Chapter 23 I Saw Red
Cole Ryder’s POV:
I couldn’t leave. I watched her walk away, but I couldn’t bring myself to mount my bike and go away. I was a little frustrated at myself. Today hadn’t gone as I’d hoped, and I wouldn’t let it end without some sort of respite, some sort of solution. In any way possible.
I had to be out of the country in two days. Leaving the conversation like this, especially after explaining just halfway and not the good half, made me up to be nothing more than a pestering creep. I didn’t mind, but I wouldn’t bear being chalked up to just that.
What I felt for her was not a joke. I had so much riding on my conviction.
I opened my phone to watch the tracker I had conveniently fixed on the wristwatch I found earlier on her nightstand and noticed she was on the move.
I knew the watch had some sort of sentimental value and that was all I needed to know to confirm that she would always carry it with her. It looked well worn wnd loved. Of course, that meant she always put it on.
The other option would have been to get one for her that would achieve the same purpose, but I wasn’t at that point with her, not yet. The watch obviously belonged to a man, meaning her father probably gave her that watch. Not just that, she missed him to the point where she sobbed in her dreams!
I knew my mind would not let that piece of information go. It would taunt me and worry me until I got her to feel more of that for me instead. Father or not, i was not ready to see the person who she clearly loved enough to dream and cry about. If it had turned out to be someone else, I would have had to remove them from the equation. Permanently. Celene was mine.
Two hours later, I was leaning on the railing from the VIP section of a small club, watching Cee and her friend, Maria, dance alone. I had called up Jeffery and my personal and trusted guard, Bone, who was more muscle than anything else, to join me.
I had barely controlled my amusement when the tracking locator pointed me to a club. She had ditched me to party instead with her friend. I chuckled to myself as I watched her dance, attempting to light up her gloomy friend. Attempting to forget me...
Jeffery and Bone sat down instead and stared at the back of my head, shock written on their faces. Everything I did where it concerned Cee was new and shocking.
Jeffery walked close enough to me so he could whisper in my ear.
"Comare has called six times, sir."
It took physical pain for me to peel my eyes away from the oblivious Cee to look back at Jeffery. Comare was the title given to my mother by the mafia.
"Why? A bird spy on her? Or her house cat was a secret mole all along? Let her call. I’m sure she’s fine," I turned back toward My kitten and her friend but noticed an empty spot where they had been sitting.
I quickly scanned the drunk, gyrating crowd until I found her black woven afro hair at the bar. She was deep in conversation with some guy with a bob-cut. Another man beside him was staring at Maria like he would devour her.
I looked at Jeffery, who had already clocked in on what I was staring at. To Jeffery’s credit, he just nodded and began leading me toward the staircase that led down to the floor where my kitten was.
I wasn’t jealous. I wasn’t, was I? I kept making up excuses even as I walked briskly toward them.
Bone had gone ahead to clear the way so I wouldn’t bump into the people dancing.
I got so close to them, I could see the man talking to My kitten slowly bring his hand down to cup her ass.
I saw red. Every warning bell sounded in my head, begging me to control myself. Killing in public wasn’t a big deal, killing in front of Celene...not yet.
Even as i tried to even out my breathing, the dirty men kept trying to feel her up. Street urchins never knew their place until it was pointed out to them. Not only did I have to worry about an invisible man in Celene’s life, now, even the rats had come out to play.
The music wasn’t so loud in this section of the club, so I could hear fairly clearly.
"Woah Woah woah! Stop right there, mister. Back up!" Celene hollered, her voice loud enough over the music as she pushed at his chest. I would’ve been a little impressed if I wasn’t already not impressed by everything else.
"Don’t be such a prude. Let’s get out of here, have some real fun at my place," the scruffy-looking iguana said.
That was all I needed to hear. A cold fury coursed through my veins, and I felt a surge of possessiveness. No one touched what belonged to me. Not without permission. Not that I would ever give it.