Page 170 of Tall, Royal Hater
I smirked viciously. “Doesn’t mean much when you’re on the floor. Get up and say it.”
His face reddened further as he fumbled to push himself up onto his feet again.
“Johnny, Shehryar, stop this at once,”ourfather said.
Johnny came at me swinging, his movements slow and predictable. I jerked back, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and slammed my fist straight into his nose. He yelped in pain and more people gasped.
“That was for calling my mum a gold digger,” I growled, and socked him in the cheek. Bloody spit flew out of his mouth. “That was for calling Mariyah atawaifagain.” I smashed my fist into his nose a second time. He cried out, but his lashes grew heavy, and his body lolled back against my grip. “And that was for assuming I’deverwant to have my hands on your filthy money.”
I released him, and he collapsed on his side in a groaning, bloody mess at Andrew Platmon’s feet.
My so-called father stared at me in a mixture of shock, anger, and regret. “Shehryar—”
“How dare you, you animal!” Andrew Platmon’s wife shrieked as she dropped to the floor by her son. “You beast. What have you done to my son? Someone call the police now. You’re just as mad and feral as you were ten years ago.”
I spun away from her, and feet shuffled back all around me. Ablah, her friends, the entire room looked aghast like I really was a monster let loose. But I only had eyes on one person, the only person who hadn’t moved away.
Mariyah.
Seeing her, staring in shock and disbelief, pieced back together some of my rationale, blaring out a signal for me to get us both out before I lost it again and made things even worse.
I charged straight for her. Two people called my name, but I ignored them.
“Shehryar,” Mariyah said warily as I approached.
I snatched up her wrist and dragged her along with my quick steps. The crowd parted out the way. At the nearest table, Iswiped up a napkin cloth and wiped the slight splatter of blood off my right fist.
“Shehryar, are you—” She cut off as I grabbed her wrist again.
She kept calling my name, telling me to stop, snapping at me to look at her, but I took us out into the hall, down in the lift, and into the lobby without stopping.
“Shehryar, you’re hurting me,” she hissed just before the glass doors of the entrance.
Her words cut through the single-minded focus clouding my mind, and I abruptly halted. Releasing her wrist, I twisted to her. She cupped her hand against her belly, and I swore under my breath as I caught sight of the pink marring her skin.I’d hurt her.
“Sorry,” I rasped, shoving a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry. But we—come on.” I tried to curl my hand to the small of her back, but she shoved it away.
“No. You need to stop and talk to me.”
“We can talk in the car.”
“No. We’re not leaving like this, Shehryar.”
I rubbed my teeth together. I couldn’t do this now with her. I wasn’t in the right mindset to talk without my words getting the better of me. “Mariyah—”
“Excuse me.” Our attention turned to a bulky, brown-skinned man with a gold name tag a metre away. He edged closer. “Can I help in any way?”
“Yes,” I said, straightening. “Can you please have someone bring my car around? It was signed under the name Shehryar Timur.”
He eyed me warily, then set a troubled frown on Mariyah. “Ma’am, are you okay? Do you know this man? Do you need me to call the police?”
“What?” she said and quickly shook her head. “No, no, I know him. He’s my boyfriend, he’s just being an idiot right now. Butcould you please get the car for us?” She glared at me. “We’re just not leaving until we’re done talking.”
The man nodded, looking unconvinced, but he headed past us. He said something to a female colleague before calling over one of the doormen.
“Mariyah,” I bit out in frustration. “Everyone is watching—”
“Oh, you’re concerned about that now?” she snarked, widening her eyes. “What about up there?” I ground my teeth together and turned away, hands on my hips. “What the fuck was that, Sheri?”
