“She’s a little shocky,” Natasha says with a gentle smile. “But she’s going to be fine.”
“Get him in the cell,” I tell Diego, who’s dragging an asshole out of the back.
“When did everyone leave the restaurant?” Violet asks with a frown.
“Don’t worry about it. You should have some ice for your cheek.”
Violet shakes her head. “I’m okay. I’mreallyokay. Natasha and I bought lots of fun stuff for Rose’s apartment today. I might have maxed out your credit card.”
I smirk and kiss her forehead. “That’s impossible. But I’m glad you had fun. Let me take you home, okay?”
“I’m really okay.” Her eyes are less glassy, and she takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry that I’m already getting into trouble.”
“You’re no trouble. This wasn’t your fault.”
Julian and I escort our girls outside, and then Violet pulls out of my arms and walks back toward the restaurant.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“I haven’t paid for lunch! I can’t dine and dash, they take the money away from the wait staff. It sucks.”
“I already paid,” Julian tells her with a smile. I can see that my brother is charmed by my girl.
You have your own wife.
“Oh. Okay, thanks. Who wants a tattoo? I want to ink someone up today. I have my stuff at the penthouse.”
“Me!” Natasha says, jumping up and down. “Definitely me.”
“Is this how you handle stress?” Julian asks Violet.
“Sometimes. It’s either tattoos or sex, and I’ll jump him later.” She points at me, and I grin down at her. “But my new friend wants some art on her perfect skin today.”
“Isodo.” Natasha nods.
When the girls are settled in the penthouse, Julian and I walk out to the hallway and I get in Lucky’s face.
“What the fuck was that about, and why shouldn’t I put a hole in your head right here where you stand?”
“There was no movement in the restaurant,” he says, perfectly calm, not breaking a sweat. His eye is steady on mine. “We were there for an hour before she went to the restroom.”
I turn to Bobby. The typically happy soldier is perfectly sober, also completely calm and steady. “Report.”
“I was on the other side of the restaurant when she indicated that she was headed to the restroom. I started following but was about ten seconds behind her. She’d just punched him in the eye when I got there, pressed my weapon to his head, and Lucky came in right behind me, and we took him down. I didn’t want to kill him because I knew you’d want to interrogate him.”
“You were right.”
I step back and glare at them as I pull a knife out of my pocket and take Bobby’s ear off.
He doesn’t flinch or make a sound.
“I should kill you both for allowing her to be touched. Instead, you’re going to stand in this hallway for as long as she’s home. If this ever happens on your watch again, you’ll be worm food at the graveyard.”
I throw the ear at Bobby, and then Julian and I step into the elevator and head down to the basement.
“I’ve been spending too much fucking time in the cell lately,” I say as we walk off the elevator and down the cold hallway, where Diego waits for us. Jack, Julian’s number two, is with him.
“He claims he’s going to off himself,” Diego says and rolls his eyes. “Not sure how he plans to do that, since he’s strapped up by rope to the ceiling.”