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It’s sadness at the passing of summer, it’s the trickle of water, it’s the scent of earth...
You get the idea.
Leo Brickhouse is a Monet painting. To my father, he’s just a bunch of waterlilies. Late thirties. A wide nose, a scar from his ear to his mouth like someone wanted to slit his throat but missed. Brown hair just long enough to be messy, clean shaven. Strong looking but with a bit of a belly, shoulders that could hold up a suspension bridge. So tall he makes the doorway look like it was made for the seven dwarfs.
But that’s not what I see, not really.
When I look into his gray eyes, I see so much more.
I see depth, a glittering soul, an appreciation of beauty. And not just skin-deep beauty but the beauty of a sunrise, the beauty of an ocean at night. I see pain, too, some hurt that goes so deep he doesn’t think it will ever heal. A need to be loved but a rejection of human emotion, like he doesn’t deserve any such thing.
Leo Brickhouse is monstrous in a lot of ways, but he isn’t a monster. Not deep down.
I blink away the impression, wondering what on earth I’m thinking. I can’t possibly know any of that, not by looking into a man’s eyes. This is stupid, I’m just trying to find excuses to avoid doing what I know I have to do.
Leo Brickhouse is responsible for so many ruined and prematurely-ended lives. The Brickhouse family is into drugs, prostitution, extortion, racketeering, and he’s at the center of it all. I need to remember who I’m dealing with here.
Time seems to return to normal and he draws a quick breath, then points a thick finger at me. “Inside. Now.”
I should be insulted. I should be answering back. Who is he to order me around?
But my legs are already moving on their own, betraying me as they obey his command, carrying me forward to him. Always to him. I nod quickly.Yes, Mr. Brickhouse.
God, yes.
“Wait, I need to check your purse.” The guard puts out an arm to stop me and my heart leaps into my throat.
I should have realized this would happen.
Halting and pulling my clutch into my chest, I wonder in that split second if I should flee right now. After all, if he opens my bag it’s game over. He’s not going to miss what’s sitting there and they won’t let that go. They’ll kill me, probably my father too. Maybe even Cody and my stepmom just to send a message. I can feel my pulse racing, my adrenaline pumping, getting ready to turn tail and run right home.
Then Leo’s growl cuts through to my core, vibrating deep down inside me, in the base of my belly. No, not the base of my belly. Lower still. A little trickle of need seeps out between my legs and I yelp in surprise at both that and the strong, inked arm that shoots forward, spinning the guard around and flattening him against the wall.
“Touch her,” Leo says as he leans all his weight against the guard’s back, “oranythingthat belongs to her, and they’ll have to identify you by your dental records. You hear me?”
The guard cries out in pain as his arm is pulled up behind him. “Yes, Mr. Brickhouse. I’m sorry, I just—”
“You just nothing. Your shift’s over. Go back to Vincent and tell him I’ll arrange my own security from now on. Now get the fuck out of here.”
