Chapter 23
Killian
A few minutes later, the bleak cloud that is Pierce Crowell descends upon the house. One look at him and I immediately can tell that I’m not leaving Celani alone with him for as long as I can avoid it.
Pierce pockets his phone as he sees Celani and I together in the living room. She is folding through a basket of towels that she went to grab before he came in, and I am sitting on a couch opposite her, keeping my focus on Pierce.
He nods at me and my jaw clenches as he walks over to kiss Celani on her cheek. I see her flinch as she accepts it, giving him a tight smile.
“How was your day?” She asks, continuing to fold.
“So damn busy,” he grumbles in his perpetually irritated tone.
He launches into a recap of his day, ranting while walking back into the kitchen. Then suddenly, by some miracle, he shuts the fuck up.
But not for long.
“You didn’t cook?” He barks.
A familiar rage ignites inside of me as Celani freezes, blinking in disbelief at him.
“Excuse me?” She scoffs.
Pierce storms back into the living room shaking his head.
“I’m starving, Celani. I thought dinner would’ve been ready when I got here,” he complains, staring at her in annoyance.
Celani drops the towel in her hand back into the basket and places her hands on her hips.
“Well you never come home this early, Pierce. And lately you rarely even eat what I cook anyway,” she responds, glancing over at me. “Plus I’m tired today. I got my period this morning.”
I frown wishing she would have told me sooner how she was feeling. I would have made sure that she got more rest today. She spent a lot of time today doing laundry, and cleaning despite the maids being here.
Pierce’s humorless laugh brings my attention back to him and his aggravating face. “Is that an excuse for everything?!” He asks, throwing his hands up in the air.
For a moment I wonder what idiotic man would talk to a woman like he does, especially after she tells you she is at her most sensitive and vulnerable time of the month. He truly needs to learn when to shut his mouth, and right now I’d be more than happy to assist him.
I clench my fists ready to get up and put him in his place, but Celani darts over to him first. Her face is angrier than I’ve ever seen it before, and I know she’s about to walk him like a dog.
“What the hell is your problem?” she asks, giving him a disgusted look. “Every day it’s a new stank attitude with you, and some rude comment you can’t filter before it leaves your mouth!”
“You have no idea the stress I’m under!” Pierce shouts. “What I’m trying to do for you!”
“For me?” Celani questions incredulously, her eyes widening.
I’ve had enough of this asshole disrespecting her, and making weak excuses for his actions. I jump to my feet and swiftly push Celani behind me. I stalk forward into Pierce’s space and he recoils like he forgot I was even here.
The air crackles with tension as I glare down at him.
“Lower your voice,” I warn menacingly. “Watch the way you’re speaking to her.”
He scoffs at me, but I can see the fear skitter across his face because he knows exactly what I’m capable of.
It’s why he hired me.
He waves a hand, “So what? Are you adding relationship counseling to your business services now? Giving free suggestions?” He jabs sarcastically.
I twist my jaw. “It wasn’t a suggestion.”
His smug expression weakens, and he clears his throat, trying to look around me at Celani but I don’t let him.
He finally relents, looking back at me. “I’m sorry. It’s just.. I have a lot of shit going on right now. With work I mean,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “You know how it is.”
I shake my head, “No. I don’t ‘know how it is’. I’ve never been so stressed that I yelled at a woman. So I suggest you find a new outlet for your work issues,” I warn.
Right now I don’t care if he is the man that hired me or not. I’m done letting him treat the woman I care for however he thinks he should.
He nods and I step to the side, turning around to look at Celani. She still looks ready to rip Pierce’s head off, and when he tries to give her an apology and hug she turns away from him, folding her arms over her chest.
He shoves his hands into his pockets looking uncharacteristically ashamed.
“I’ll go order some food for us,” he mutters to her before turning his eyes back to mine, and narrowing them. “You can go.”
My nostrils flare and I stop myself from punching him in the back of the head when he turns around and pulls out his phone. He walks down the hallway to the front of the house.
I step closer to Celani and see the anger on her face has disappeared. She looks drained from their argument and I wish that I could pull her into a hug.
“If you want me to stay he can go to hell, baby,” I say quietly, meaning every word.
She gives me a sad smile. “Thank you, Kill, but I’m going to go upstairs and shower, then go to sleep in the guest room. He can eat his takeout alone,” she says, throwing a vexed look at the hallway.
I smirk at her. She’s somehow even prettier when she’s all riled up.
“Ok I’ll go,” I concede, following her gaze to the hallway where Pierce is barking out an order for Chinese food on his phone.
“If he starts anything again and you need me-“
“You’ll be right here,” she finishes for me. “I know, Kill. Thank you,” she whispers.
We hold each other’s gaze for a few moments and I force my hands to stay off of her. I let out a slow breath and turn around, keeping my eyes on her until I reach the back doors.
I step outside into the cold night air and close the door behind me, but I linger around the back of their house for a while to make sure I don’t hear more yelling before going into the guest house to get Asher.
I have an important errand to run.