I’m the only onenotdating Leonor, and that shit stings a little because of it, but whatever. Making sure she’s good and getting the hell out of here are the priorities.
The asshole looks between us in confusion, his smile falling off his pointy face in favor of a frown. “But I thought…”
He motions to Lucky, who puffs his chest out proudly as he says, “You thought right, fuckface. I’m Leonor’s boyfriend, too. Same for Pete and Norman so suck on that for a minute.”
Well, that shut him up.
Collinsworth’s jaw goes a little slack, the preverbal gears in his head turning, and that’s the exact second Leo snorts into the back of my shirt.
Probably because she peeked around to see what was going on in time to catch that stupid look and now she’s laughing. Hopefully, and not because she’s blowing her nose. Lucky will lose it if she’s using me as a tissue.
“I didn’t realize things were that…serious. I do apologize. If I’d have known…”
Leo moves around me so fast she headbutts my chin as soon as I snatch her around the waist. “Bullshit! You have known for months now that I’m in a serious relationship.” She tries to wiggle free so she can get in his face but I don’t let go of her and Lucky practically clothes lines her to my chest. “Just because I didn’t use that word or tell you I’m in love with four men doesn’t make my status any less unavailable. I thought you finally understood that but I guess I was wrong!”
Leo kicks her legs and keeps trying to get free, but I’m so hung up on her saying she’s in love withfourmen that I actually let her go.
Right into Lucky’s waiting arm, but still.
I let her lose because Leonor implied she’s in love with me, and if I didn’t know we were pretending just to keep this asshat away from her, I’d be fucking flying right now.
But we are pretending, and Leonor was just rolling with what Lucky said, so I need to get my head back in the game so we can get the fuck out of dodge.
It’s sad how hearing Leo say she’s in love with me in a bullshit kind of way has my heart beating a little faster.
Real fucking sad.
So much so I’m going to have to start looking for somewhere else to crash because it makes my heart all stupid and achy.
Fuck.
“Saw an opportunity to take advantage of a girl stranded on your property and jumped at it, huh,Lex?” Leo yells, bringing me back to current events. “Hoping you could fill more than my tires,Lex?”
“I truly am sorry for the misunderstanding. I simply thought since you were in trouble I could provide a little assistance, play the part ofknight in shining armorso to speak.”
“What did you just say?” Now Lucky’s holdingmeback, his six six pushing hard against me because I’m seeing fucking red, white and all the colors. “You were trying towhatwith our girl?”
“Just trying to lend a helping hand.” Then this motherfucker has the audacity to look Leo up and down, his stare lingering on her ass because her back is to him while she’s trying to get me to look at her instead of him, and I know my head is about to explode.
“You did not just do that. Oh mygod, tell me you did not just look at my girls ass right in front of me.”
Lucky doesn’t let up but he turns to look down at Leonor and grunts, “He did what now?”
“You stay the fuck away from her, you hear me? You come near Leo again, and I will fucking kick your smarmy ass all overthis property then hang what’s left from the fucking flagpole. Keep your eyes and your fucking hands to yourself!”
“Mark, Teddy, let's go.” Leo shoves me off balance and starts walking me to the beast. “Let's just get out of here.”
Collinsworth starts laughing as Lucky joins us, the asshole now leaning against Leo’s car as he watches.
“If you change your mind, Leonor, you know how to reach me,” he calls after us. “I’d love to show you how good it could be to have a real man treat you right, awholeman. Unless, of course, circus freaks with scars or fat ass failing musicians are truly your kink.” Collinsworth grins. “I’m afraid I can’t compete with that.”
Leo stops dead in her tracks, Lucky and I stumble slightly from the lack of her hands tugging us away, and I see my nickname for her manifest right in front of us.
Murder flashes across those black as night eyes just before she spins on her heel and starts marching toward Collinsworth. And we’re too busy trying to figure out how she went from peacekeeper to this so fast we don’t realize exactly what she’s doing.
Until we do, and by then it’s too late.
Without speaking one word, Leo stops in front of him, cranks her arm back and punches Collinsworth right in the fucking nose as hard as I’ve ever seen her hit anyone. I mean, we can hear the thing break from ten feet away, not that it’s shocking because we’ve all been punched by Leo and she always hits fucking hard.
