Her legs trembled as she stomped to the diner’s entrance. She kept her head held high despite the urge to curl up into a ball and grieve the loss of her family. Once LJ’s arms closed around her, she could let the emotions fly free, but she’d be damned if her father saw her cry right now.
The bell jangled when she stepped through the door as though she were a hungry customer instead of an exiled daughter on the verge of a breakdown. She scanned the empty space. All the deputies had left at some point while she’d been zoned out. Jazz and Toni were the only two who remained, seated at a booth drinking coffee. Zach would probably be by any minute, storming in like a Tasmanian devil with the force of his outrage.
“Where’s LJ?” she asked as she continued to look around. He must be in the back or maybe the bathroom. God, had he had a panic attack?
Jazz gave her a sympathetic smile. “Um, he’s gone, Holly. I’m so sorry.” She kept her hands wrapped around her coffee mug as though she needed the warmth to infuse into her bones.
Holly got that. She felt cold as well, chilled to the core.
She stopped walking. “Gone? What do you mean gone? Did he go back to work?”
Both women shook their heads. Toni looked over her shoulder at Holly. “I’m not sure where he went. When he saw you walk out with your father, he got the wrong impression. He assumed you’d made your choice.”
This can’t be happening. “I did make my choice. I chose him. I’ll always choose him!” She closed the distance to their table.
With tears in her eyes, Jazz stood then wrapped Holly in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry honey, I tried to get him to stay, but he looked like he was close to snapping.”
“Did he say anything?” Holly asked, the words muffled by Jazz’s shoulder.
“Um…well…”
“Just say it.” How much worse could she feel than she already did?
“Uh…” Jazz’s voice dropped low. “He said, ‘Fuck it. No chick’s worth this shit.’ Then he left.”
Much worse.
Infinitely worse.
CHAPTER THIRTY
LJ HEFTED THE sledgehammer over his cramping shoulder then let the thing fly. The steel head crashed into the brick with a satisfying crunch and a powerful reverberation through his bunched forearms.
He did it again.
And again.
And again, until the brick fireplace he’d been tasked with demolishing had been reduced to a pile of rubble and he was a sweaty, dusty, exhausted mess. He’d been pushing the limit over the past few days. Working himself to the bone. Having a weary, aching body to tend to at the end of the day helped keep his mind occupied and off a certain curvy blonde.
Okay, that was utter crap. Nothing took his mind off Holly, but busting his ass until he hurt like a motherfucker seemed fitting punishment for breaking his rule and getting in too deep with the woman.
“Looks like some good fucking stress relief.”
“Huh?” LJ spun at Copper’s statement. “Prez? What are you doing here? You need me for something?”
“Nah.” Copper strode his large—almost as large as LJ’s—body into the remnants of the house LJ and Rocket were remodeling. His heavy boots crunched over bits of broken tile and drywall as he made his way over. “Just checking in.”
“What for?”
Copper raised a bushy red eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Uh, yeah?” Sure, he’d been a bit tense the past few days, but he’d thought he’d been dealing with the split from Holly pretty well.
A lance of pain tore through his stomach. Shit, just the thought of her name had his gut in knots. There was a good chance he had a fucking ulcer.
“Let’s see, Rocket called you a ‘cranky fucker’ at least a dozen times—today. Zach said you’ve been a fucking dickass all week. Izzy told me she almost ripped your nuts off twice. And Mav said if someone didn’t shove an enema up your ass, he was gonna gut you with a switchblade to relieve the pressure.”
Oookay, so he hadn’t been hiding his shitty mood as well as he’d thought.
Message received.
“Sorry, prez, just dealing with some shit this week.”
“Yeah, brother. Think we all solved that mystery. Holly.” His president’s eyes fucking sparkled. Was he enjoying this?
LJ grunted. Holly. Fuck he missed her like he’d miss a blown off limb. Which coincidentally was how he’d felt when she’d walked out of that diner at her father’s side. Actually, it’d been worse than a lost limb. She’d ripped his fucking heart right out of his chest. It flopped to the floor and rolled out the door right after her.
Serious fucking pain.
Which led to the realization that he loved her.
He’d fallen the fuck in love with a woman.
Holly. A five-foot-five, walking wet dream who hardened his dick and inspired him to slay his own dragons with just one glance.