The man on the ground starts to shuffle to his feet, starting to cuss again.
Stone stands between him and me. “Cole, your father is waiting.”
I huff out a breath. He’s right. I gesture to the man that Stone is holding back and ask Luna, “What can I do to help?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Nothing. There’s nothing anyone can do.”
I tilt my head to look at her. “Try me.”
“You can’t?—”
Leo moves around and slides into my jacket. I hold him to me and reach for Luna. This time she doesn’t tense. “Tell me. Why is this man bothering you?”
She blows out a breath, and I hate it because her face shows defeat. “I owe him twelve hundred dollars for rent. He’s closing the shelter down.”
It’s my turn to tense. “I’ll take care of it.”
I put my hand on her chin and lift. “Did he touch you?”
I wait for her response so I know if I’m about to kill a man or not.
She shakes her head. “He didn’t touch me.”
I nod and reluctantly release my hold on her. “Stay here.”
I walk over to Stone and the man and tell my driver, “Stand with Luna over there.”
Stone shakes his head. “Cole…”
I glare at him. “Stone, I got this. Go and stand with Luna.”
He doesn’t want to, but he walks over to Luna. Only when I know she’s safe do I turn to the man that is still trying to recover from the jab to his throat. He looks a lot less cocky than he did when he was just facing Luna. “How much?”
He shakes his head. “How much? I’m going to sue you for assault and?—”
I step toward him, and he almost falls backward trying to get away from me. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”
He blinks, unsure. “Who.. who are you?” he stutters.
I jut my chin at him. “Cole Kingston.”
Luna gasps behind me just as the man pales and recoils, stepping away until his back hits the brick building behind him.
I trail after him. “So you see, suing me will get you nothing.” I sigh. “Dead, maybe, but nothing else.”
He peeks around me. “I’m sorry, Luna.”
I should be happy he’s apologizing, but hearing her name coming out of his mouth makes my blood boil. I’m about to punch the asshole again when the warm body I’m holding in my jacket stretches, reminding me Leo is still in my arms.
I’m fed up with this. I don’t want to talk to this asshole anymore. “How much for the building?”
Luna gasps again, louder this time. I hear Stone talking to her, but I focus on the man in front of me. I can see him working the numbers in his head. He wants this, but he doesn’t believe it. “You’re fucking with me.”
Bored with the whole situation, I shrug my shoulders. “Sell me the building today or I’ll have the inspector down here. I wonderhow many other of your buildings are in disrepair like this one? I can shut down your whole operation. Your choice.”
He blurts out a price. It’s high for what I’m looking at, but I also don’t care at this point. I want this over.
I nod. “Meet me at the Hometown Bank at two o’clock.”
