins. He grabbed both lapels of Preston’s pressed Gucci suit and yanked upward, nearly lifting the man clean off the floor. Their faces were inches apart, close enough for Tanner to see the fear flickering in Preston’s eyes.
“If I hear of you going near her,” Tanner growled, his voice low and deadly, “sending her one more gift, calling her, texting her, or even breathing the same air as her—I’ll be back. And I promise you, you won’t like what happens.”
Preston’s eyes flashed with defiance even as his feet scrambled for purchase. “Just because you are too scared to show your interest in her, doesn’t mean everyone else is.”
Preston’s words hit too close to the truth.
Tanner had waited far too long to claim her.
But right now, that didn’t matter. Tanner’s grip tightened until the fabric strained.
This man must have a death wish. It was a wish Tanner was more than willing to grant.
Junie was his Little girl to protect and love.
And this obsessed piece of shit thought he had a claim?
He leaned in closer, voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “I may not have acted soon enough, but she’s mine now. And if you ever forget that again, I’ll make sure it’s the last mistake you ever make.”
The buzzer sounded again, and a woman stepped inside, her eyes widening at the sight of Tanner still gripping Preston by the lapels. “Oh! Mr. Lassiter, is everything all right?”
Tanner released his hold, letting Preston drop back onto his own feet with a stumble. His blood was still pounding hot in his veins, the need to protect Junie burning fierce in his chest.
“Everything’s fine, Angelina,” Preston said quickly, smoothing his suit with shaking hands. “I was just asking Tanner here to leave.”
Tanner turned toward the woman—the receptionist, he assumed—and touched the brim of his hat with two fingers, voice calm but edged with steel. “Just talking to your boss about a book and delivering a message.”
After picking up the book in question, Tanner pushed the door open, the buzzer cutting through the tension once more.
Before stepping out, he looked back at Preston one last time and pointed a finger straight at him.
“For your sake, Preston, you’d better pay attention to that message.
” With a short nod to the receptionist, he added, “You have a good day, ma’am. ”
Then he stalked out of the office, slamming the door hard behind him. The sound echoed down the hallway like a warning shot. He strode out of the building, the album still clutched tight in his hand, and Junie’s safety the only thing on his mind.
She was his, and if he didn’t back off, Tanner would make damn sure Preston Lassiter never forgot it.