The Lion and the Lamb

The sound of Tryck sheathing his blade seemed louder than it should have, or maybe Leo was just overly perceptive right now, seeing as some fucker tried to move in on what was his.

Slade never made it a secret that he wanted to control the territory, but Leo wasn’t having any of it. He had been here first, had been around years before Slade showed his ugly fucking face, and wasn’t in the business of illegal fucking shit.

But Slade had a lot of men on his side willing to do some dirty fucking shit, stuff that made even Leo wince. So, that being said, a lot of people were afraid of him, letting Slade get away with a lot of shit, because they thought it best when concerning their survival.

“All right, boss. Just tell me when and where and I’m there. You wanna take more than just me?”

“Bring Rocker and another.” Rocker, one of the muscles he had behind The Lion and the Lamb, would come in handy for some damage control if and when Slade decided to dispatch his goons. Rocker was good with a gun, whereas Tryck knew his way with a blade.

Shit. Tatum didn’t even know the kind of man he was. Guns and knives were just the tip of the iceberg when it concerned making sure his business ran smoothly. Leo wasn’t all about illegal shit, like prostitution and killing just for the sake of it, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t, on occasion, have to rough a few people up to make his intentions clear. What would she say if she knew that? Tatum had to know that nothing was as it seemed.

Life was an illusion, and it just depended on whether you opened your eyes and saw through the haze.

Tryck nodded once and left his office. Leo grabbed his phone from inside his pocket and punched in Slade’s number. The asshole only let it ring once before he picked up.

“Funny hearing from you, lion.” The sound of Slade inhaling deeply proceeded his words.

“Know you saw my girl, Slade.” Leo didn’t bother keeping the growl out of his voice. “You know that shit isn’t going to fly with me.”

“Yeah, we talked.” Slade chuckled, and Leo tightened his grip on the phone. The thing started to crack in his hand, and he eased up on it. “Offered her a job, but you know that, or you wouldn’t be calling me.” Inhale. Exhale.

“I should go over there right now and rip your fucking throat out.” His voice became distorted as his lion started to take control. It was inevitable, especially with his mate being in the conversation and her safety at risk.

“Sounds like you’re having quite the time controlling yourself, brother.”

“I’ve told you I’m not your brother.” Leo went back to pacing. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself from going over there and finishing this.

Slade chuckled deeply. “That’s where you’re wrong. Leo. You and I aren’t that different, especially when something as juicy and sweet as Ms. Weatherton comes along.”

The phone snapped in his hand. Pieces of it fell to the ground, and he let the roar free that had been brewing since this shit with Slade went down.

Leo threw the remnants of his phone against the wall, and a small sliver of pleasure at the way the rest of it shattered filled him. Snatching his keys off his desk, Leo stormed out of his office, past Tryck and the rest of his staff, and into his car.

Yeah, this shit ended today.26Tatum washed the last cup and set it in the drying rack. Since Leo had left her pleasantly sore in her bed this morning, she hadn’t been able to think of much else. It was her night off, so she just stayed at home, cleaning things she hadn’t cleaned in far too long. A knock on her door told her it was either Kiki or Leo.

Kiki had sent her a quick text last night saying she got home okay and that Beau had been waiting up for her so they could talk. She hadn’t heard from her all day and knew if something bad happened between them, Kiki would have been a blubbering mess at her door this morning. The fact that it was going on dinnertime and she hadn’t heard a thing from her was a good sign.

So, chances were it was Leo on the other side. A thrill went through her. They hadn’t spoken either since he left, but she had more than enough to keep her busy. After telling him all the crap that had gone down at Stripped, she thought he would have an aneurysm. His anger had been pretty clear, and when he left, Tatum worried he was going to do something that got him in trouble.