Punishing for Pleasure by Avery Gale

short-lived.
    “Ms. Lanham, who was driving your car? Would you like to comment on the rumor your car was sabotaged? And is this your new boyfriend? Is he the reason you and the Senator broke up?” Dex hadn’t even seen the man step up in front of them until he started firing questions at Meri. And the minute the woman next to him jumped on-board the whole room became instant chaos. There were several camera flashes and more shouted questions when Dex saw the Wests and Ash stalk into the room. What had been chaos quickly degenerated in to full-blown FUBAR. And if he was honest, Dex would have to say fucked up beyond all recognition was an understatement.
    *****
    The photographer stood by shrieking about her rights while Ash calmly deleted all the photos of the accident scene, which included a close-up shot of Meri’s tag—he didn’t even want to think about what she’d planned to do with that picture. The pictures of Meri and Dex were also gone with a few quick presses of a button, he then double-checked the device’s backup. Oh yeah, saw this one coming. Good try , Lois Lane, but Navy SEALs are smarter than the average bear. The woman shouted something about him destroying her personal property and he laughed. “Listen, if you intend to blame me for destroying your camera then you can bet your sweet ass I’m going to get the privilege. So as I see it you have two choices, shut up or watch me fix your camera so there won’t even be salvageable parts left.” He leaned closer to her and snarled, “I deleted twenty-two pictures out of the fifteen hundred and sixty-two you had. How would you like to lose them all, honey?” He had deliberately leaned over her, making sure he towered over her in the process.
    Parker Andrews sauntered in the door, took in the brewing trouble, and casually inquired, “Anyone know who has a dark green Honda Civic? I think I saw one being towed out of the lot.” The reporter and photographer both gasped and clamored from the room with the others in their wake. “Of course I could be wrong,” he added quietly after the doors slid shut behind them. His smile was pure wicked delight and Ash couldn’t help but laugh at how quickly, and effectively the detective had managed to solve the problem. He turned and looked down at Meri, “Don’t worry, Merilee, we’ve got people at all the entrances now, they won’t be getting back in until we’re ready to let them.”
    Everybody in the room seemed to settle back and Ash watched as Meri sagged in relief. “Thanks. I really didn’t want anyone else pulled into this, but I’m not sure how I can avoid it now.”
    Jax McDonald stepped forward, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked down at Meri with narrowed eyes. “I just got off the phone with your dad, Merilee. To say he was worried would be an understatement as you can well imagine.” Ash watched as Meri visibly cringed. Since the Wests, McDonalds, and Lanhams were all wealthy locals, it stood to reason they would all be connected socially. Fuck it. Did everybody in the damned club know who she was but us?
    “Want to explain to me why I’m hearing about this from your dad and not you, sweetness? And give your answer some serious thought because I’m damned mad right now.” Glancing around before refocussing his attention on Meri, the new father added, “Deaga has decided three hours of sleep every night is plenty, I swear the kid was a damned BUD/S trainer in a previous life, so I’m tired and cranky, and looking for a target so you best not put your ass on the line—and I mean that literally.”
    Ash felt every muscle in his body stiffen as the familiar feeling of adrenaline rushing through him readied his body for a fight. What the hell? He threatens her ass right in front of us? And his earlier realization that they didn’t really have any real claim on her twisted uneasily in his gut, and from the scowl on Dex’s face, Ash figured his partner was facing the same