Page 33 of Shatter

"So now that you've shown up to my home and rudely started barking demands, you can leave."

"You're the only person who knows where she is!" Athena screams.

I shake my head. "She's in Bali. Feel free to go look for her there," I say, moving to the door and opening it for them.

Athena's not done with her hysteria, though. She grips my shirt in her fists and shakes it back and forth. I don't budge.

"You have to tell us!" she shrieks.

"I don't have to do shit, Athena. She's an adult. If she wants to go on vacation to Bali, she's perfectly allowed."

"No, she's not! She's not allowed to travel without our approval! It's part of her contract."

Okay, that piques my interest. Melody is twenty-five. Of course she has a contract with her agent, but how is Athena involved? Is there a conservatorship? How can Athena control what an adult does or where an adult goes?

I make a note to talk to my lawyer after this.

"Mister and Misses S?" Parker asks, and I wince. He has the worst timing.

"Parker?!" she screeches.

He smiles as he walks into the foyer, like he's going to greet them with a hug. Marco trails behind him.

There's a tense beat where Athena processes that Parker's in my home, with his boyfriend. Parker's smile falters.

"How fucking dare you?! Siding with the enemy?!" she hisses at me, before launching at Parker, hand raised to slap him.

In a flash, I wrap my hand around her wrist and throw her in the opposite direction. She falls to the floor with a grunt.

"I know you weren't about to assault a guest in my own home..." I say, my voice low and serious. This is a safe space for Parker and Marco, and I will not have this harpy ruin that.

She scrambles to stand, flabbergasted.

I narrow my eyes at Chris. "Brother, I highly suggest you take your bitch and get out of my home before I decide to press charges."

I haven't threatened this much legal action in a single morning before, but apparently I don't mind throwing it around when it comes to protecting the people I care about.

And Parker and Marco fall into that category now.

"Come on, Athena," Chris says, lifting her off the floor by her armpits. "She's not here, and we're not going to find any answers here."

It's the smartest thing he's said in a long time.

She's still in hysterics as Chris drags her out of my front door, but at least it's directed at him now.

Mel and I need to sit down and have a long talk about her mother, her agent, and her contract. This morning wasn't the panic of a mother missing her daughter. This was a completely unhinged banshee who, I'm thinking, just had her gravy train compromised.

"Man, Harrison. I'm sorry. I didn't think she'd react like that..." Parker says, looking completely confused, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck.

I wave a hand and walk back into the kitchen, plating two omelets for them.

I slide the plates onto the island in front of two stools, because no one likes a cold omelet, but I need to take care of Melody right now.

"I couldn't care less about them. But you both are guests in my home, and I take that role seriously. No one is going to hurt you here." I nod to the plates. "Eat up."

I walk back to my bedroom and open the door, expecting to find it empty. Instead, I find a very naked woman on my bed.

Chapter eighteen