Chapter 16

Ashton was scanning the hallway when the stairwell door flew open and Mirabelle barrelled out. She looked furious. Gorgeous, obviously—but furious. And then, like a nasty aftertaste, Rhys Granger followed her out. Ashton's jaw tightened. He'd never met the guy in person, but he recognized him from photos and the extensive background check. Rhys, the ex-fiancé. A trust fund guy with anger management issues, and apparently, the emotional maturity of a wet sock. The moment Ashton saw the expression on Rhys's face, he knew what was about to happen. The guy had that look—the same look idiots get right before they do something incredibly stupid. Ashton moved fast. Long strides, no hesitation. Mirabelle saw him coming, surprise flickering in her eyes, but there wasn't time to say anything. Rhys was already raising his arm, going for a cheap shot from behind like the absolute coward he was. Ashton didn't think. He just moved. His left arm wrapped around Mirabelle's waist, yanking her out of ra