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Lila forces herself between them, her small hands on Tom’s chest, shoving him backwards. “Not here,” she says firmly.
“What did you do?” Tom growls, leaning around her.
Lila shoves him again, pushing him back another step, her expression fierce. “I mean it, Tom. You want to fight, take it somewhere else. We have clients watching, for God's sake.” Then she whirls to face Blake. “And you,” she points, “you’re not a client, and this is private property. Next time, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing. Leave.”
Blake throws up his hands. “I came here to talk, and he assaulted me!” He gestures in my direction.
I smirk at his bloody face and rapidly swelling lip and eye. Damn right I did.
“Really?” Her eyes narrow. “Because I just saw a man attack my client at a healthcare clinic for wounded veterans, and the veteran defended himself.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Watch your mouth!” Tom and I bark at the same time.
Blake swipes his arm across his face, smearing blood everywhere. “You’re all insane.”
Lila advances on him. “No. We’re family, and we’re not people you want to fuck with. Now get off my property,” she says icily. The three of us glare as he gets into his truck, spraying gravel everywhere. Tom picks up my crutches and hands them to me.
“Sorry, man. You alright?” He looks me over.
I snort. “Please. The only thing that fucker hit was the ground.” Tom grins broadly.
Lila inspects my hands. “Your knuckles are bleeding.”
“It’s probably his blood.”
She shakes her head. “It looks like you caught his tooth. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Tom puts a hand on my chest. “Wait. Tell me what he did yesterday.”
I drag my phone out and play the voicemail Blake left for Charlie. Tom’s jaw flexes and his eyes blaze. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
“That’s enough,” Lila snaps. “You guys beating the shit out of him only draws attention to something Charlie wants to forget. You wanna help her? Quit focusing on that asshole.” Lila’s violet eyes pin each of us sternly.
I shrug. “She told him yesterday not to come back to her place of business, and he did anyway. I’ve clearly expressed my feelings about that to him. As long as he doesn’t upset her again, I’ll behave.” She scowls.
Tom doesn’t answer her, and I can tell by his expression that Blake’s bad day isn’t over yet. I’m pretty sure Lila can tell too, because she shakes her head and stabs his broad chest with her index finger, enunciating each word. “Not. Here.” She turns and stalks into the clinic.
I chuckle at her retreating figure. “Tucker’s got his hands full.”
Tom stares after her. “She looks so dainty, but she shoved me backwards. Twice,” he adds, incredulous. “And poked me with those bony little fingers.” He rubs his chest.
I laugh. “Be glad that’s all she did. I’ve seen her take down bigger men than you.”
CHARLIE
It’s a workout day, which means I have a houseful of people after work. Tom catches me in the hall. “I’m really sorry. I feel terrible for telling you I thought he was okay. I’m no better at picking guys than Lila.”
He pulls me into an unexpected hug, but it doesn’t scare me, and that fact makes my bad day significantly better. “It’s not your fault he reacted like he did,” I assure him. When he releases me, I notice his red knuckles. “What’s up with your hands?”
He glances down. “Just a little bare-knuckled boxing.”
I study him, realizing who he’s likely punched, though his face gives nothing away. “Thanks, Tom,” I say quietly. “You didn’t need to do that, though.”
“I told you, I protect my family, bloodborne and chosen.”
I can’t say anything else over the lump in my throat, so I hug him, and he chuckles as he hugs me back. “You’re getting good at these.”
