“What the hell does that mean?” he asked in frustration.
“It’s a saying. If you can’t play with the big dogs, stay on the porch with the puppies,” Laura explained.
Darian closed his eyes. He started to ask something else, but Hicks had brought back another guy.
“Boss, this is Danner. He’s the manager.” Hicks turned to Danner. “Do you know who this is?”
Darian knew the answer when the man’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
“Mr. Marsh.”
“Is he a good guy?” Laura asked Danner.
Danner nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him before. He owns a lot of businesses in town.”
“Like what?” Monica asked, seeming curious.
“He owns the whole Stapleton Building, for starters.”
“I’m not the only one that owns it,” Darian said. “I have some friends who are involved with several of my ventures.”
“I’m dizzy,” Larkin murmured against Darian’s chest.
“Do you have everything you need? Because she’s going to pass out here pretty soon,” Darian said.
Monica and Laura nodded.
“Where will she be?” Laura asked.
“My condo in town. The address is on the card. I don’t think it would be a good idea to have her in the car for as long as it would take to get to the house.”
“If you want us to come get her, call,” Monica said.
Darian bent his knees and lifted Larkin into his arms. “I doubt I’ll be calling, but I’ll have her call in the morning, so you don’t worry.”
Hicks opened the back door of the limo. “What do you want done with those two?” Hicks indicated the men on the ground.
Darian turned to look down at the pathetic men he’d laid out. “Nothing,” h
e said before he ducked into the car. He arranged Larkin in his lap, so her head was on his chest and her legs were stretched out over the padded seat. He was vaguely aware of the three sets of eyes watching him from the sidewalk. “Get us to the building. I can guarantee she’s going to be sick.”
“Poor girl,” Hicks whispered as he pulled into the street.
“We’ll take care of her.” Darian smoothed her hair from her face. She was a beautiful woman. He loved how she curled herself around him and lay against him so trustingly. He knew she was drunk, but the way she had looked at him made his stomach tighten with desire.
Chapter Two
One moment, Larkin was getting some fresh air, and the next, she was surrounded by three men and terrified.
She felt so stupid, putting herself in this position. She’d only had a few beers, but she hadn’t eaten all day, and she knew she was a lightweight.
“No, please, just leave me alone,” she cried out. She was confused about how she got outside and why the men were touching her.
“Awww, come on, sweetheart. We just wanna help you.”
She shook her head. Even though she felt woozy, she instinctively knew they were out to harm her.
She struggled to get away from them, crying and trying to scream, but she couldn’t seem to get it out through her fear-induced restricted airway. Her body jerked to the side when one of the men went to the ground, and another one cried out and was gone from her side. Strong arms caught her before she collapsed on the ground.