Goosebumps erupted along her skin. The possessive way he stared at her and turned his anger on Charles. With Tony here, she would be safe. At least she would be safe from everyone that wasn’t him.
“Excuse me, but this is a private conversation,” Charles said. He didn’t pull away from her body.
“There is no reason for you to be talking to my wife. Step the fuck back from her.”
Charles stood. He ran his hands down his suit jacket. “Do you really want to fight for her, or do you use your fists to keep her in place?”
Opal jumped at the opportunity to be away from him. She got up and walked to Tony’s side. His gaze remained fixed on Charles. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she got his attention.
“What?” he asked.
“Let’s go. Coming here was a mistake,” she said.
“Go and get in the car. I won’t be a moment.”
Opal stared at him. She knew what would happen if she left him. “He’s not worth it.”
“I said go and get in the car. Don’t question me on this, Opal.”
Why did men always tell her what to do? Shaking her head, she moved past him, through the door to the front door.
“If you step out of this house, don’t even think about coming back,” her mother called. Opal stopped with her hand over the door knob. This was her childhood home. A place she at once loved and hated with the same amount of passion.
Turning round she stared at her parents, the two people she’d hoped would come to love her for who she was. “This has never been my home. Only a prison.” She opened the door with a sigh and walked out. No longer would she look back. Only moving forward.
****
Tony waited until he heard the front door close behind her. He had no desire to fight this bastard, but he would if he ever laid a finger on his woman again.
“You always chose the bad moments to interrupt. Can I get you a drink?” Charles asked.
“No,” Tony said.
He watched as the other man filled a glass to the top and began to take huge gulps out of it. Seeing the way his father was on alcohol, he tried to keep himself under control. Whenever he wanted to lose control, he did so away from everyone. No way would his downfall into drinking affect anyone but himself.
“So how much will it take to give Opal up?” Charles asked him.
“She’s not for sale.” He wouldn’t give his woman to this fucker if he was down to his last dime.
“Everyone has a price. What’s yours?”
“Opal. Is. Not. For. Sale,” he said each word slowly.
“She will be mine. After all, you’ve got Rita Brooke. Surely she’s more in your league than an innocent like Opal.”
He’d had enough. Tony knocked the glass out of the guy’s hand and slammed him up against the nearest wall. “You come near her, and I’ll make sure you’ll never father children again. I mean it.” To add to his threat he threw a punch at his face and watched in satisfaction as Charles went down in a heap.
He didn’t stay around to clean up the mess. Opal sat in the car waiting for him. He got into the driver’s side, threw the car into gear and was out of there. Once they were on the road he slowed the car down.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“Don’t talk,” he said. His knuckles hurt. Looking at them he saw they were red and sore. Biting his lip, he let out a bunch of curses and slammed the steering wheel. He hated when his anger got the better of him.
Opal sat as far from him as possible. Tony saw the tense way she sat. Trying to stay hidden from his temper. As if she was afraid he would start on her.
“Don’t be afraid of me,” he said. “I would never hurt you.”
She relaxed slowly. Thankful for small mercies, he drove straight to the hotel which housed one of his penthouse suites. He got the valet to park his car while he escorted Opal up to his room.