Tough Love
Page 87
“I brought along a snow shovel and a canister of salt as an excuse to stop by since you haven’t yet told her you got jumped.” He propped the second shovel on the porch. “Then I was going to head back to my place to clean the walkway. The kids play outside, but the landlord is slow to do anything.”
Ignoring most of that, Stack asked, “What makes you think I haven’t?”
Leese grinned. “She asked me about it.”
“Yeah?” Standing back, Stack held the door for Leese to enter. “What’d you tell her?”
“To ask you.”
The perfect answer. “She did.”
Leese paused. “So you gave her all the details?”
“No.” Hell no. Stack looked at Vanity. “Not all.”
Leese glanced back, too, then shook his head as Vanity dumped a heavy shovelful of snow to the side. “She’s a workhorse. I gave her that shovel, and she acted like it was Christmas morning and I’d given the best gift.”
Stack watched her work a moment, saw she wasn’t overtaxed, and closed the door. “She’s unusual.”
“Unique,” Leese corrected as he tugged off his boots. The second he finished, he headed to the kitchen and got a mug from the cabinet.
The way he made himself at home continued to irk Stack, but he kept it to himself. He and Vanity had a new, more concrete relationship, and he’d trust in it.
He’d trust in her.
“Why’d you want to see me?”
Instead of answering, Leese sipped his coffee while noting Stack’s “just out of bed” rumpled appearance. “So, you two are an item now?”
Holding back his ire became more difficult. “She told you that, too?”
Leese shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“Then you already have your answer.”
Quietly, Leese contemplated him before he set his coffee mug aside and folded his arms. “I’ve never had reason to do the whole big-brother routine, but I feel compelled to give it a shot now.”
“Going to threaten my kneecaps?”
“Something like that.” He tipped his chin. “You know she doesn’t deserve to be hurt.”
“Agreed.” Hurting Vanity was the last thing he wanted. “I care about her.” How much, he couldn’t yet say. Though he’d known her for months now, they’d only just gotten intimate. He knew he wanted more. A lot more.
But it was far too soon to say he wanted forever.
“You’re making a go of it?”
Stack gave him a direct stare. “She’s mine.”
Appearing satisfied by that, Leese nodded. “Okay then.” He strode to the chair opposite Stack and sat down. Arms crossed on the table, he said, “The guys who attacked you were hired by a small-time dealer.”
Stack frowned. He had a dozen questions but started with, “Why? What’s his beef with me?”
“Don’t know that yet. But the fact you have people asking around about it means more people are talking. I heard it from a lady friend who claims to know the dope peddler.”
“You keep friends in low places.”
With a short laugh, Leese sat back. “Maybe I overstated things. We hooked up one night. I haven’t seen her since.”
“Ah. That type of lady friend.”
“She knew I’m a fighter—probably the reason she approached me in the first place.”
Stack well understood pushy groupies. Many fighters dealt with them, him included.
“Right after...well, after, she asked if I knew you. Said she’d heard you were a wanted man.” Leese gave a small shake of his head. “I already shared all this with the others, but I figured you’d want to hear it directly from me.”
“I do, thanks.” It all seemed more than curious to Stack. Why would the chick hit on Leese and then ask about another man? Bad form, for sure. “What’s her name?”
“I’m not sure.” Leese tugged on his ear. “Honestly, we didn’t do much talking. She came on strong, took me to her hotel room, wrung me out, and just as I was leaving a few hours later, she asked about you.”
“What’d you tell her?”
“Not a damn thing.”
Smart. “Appreciate that.”
“Course.” Leese sat forward again. “She asked if I knew you. I asked why she was asking.” His brows angled down. “She said she was just curious because you’d pissed off some people, specifically this dealer, and that he was looking for you. When I tried to ask her more, she clammed up.”
Ignoring most of that, Stack asked, “What makes you think I haven’t?”
Leese grinned. “She asked me about it.”
“Yeah?” Standing back, Stack held the door for Leese to enter. “What’d you tell her?”
“To ask you.”
The perfect answer. “She did.”
Leese paused. “So you gave her all the details?”
“No.” Hell no. Stack looked at Vanity. “Not all.”
Leese glanced back, too, then shook his head as Vanity dumped a heavy shovelful of snow to the side. “She’s a workhorse. I gave her that shovel, and she acted like it was Christmas morning and I’d given the best gift.”
Stack watched her work a moment, saw she wasn’t overtaxed, and closed the door. “She’s unusual.”
“Unique,” Leese corrected as he tugged off his boots. The second he finished, he headed to the kitchen and got a mug from the cabinet.
The way he made himself at home continued to irk Stack, but he kept it to himself. He and Vanity had a new, more concrete relationship, and he’d trust in it.
He’d trust in her.
“Why’d you want to see me?”
Instead of answering, Leese sipped his coffee while noting Stack’s “just out of bed” rumpled appearance. “So, you two are an item now?”
Holding back his ire became more difficult. “She told you that, too?”
Leese shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“Then you already have your answer.”
Quietly, Leese contemplated him before he set his coffee mug aside and folded his arms. “I’ve never had reason to do the whole big-brother routine, but I feel compelled to give it a shot now.”
“Going to threaten my kneecaps?”
“Something like that.” He tipped his chin. “You know she doesn’t deserve to be hurt.”
“Agreed.” Hurting Vanity was the last thing he wanted. “I care about her.” How much, he couldn’t yet say. Though he’d known her for months now, they’d only just gotten intimate. He knew he wanted more. A lot more.
But it was far too soon to say he wanted forever.
“You’re making a go of it?”
Stack gave him a direct stare. “She’s mine.”
Appearing satisfied by that, Leese nodded. “Okay then.” He strode to the chair opposite Stack and sat down. Arms crossed on the table, he said, “The guys who attacked you were hired by a small-time dealer.”
Stack frowned. He had a dozen questions but started with, “Why? What’s his beef with me?”
“Don’t know that yet. But the fact you have people asking around about it means more people are talking. I heard it from a lady friend who claims to know the dope peddler.”
“You keep friends in low places.”
With a short laugh, Leese sat back. “Maybe I overstated things. We hooked up one night. I haven’t seen her since.”
“Ah. That type of lady friend.”
“She knew I’m a fighter—probably the reason she approached me in the first place.”
Stack well understood pushy groupies. Many fighters dealt with them, him included.
“Right after...well, after, she asked if I knew you. Said she’d heard you were a wanted man.” Leese gave a small shake of his head. “I already shared all this with the others, but I figured you’d want to hear it directly from me.”
“I do, thanks.” It all seemed more than curious to Stack. Why would the chick hit on Leese and then ask about another man? Bad form, for sure. “What’s her name?”
“I’m not sure.” Leese tugged on his ear. “Honestly, we didn’t do much talking. She came on strong, took me to her hotel room, wrung me out, and just as I was leaving a few hours later, she asked about you.”
“What’d you tell her?”
“Not a damn thing.”
Smart. “Appreciate that.”
“Course.” Leese sat forward again. “She asked if I knew you. I asked why she was asking.” His brows angled down. “She said she was just curious because you’d pissed off some people, specifically this dealer, and that he was looking for you. When I tried to ask her more, she clammed up.”
