I threw my phone across the room, not caring that it struck the wall a lot harder than I meant it to. I didn’t know what this girl had done to me, but she had effectively driven me crazy. To make matters worse, it seemed to happen overnight.

I went from suave, charming, not giving a fuck about her or anyone else and simply enjoying the fact she was a good lay, to this angry motherfucker staring back at myself from the mirror. It wasn’t like me to care about the women I slept with, let alone to be driven so insane by one that I couldn’t even think straight.

I was furious she was going to eat with some fucking guy. I thought she was different. This Mitch guy clearly was more than just a friend. Or, at least, he was optimistic that he could be more. I knew women were strange that way, and she might think of him as only a friend and nothing more. But, that didn’t change the fact I’d seen the fucker all over her shit, liking every single photo and commenting on those where she was wearing minimal clothing. He wasn’t obvious about it, but there were creeper undertones in everything he said.

I didn’t like him. He looked like a fucking weasel who’d been in the friend zone for ten years, waiting for his chance to pounce.

It was beyond obvious to anyone but oblivious little Kennedy, that he wanted to fuck her. And why not? She was gorgeous.

I couldn’t believe she had the audacity to blow me off like that. If I was dressed and ready to go, I’d go flying over to her apartment on my bike. Her attitude was out of control and she needed to be put back in her fucking place. If she wanted to play this little game, she was in for a big surprise.

Who did she think she was, after all? Without me and the job I provided her, she’d still be living off Ramen noodles and crushed dreams. She owed it to me to be respectful. What made her think she could fuck me then go out and disrespect me by fucking with these other assholes.

The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I became, and the less I could concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing that day.

David had called earlier and wanted me to come in and record some of the new album we were working on. Normally, I would have finished the tour before moving on to recording the next album, but he wanted to push this one through.

The sooner we can get this album on the market, the sooner you’re going to be hearing the songs on the radio. You’re growing by leaps and bounds, Bryce, we’ve got to push you while you’re hot.

I could hear his voice in the back of my mind, and I threw my fist against the wall. Thank God I was living in a quality building and only succeeded in busting open one of my knuckles. The last thing I wanted to deal with right now was another hole in the wall.

I sighed as I walked to the bathroom, shaking my hand and wrapping a thin towel I’d found in the kitchen around my fingers. I grabbed my razor and dragged it across my face, not bothering to lather up with shaving cream. My mind was spinning so quickly, I couldn’t focus on anything I was doing. I was going through the motions of the morning, trying to decide what the best course of action would be.

The more I thought about the way the conversation that morning had gone, the more convinced I was she was going to fuck the guy out of spite. The brain is a ruthless organ that takes you to the darkest places. I had enough women prove a point to me by fucking someone else, and though I couldn’t say with any of them I really cared at the end of the day, I hated that they thought they could use sex as a method of revenge. My ex had been the worst. She’d fucked me up real good, considering she was banging my so-called best friend at the time. It was part of the reason I was all over Kennedy so much, like some kind of stalker.

Fuck women.

When it came to Kennedy, I felt even more strongly about the topic. She needed to learn a lesson. That’s how it is with people. They take and take when you have something they want, then when they get comfortable they feel like they can treat you like shit. Like working for you for a month meant they’d been instrumental in your success. Newsflash, Kennedy, you can be replaced.

She worked for me, and I’d made her life as easy as she could ask for. The woman could have gotten away with murder and I wouldn’t have said anything. Not to mention she was bringing home a hefty paycheck on top of it. I patted some aftershave over my jawline and checked for any stray hairs I missed in the mirror.

Fucking women. Doesn’t she know how many chicks would die to get to fuck me every day? That would do whatever the hell I wanted?

I slipped into a t-shirt and pulled on my leather jacket, tossing the towel next to the sink. My knuckles were still torn up, but they’d quit bleeding, so I wasn’t going to worry about doing anything else with them. I was sure David would give me shit, but I could still play the guitar, so fuck him too.

I slid my phone into my pocket and grabbed my car keys. It wouldn’t be hard to guess where she chose to go to lunch.

I’d just drop by for a little visit. Give them both a nice little surprise.

* * *

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Kennedy snapped at me when I walked up to the table.

I grinned my ass off. There was a look of pure confusion on Mitch’s face as he looked from her to me and back again.

“Babe, who’s this?”

I stood there, shaking my head then raised my eyebrows at Kennedy. “Babe?” Fuck this guy. He absolutely knew who the fuck I was, not that I could say anyone would know him on the street. Smarmy little prick.

“I told you not to call me that.” Kennedy snapped at him, then she looked back at me. “I thought you were going to be recording in the studio or something?”

“How could I miss all the fun?” I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to keep my temper under control.

People were glancing over at us from other parts of the restaurant, but they knew better than to get involved. There was a certain tension in the air.

“You need to go.” Kennedy glared.

“If this guy’s bothering you, I can make sure he leaves.” Mitch acted like he might stand up.

Oh, I wish you would, bitch.

I shook my head at him, like he was a pathetic piece of shit. I leaned down in his face and noticed both of his hands trembling. “Well, Mitch. Let’s see you make me, then.”

“Look, dude, I just don’t think she wants you in here bothering her.” He started to stand up.

I caught him before he made it to his feet, with my finger wrapped around his neck. He went straight back over his chair and I went right down with him.

“I already gave her what she wants, multiple times. Every goddamn night, you little motherfucker.” My knuckles busted back open when they crashed into his face.

“What the fuck?” Kennedy yanked on me from behind. “Stop! Bryce, Jesus Christ!”

There was broken glass all around us and I was raining fists down on his face. Heat rushed through my body and I couldn’t have stopped myself if I tried. Fuck him. He could sue me and get a check in the mail, I didn’t give a fuck. I leaned down in his ear. “Stay the fuck away from what’s mine.”

I stood up and backed away as Kennedy checked on him, then glared at me.

Fuck it. He’d live. He’s the one who tried to stand up and start shit anyway.

He shouldn’t have called her ‘babe’ with that shit-eating smirk on his face. I just wiped it off for him.

“You need to go.” Kennedy was huffing and puffing.

Mitch came to and grinned at me. I shook my head, just waiting for him to say something stupid again.

“What the hell, babe?” He turned and smiled at me right when he said ‘babe.’

Kennedy’s eyes grew wide when I took off at him again.

But, two strong hands gripped me by the shoulders right when I was about to pummel the shit out of him. There was still enough of a din in the restaurant it was difficult to hear anything clearly, but in the back of my mind I could hear a cop shouting.

“Stop! Break it up!” He was pushing me down to the ground, and there were two more on Mitch. Now that the cops had arrived, he was singing a far different tune than he had been just moments before.

“I was just sitting here enjoying my meal when this psycho came out of nowhere and tried to beat the shit out of me. I don’t know if he mistook me for someone else or what the fuck his problem is, but I want him taken to the station for questioning.”

I smirked to myself. His voice was so fucking whiny. Why was Kennedy even eating lunch with this piece of shit? I just sat there and grinned my ass off. I knew for a fact my lawyers were way fucking better than his.

“We are going to take both of you down there for questioning, and we’re going to need to get a statement from you as well.” The cop spoke first to Mitch then turned to Kennedy who looked like she felt sick to her stomach. They were slapping handcuffs on Mitch despite his angry protests, but it was another sound that suddenly caught my attention.

I knew better than to speak to the police. Lawyers did all the talking in my world.

Then, it happened.

The unmistakable sound of a camera going off. Again, and again. I was dragged to my feet, but I refused to look around. The best paparazzi never showed their face. There was always just enough doubt mixed in with the truth of the story, and it was only made better when there wasn’t a full photo of the accused to go along with the work.

I’d long since learned if the paparazzi was there, to keep my head down and get into the car as fast as possible. I didn’t know where Kennedy was, and I was glad they had the good sense to put Mitch in a different vehicle to get down to the station. But, in an odd sort of way, none of that even mattered now. Now, all I could think about was how this was going to go down at the police station.

And, more importantly, how it was going to go over with the record label.

But, even with the potential of losing my contract with them looming over my head, in the back of my mind I felt something like regret. Not regret for putting that fucker in his place.

But, that I’d upset Kennedy.