Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Leena didn’t have a response.
“Thought not.”
* * *
αβ
* * *
“What the hell were you thinking bringing her in on something like that? Much less allowing her to be on the streets?” Rage surged through John and he worked extremely hard on not punching his brother through the wall.
“Are we talking about the same woman? Because I sure as hell can’t see her taking orders from me. Pretty sure she doesn’t take them from you and you—for whatever reason—she’s taken with.”
“She’s a civilian. She shouldn’t have been allowed to do that.” He longed to choke his brother. “She’s my woman. What if something happened to her out there?”
“First. All I did was visit her and ask if she’d heard from you since you got back. She volunteered the rest. I tried to stop her but well, she’s not exactly a puppet, John. You can see she’s fine, she’s out there with Terri.”
“You could have arrested her.”
He snorted. “On what charges? Wanting to help find my baby brother who’d been taken by a crime family? Sure, that would have held up.”
“I don’t care. Jaywalking?” His voice rose as his heart accelerated.
“She was helping one way or another. She called me each night. Plus, she had her dog with her.”
Okay, so yes, he knew that logically she had been protected but it didn’t help assuage any of his anger. “On the street, Davis. It’s winter and she was on the street.”
“I know, I know. I told you, I wasn’t a fan of the idea, but she wasn’t listening to me.”
“You could have locked her up in your house.”
“I never would have gotten back in. Her dog would have seen to that. Besides, you were missing. I would take help from anyone to get you back. I’d already lost you once and I’m not about to go tell our mother that you were killed because I wouldn’t accept help that was offered. You may be that stupid but I’m not.”
“Damn it, she could have been hurt.” The thought of her lying there beaten, bleeding, worse, churned his stomach.
“She wasn’t. And let’s face it. If she hadn’t been there, you’d have a lot worse that a shoulder injury.”
“Stop being fucking logical, Davis,” he snarled. “You put my woman in harm’s way.”
“Your woman. That’s the second time you’ve called her that in minutes. Why are you yelling at me when she’s standing outside? If she’s yours, you may want to go tell her that because from what I was hearing she’s going to be leaving soon.”
New pain sliced into him. Pain from the thought of losing Leena. “I’m yelling at you because I can. This is on you for bringing her into this.”
Davis gave him a pointed look. “Fine. You want to blame me, do it. I’m telling you right now, I’d do it again the same way if that’s what it took to get you back. You don’t want to yell at her, that’s fine. Surely you could find some better use to put your anger to. Like, oh, I don’t know, bringing this family down and stopping Tiltman.”
“I have to go to the father. I have to deal with him.”
“What? No way.” Davis crossed his arms and scowled.
“I have to. Do you have a burner phone here?”
“Of course. But no, this is stupid. Despite everything you’re still a member of law enforcement.”
“And I have a family and my woman to protect. It’s going to be the only way. He’s not going to just leave me alone otherwise.” John glanced out the window to the backyard. Leena and Terri stood there talking. What about he wasn’t sure but he damn sure was positive he was in love with Leena. She was unlike any woman he’d met before. Unselfish, caring, passionate and a whole slew of other things that made her perfect. For him.
Jealousy had slapped him hard when he’d heard her talking to Mitch. The way his name rolled off her tongue had irritated him to no end. He understood she knew other men and that was okay, what wasn’t was the fact she was at his brother’s house after helping save him talking to another man with comfortable ease. And she hadn’t agreed to be John’s yet. That was his problem, he still didn’t have her.
“Give me fifteen minutes then I’ll be out to make a call and talk with you and Terri.” He went to the door and yanked it open. “Leena.”
She looked at him over her shoulder. The sun shone on her face, highlighting the ruddiness in her cheeks from the cold. “Yes?”
“Come in here. We are talking now.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him before looking back over the yard. “Was that an order or a request?”
“Leena,” he rumbled, his patience skating on thin ice.
Terri looked between them both, patted Leena on the shoulder and headed by him inside. Leena however, didn’t move anywhere. Just stood there, overlooking Argo as he rolled happily in the snow.