Jaden (Jaded #3)

I wanted to rip those pearls from her neck, then I wanted to grab her phone.

Think, Sheldon! I barked at myself, struggling as Guadalupe’s assistant was trying to break free from my hold. She kicked out, landing a good whack at my leg, and I almost buckled. She got the side of my knee. If she hurt my knee, she could really do damage to me, but I wanted Guadalupe’s phone, too.

“Sheldon, what are you doing?” Bryce started toward me.

“Get back!” I maneuvered us so that I was against the wall, still holding the assistant in my headlock. While she kept trying to kick me, I applied pressure and lowered her to the ground. She couldn’t kick as much now.

“STOP!” Guadalupe shouted, both of her hands, phone, and purse included, flew into the air. “What are you doing? This is insane.”

It was. And it’d result in a restraining order. I hadn’t thought everything through, but I needed that phone, and I needed this to go to the hotel lobby. I wanted the showdown to happen there, where people could hear.

My eyes darted to Bryce’s, and I nodded at Guadalupe. He frowned. “What?” he mouthed at me.

I jerked my head in sporadic motions, widening my eyes dramatically. The phone. The effin-loving phone. Get the phone.

His eyes narrowed. He scratched behind his ear.

I rolled my eyes from frustration, then I felt teeth sink into my arm. I felt blinding pain first, then heard a scream rip out of my throat. The assistant bit me. I glanced down, and she was still biting me. Her teeth were fully embedded into my skin.

“Get off!” I rasped out, the scream had left me hoarse. “OFF!”

“Let her go!” Guadalupe rushed to my side and started to pull at my arm.

Her assistant’s teeth sunk farther in, and my skin ripped from being pulled by Guadalupe. Batting her away, I clambered out, the pain slicing me, “You’re making it worse.”

“Let her go. She’ll stop biting.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

The pain was too much. I was starting not to be able to think clearly around it, then Guadalupe started clawing where my hand was locked onto my arm. Let go. That command sounded in my head and I obeyed, knowing it was the only way to get the assistant off me. As soon as I did, I started to fall sideways. Bryce scooped me up against him, held an arm around my waist, and pressed a towel to my arm. He murmured into my ear, “I got it.”

I nodded, not remembering what we needed to get. I said anyway, “Good.”

Guadalupe clasped a hand onto her assistant’s arm, who stood to her feet. She wavered unsteadily, scowling at me, but she was sweating. The anger was still there, but she was weakened from the physical confrontation.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

“This is hotel security. Open the door,” a deep voice commanded from the other side of the door.

The phone. It could have information or evidence we needed. We still needed to get it, but Guadalupe moved around me. She opened the door, allowing three security guards to come inside. They took one look at us, the blood on my arm, how haphazard the assistant looked, and immediately a guard grabbed my arm while another seized her arm. The leader lifted a hand radio to his mouth and pressed the side of it. “Two subjects. We’re moving them to the security office.”

“I want to press charges.” Guadalupe pointed at me. “She attacked Maria.”

Maria. That was her name. I’d been trying to remember. I sent Maria another scowl.

“I want to press charges, too,” I announced.

Guadalupe cast me a dumbfounded look. “You came in here. You attacked my assistant.”

Maria opened her mouth, but Guadalupe silenced her with a look. “Don’t. I’ll do the talking for you.”

Where was Guadalupe’s phone? I wondered that, but remarked, “She touched me first.”

“What? That’s ridiculous.” As she held her hands up in frustration, I saw it was empty. I started to look around. Where could she have put it?

“All of this will be handled in my office.” The head security guard gestured down the hallway. “Rick, Nelson, take them down to my office. Do not leave them alone.” He stepped to the side.

As we started forward, I twisted around. The head security guard lifted a hand, stopping Bryce and Guadalupe from coming with us.

I called back, “I want Bryce with me.”

Bryce looked at me and gave me the smallest headshake possible.

I shook my head back. “Yes. I want you with me.”

“Rick, don’t let her go. This will be handled with the hotel only.”

Wait—what? The elevator doors opened, and we were led inside. As they slid closed, the guard holding onto me, Rick, pushed the lobby button. The office was on the main floor. I tucked that information to the back of my mind and asked, “You guys aren’t going to call the cops?”

He stared at me, but didn’t respond.

The other guard, Nelson, ignored me. He was staring straight ahead. Maria was on the other side of him, leaning against the wall. She was staring right at me.