six
Alec
I force myself to relax my grip around my glass before it shatters in my hand. I bring the liquid up to my lips and take a sip, trying to act natural and detached.
Fuck, it's hard, though, when the object of my obsession is being paraded around in front of a bunch of horny men—some of them older than her father. They're all eye-fucking her, imagining what she looks like under that snow-white dress. What they don't realize is that she is for my eyes only.
I'm the only one who's ever seen her completely naked, and I'm the only one who ever will. She entrusted me with that gift, and I'll do everything in my power to protect it.
I continue holding my drink in one hand and stuff the other in my suit pocket. I walk the room, nodding politely at the other men, stopping to make small talk with those who initiate it, all the while keeping a view on Addy out of the corner of my eye.
To the casual observer, I'm just another one of the unscrupulous businessmen here.
But I'm wearing a wire and circulating the room to capture enough evidence to take down this entire ring of criminals.
An old buddy of mine from college works for the FBI, and I called him up to get his advice on this entire situation with Addison. You'd think I'd resurrected his dead grandmother with how excited he was when he heard it was Donald Jameson I was trying to take down.
The FBI has been monitoring him and his ring of associates for a while now, but no one can ever get close enough to get enough dirt on them for any charges to stick. I'm now giving them that opportunity in exchange for Addy's safety. It's clear she's a victim of all this, and I just want her safe and free.
My instructions are simple. Capture as much audio feed as I can of their illegal business dealings, and preferably get evidence of Jameson attempting to auction his daughter off in exchange for business favors.
Sounds simple enough, but it's proving harder than expected with Jameson practically throwing his daughter to the wolves. For Christ's sake, these men are making no attempt to hide their lustful expressions as they leer at his daughter, and he's encouraging it. What the fuck is wrong with this man?
I'm practically vibrating with fury, my jaw tight. I have to get a hold of myself and relax, or I'm going to blow my entire cover. I take another sip of the amber liquid in my glass, not even tasting it as it glides across my tongue and down my throat.
I watch as Jameson prods his reluctant daughter, pushing her closer to an old man with thinning hair, a pot belly that his expensive suit can't cover, and a lewd grin on his face. The old man reaches out, placing a hand on the small of Addy's back, pulling her closer to him.
And I snap. I fucking snap.
I thought I could do this, but I was wrong. My vision turns red, and the next thing I know, my fist is connecting with the fucker's face.
There's a sickening crack as I break his nose, but I'm not fucking sorry at all.
I want to break much more than that.
"Garison! What the fuck, man?" Jameson screams, his eyes hot with fury as one of his oldest business associates staggers back, screaming and clutching at his bloodied nose.
Before I get a chance to say anything, I see Jameson's eyes darken. I follow his gaze down to my shirt where my wire is clearly visible.
Fuck.He fucking knows I'm tapped. Shit!
My eyes flick to Addy's frightened face, her eyes big and round, her lips trembling in the face of such violence.
Jameson's mouth presses into a grim line as he reaches inside his jacket. His voice is eerily calm as he pulls the gun from his breast pocket and points it directly at me. "No one fucking betrays me—especially in my own goddamned home."
My only thought as I stare down the barrel of his gun is of Addy and what's going to happen to her if I die here tonight.
Before I can think beyond that or react, I hear the pop of the gun and a deafening scream from Addy.
I register the scene before me in slow motion. Addy's petrified eyes and perfect little mouth screaming "NO!" as she launches herself in front of me.
"Addy!" I shout as she falls to the ground, her arm covered in blood.
I fall to my knees beside her and frantically assess where the blood is pooling from her arm. I don't even register the chaos breaking loose around us as the FBI busts into the room, taking down Jameson and all these crooked assholes.
My only concern is Addison, my sweet, brave, innocent girl.
I locate where the blood is coming from, quickly removing my coat and tying it around her arm to staunch the flow. Thankfully, it only looks like a flesh wound.