Something happened.
I tugged my jeans. I nearly caught myself in the zipper—a rookie mistake. I was too mad to put the shirt on. Downstairs, my weights beckoned me. I could work some of this rage out, before I made some phone calls. My knives hadn’t eaten Italian in a few years. If the father was dead, the brother would have to do.
It didn’t matter what happened. Because of the very fact that Poppy had felt the need to run, I was going to gut the Italian swine.
A firm knock on the front door had me pulling out my gun. Crossing into the living room, I cut the TV, the light extinguishing in the room. Creeping to the far end of the bay window, I peeked out.
A man dressed in a fucking sheriff’s uniform glared at my front door.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Tucking the gun against the small of my back, I moved to open it.
“Yes?” I snapped.
The clean-cut man looked me up and down. Dirty blond hair dusted the top of his head, and a sunburn could be seen on what was exposed of his throat. When he met my gaze, judgement filled his eyes.
“Is Poppy available?” he asked.
A dozen thoughts flipped through my mind, each singed with the same red fury that was already boiling through me.
“No, she’s not fucking available—”
“Kevin?” Poppy gasped. She was still in the damn towel.
The insane desire to stab the man’s eyes out, to prevent him seeing her like this consumed me. It was only tempered by the little voice in the back of my mind that she’d come out like that.For me. I gripped the door tighter, keeping back the instinct for violence, giving her the opportunity to trust me—to trust the monster who wanted to worship her.
Chapter 28 – Poppy
Iclutched the towel to my chest. I came out here to continue things with Ivan. The water was already deep, and I figured I might as well enjoy the swim. There was a small part of me, a powerful, driving force, that wanted to close the distance with him.
And there, at the door, was a knight in shining armor. Not that a tan, pressed pants, and a brown uniform were equivalent to a gorget, greaves, and gauntlets.
“Poppy?” Kevin started forward but was stopped by the half-naked barbarian.
“What are you doing here?” I squeaked, brushing a drop of water that trickled down my forehead to the side.
The deputy looked between Ivan and me. He saw how things stood. This was the kind of man I was sleeping with—not that I was. Yet. Just over a year ago, I turned Kevin down. I told him that we were going to stay friends. After three wholesome dates and one lackluster kiss, I halted any further intentions on his part.
“This guy?” Kevin spat. “Seriously, Pops? Him?”
I set my shoulders straight. “My personal choices aren’t your business, Kev. Now, answer the question. What are you doing here?”
Kevin braced his chin on his hand. “You sure know how to pick ‘em.”
The stance was mocking. The words dripped with condescension.
“Get the fuck off my porch,” Ivan barked.
He’s going to kill him.
That was a body we didn’t need to figure out how to bury.
“I’m here to do a welfare check,” Kevin sniffed, trying to glare down at the Bulgarian. Since Ivan towered over him by a good three inches, it didn’t have the same effect.
“Her welfare is fine.”
“Seriously, Kevin? You drove out here to check on us?” I snapped. “I messaged everyone that I was fine. That my plans changed.”
