“Lucas Alexander Nolan!” Dani heard Wren shout his name and her heart dropped when she saw the rest of the family standing in the doorway.
Luke’s hands fell from her, and she ran for the stairs. She was not going to be in the middle of this right now; she couldn’t be in the middle of it without losing it and that would hurt them all.
“Dani,” Joan called but she dodged the outstretched hand and hurried up to the bedroom locking the door before she ran to the bathroom locking it also and allowed herself to be sick.
“What the hell did we just walk in on?” Wren demanded as Luke turned and slammed his fist into the wall.
“I’ll kill you,” Tyler stated stepping up in front of Luke. “You had Dani lie to all of us last night, didn’t you? You made her look us all in the eyes and lie for you.”
“No, I didn’t,” Luke replied knowing that he’d just messed everything up. His damned jealously at the idea of Dani leaving him for someone else had taken over and he’d scared her. It was the one thing he promised himself he’d never do again and yet the fact that she’d went to see an attorney had made him do it. He pushed past Tyler and headed towards the stairs to go find her praying he could convince her to forgive him for the loss of his temper. He would never physically hurt her. The thought of it, of putting another bruise on her gorgeous body made him sick. Even the ones he’d left on her hips and thighs before had him furious with himself, and they’d been made under the sweetest circumstance.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Tyler asked grabbing his arm.
“To check on Dani,” he answered shaking him off.
“Like hell you are…”
“Ty’s right Luke,” Angela said stepping in front of him. “I never in my life thought you’d hurt a woman, least of all Dani, but you’re not getting anywhere near her.”
“Move Angela,” Luke ordered.
“No,” she replied. “You’re going to have to go through me and Ty to get to her.”
“Get out of my way.”
“Lucas Alexander, the only place you’re going is into your study right now,” Wren stated. “I will take you down myself if you so much as think about laying a hand on Dani ever again.”
“For the last time I have never hurt Dani!”
“We heard you Luke, heard you shouting at her through the door, and when you didn’t answer our knock, we came in,” Joan said moving over to stand beside Tyler and Angela at the foot of the steps.
“We heard it clear as day Luke,” Angela added. “We opened the door and heard you ask her why she didn’t tell the truth last night.”
“You have no idea what you heard,” Luke stated wondering how this got so screwed up. This morning had been perfect. Dani had slept against him, waking with no fears or panic and they’d made love gently until she’d fallen back asleep. Now, he was being looked at as though he were a monster.
“You told her you were never going to let her go,” Tyler said. “It’s pretty damned hard to take that any way other than what it is.”
“I don’t understand how you could go from the way you two were last night to this display,” Joan said sadly. “You and Dani seemed so happy when you arrived and even when you left, but this—this is not you. My son would not hurt his wife; he would not tell her she couldn’t leave.”
“For fuck’s sake…” Luke groaned lowering his head in disbelief. He lifted it and shouted up the stairs, “Danielle! Get down here now.”
“Bellowing at her is not going to get you out of this,” Wren stated pushing him down the hallway.
“None of us are going to believe you now. We won’t believe a word of what she says with you here,” Angela said when he resisted. “I never thought I’d be ashamed to admit you’re my brother but I am.”
“Come anywhere near Dani and you’ll regret it,” Tyler added. “I’m getting her as far away from you as possible and if you think about threatening her, I swear I’ll kill you.”
“Stay the hell away from my wife,” Luke countered moving around his father before he pushed through his siblings and started up the stairs.
“Not happening,” Tyler said grabbing the back of his shirt, pulling him downward.
Luke turned around and let Tyler break his fall as he tried to regain his balance. He shoved him away and moved back to the steps, but Tyler grabbed him around the waist and pushed him through the front door and down the porch steps.
“Get the hell off of me,” Luke shouted at him.
“Not until you admit what a complete bastard you’ve been to Dani.”
“She’s never going to go to you,” Luke stated elbowing him in the gut. “She doesn’t want you.”