A part of me still couldn’t believe that this was where these brutes lived. All of them were far too rough to be in a place like this. This was built for royalty.
Hell, Leo hadn’t even changed out of those greasy clothes or washed her face before coming to find me in my room. Quite the puss-hound this proper gentleman was turning out to be.
Other than the car grease and the sleeves of tattoos, Leo was entirely clean cut. Her clothes were neatly tucked into her pants; her posture perfectly poised. Her hair was always combed into a neat, high and tight cut that would have passed any Army inspection.
But what was bizarre was how messy her hair was. Usually slicked back into a neat style, it was rough and floppy today.
Everything about her felt like a contradiction.
She was a doctor by her early 20s, served in the military. She’d gotten great grades. And she ended up working at Dom’s autobody shop, fixing fancy cars until late into the night. She was gentle and soft but also beat the fuck out of my piece of shit boyfriend.
I wasn’t sure what to make of her.
“How do you like your room?” Leo prodded.
With a shrug, I let my hand run along the crisping leaves of the garden. “Good, it’s huge. But weird not to have my stuff.”
Nodding, Leo watched my face. “Did that asshole let you decorate at all?”
“A little, but mostly I just miss my clothes. No offense.” I tugged at the hem of the tshirt I’d been borrowing for a few days now.
“That’s okay, Princess. I’m hoping it’ll keep your smell woven into the fabric.” Leo licked her lips as her eyes darted down to my mouth.
She’s down bad. I laughed to myself.
Shaking off her urges, Leo cleared her throat. “So, all your stuff is locked up in his place?”
“Pretty much. That or he’s already tossed it on the curb and it’s sitting in a landfill somewhere.” Looking out to the edge of the lawns, I stared into the dark forest. Despite it being broad daylight, the woods that sprawled out beyond the gardens were dark and eerie. They beckoned me toward them, calling to me.
“I could probably sneak in while he’s at work honestly, if you guys would take me there.” I knew I was pushing my luck, but it was worth the shot.
Snorting, Leo nudged my shoulders. “Nice try, Princess.”
I still wasn’t sure why they were keeping me here. Why did any of them care about me? So what if I had to deal with some asshole? Didn’t most women?
My eyes flicked down to the hilt of the sword tattooed to Leo’s skin, remembering when she’d gestured toward it when arguing with Dom. They had a secret, something I wasn’t aware of yet.
But there had to be clues around here somewhere.
“What did you get up to last night?” Asking about the tattoo outright didn’t seem like a good idea, but maybe knowing more about their schedules would help me.
Leo let out an exhausted sigh. “I was working at the shop until late. I didn’t leave until I realized you were still in the house alone. I assumed Spencer would be back earlier than me.”
Raising an eyebrow, I pressed on. “Yeah, what took her so long? She made it sound like she’d be quick. Ended up asleep and hungry.”
Opening her mouth, Leo tried to figure out what to say, how to push off my questions.
But just as she was about to answer, she turned her head toward the driveway and nodded. “Ask her yourself.”
Careening down the gravel, Spencer’s familiar blue Suzuki barrelled toward the house and us.
Now was my chance to get closer to them, to figure out what they were hiding.
22
KIERA
The Suzuki tookthe bend in the driveway like it was nothing, picking up speed once Leo and I came into its line of sight. Sunlight danced off the blue shell between Spencer’s thighs, drawing my attention down to her powerful legs. As she drove closer, she twisted her right hand and jerked the handlebar left, letting the tail of the bike fish out as she whipped to a stop in front of us.
