Eli picked up his phone as he sat at the desk. “Turner.”
“Mr. Turner, It’s Mrs. Bennet.”
“Good morning.”
“Yes. I have a concern about Kinley. Foster called her down again this morning, and she looked scared.”
He jumped from his desk. “I’ll call you back.”
He brought up the hidden cameras and wanted to howl with rage. He called Mrs. Bennet back.
“Call security to Foster’s office.”
“Okay.”
He raced down the steps and through the hallways until he got to the door. He knew Kinley was against it, so he couldn’t slam it open.
He pushed and felt the resistance but kept going. Once in the office, he grabbed Foster by the arm and threw him across the room, watching him crash into the monitors and collapse.
He placed place a hand on Kinley’s shoulder and felt her flinch.
“Baby, it’s me. It’s Eli. You know I wouldn’t hurt you.”
She sniffed and turned his way.
The fear and despair in her eyes made a rage unlike he’d ever felt rush through him.
“Eli?”
“Yes, baby.” He opened his arms and exhaled when she ran into them and held on to him. “I’ve got you. Shh, it’s okay now.”
He opened the door and walked out into the hallway where Mrs. Bennet stood. “Hold her for a moment.”
“I’ve got her, Mr. Turner.”
Eli walked back into the office and shut the door behind him. He picked Foster up off the floor.
“No,” the guy screamed and put his hands out in front of him to ward off the blows.
“You motherfucker. You knew she didn’t like what you were doing to her, and you still fucking touched her.”
Eli slammed his fist into Foster’s face several times and then went for his stomach. The man cried out and doubled over, but Eli wasn’t near to being done with him.
He had no idea how long he’d had with the man, but he guessed it was only seconds before several men were trying to pull him off the guy.
“Eli, stop. You’re going to kill the fucker,” Travis yelled as he pinned him to the wall with four other guys.
Eli dragged in several deep breaths to calm himself, but his focus was still on the man who touched his woman. Two security guys held him up.
He went for him again.
“Eli,” Kinley cried out for him.
He instantly calmed.
Travis patted his shoulder. “She needs you, man.”
Eli nodded and shook them off. “I’m good.”
The men took a step back but were ready if he went for Foster again.
Eli knew he needed to mellow out before Kinley saw him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply before he smoothed his clothes. Then he looked at his hand and noticed it was red, but no blood. It would be bruised but no broken skin. He didn’t want to freak her out even more.
They made a wall of men between the two as Eli went for the door. If it weren’t for Kinley, he probably would have gone for him again. He’d never been so murderously angry in his life.
Out in the hallway, he looked right and left and finally caught sight of Kinley in Mrs. Bennet’s arms. He pushed through the crowd of people. When he was a few feet from her, she cried out and threw herself in his arms.
He held her tightly. One of his hands held the back of her head against his shoulder as she wept.
“Shh, it’s okay. He’ll never hurt you or anyone else again.”
“He touched me,” she wept.