Page 26 of More Bite than Bark

In the bathroom all he found was feminine products, and what he understood were standard ones at that.He wasn’t fazed by them, they were part of life, but he could understand why Elle might not want strangers seeing them.

When he’d finished packing up everything on the list she’d given him he checked on the prospects one more time, letting them know he was done in the other rooms and they were free to pack up the rest now, then he left.He had just reached the ground floor when Anderson came in the front door.

Hex didn’t know if there was any reason other than Elle for him to be here, so he let the man walk by, but he didn’t leave just yet as he suspected he would be called upstairs soon.

Sure enough, his phone rang less than three minutes later.He headed back up to her third-floor apartment, not bothering to wait for the elevator and taking the stairs instead.

Hex spotted Anderson as soon as he stepped out of the stairwell.He stood in front of Elle’s door, looking down his nose at Nathan who stood in front of the door blocking the man from going inside.

“I don’t give a flying fuck who you think you are or if you have a key.I have a key, from the only person named on the lease.She has asked that you not go inside again.”

“Where is Elizabeth?”Anderson demanded.“Tell me or I’m calling the police.”

“Go right ahead.I’ve done nothing to her.I’m here on her request.You on the other hand, are not.”Nathan folded his arms across his chest.

Hex saw the prospect’s gaze flick to him then back to the man in front of him.Good.He knew he was there.

“Michael Anderson?”Hex spoke as he closed the distance between them.

Anderson turned and looked at him as if it was a bother.

“Yes, and you are?”

“I’m Hex.Elle thought we might see you today.She asked that I give this back to you.”He held out the engagement ring she’d given him before they left.“She also asks that you not contact her again.”Hex did his best to keep it professional, no matter how much he wanted to punch the idiot in front of him in the mouth.

“Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”

Hex shook his head.

“You just don’t get it, do you?I’m not telling you what to do, I’m relaying a message.If you ignore Elle’s wishes, then you’ll get to see how I deal with worthless cheating scum like you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Do you want me to go into it here?”Hex gave the hallway a pointed glance.As if to make his point, a door opened farther down the hall and an older woman stepped out.She headed their way, likely heading for the elevator which was behind Hex.

“Oh, dear,” she said stopping beside Anderson, her eyes on Elle’s apartment door.“Did something happen to Elizabeth?”

“No, ma’am,” Hex said without hesitation.“She’s fine, but she’s moving out.I’ve got some friends here doing the heavy lifting, so she doesn’t have to.”

“That’s so sweet.She said she would be moving soon.Are you her new husband?”

“Not yet.”Hex smiled at the old woman, completely ignoring Anderson.He wanted to say more, but decided it would be best to leave it at that and hope the woman assumed that he had been Elle’s fiancé all along.

“Better hurry then,” she said, patting him on the arm before continuing down the hall.

“Not yet?”Anderson repeated once the old woman had gotten on the elevator and the door closed.

“That’s what I said.”Hex looked back to the man Elle had left at the altar the day before.

“Who exactly do you think you are?”Anderson demanded looking down his nose at Hex once again.His eyes playing over the leather vest, jeans and shit-kicker boots Hex wore and obviously finding them lacking.

“The man who’s going to make her happy.The one who’s not sneaking off to Biloxi every month to barhop and pick up strange men.”

Anderson’s face went white, but that didn’t stop Hex.Hex leaned forward, letting his body and his refusal to back down intimidate the fucker.

“The one who’s not looking at her like a paycheck.The one who’s going to protect her when Harry the Horse comes looking for his money.”

Anderson’s mouth fell open, then moved up and down for a moment, but no sound came out.