Free Vintage Volume Two by Lisa Suzanne Page A

The only reason he would not immediately respond to Parker’s text was if something was wrong. My eyes met Parker’s, and his were as worried as mine. “Try Fitz or something.”
    He nodded and punched out another text, and then his phone started ringing a moment later. We both checked his screen. It was Fitz.
    “Yeah?” Parker answered.
    I tried to listen to the conversation, but the din of the restaurant was too noisy for me to hear Fitz.
    “Fuck,” Parker muttered. My blood turned to ice at his reaction. Something was definitely wrong, but I wasn’t sure what it was. He continued his conversation. “We’re at a diner about a block from the bar.”
    They finished talking, and I waited patiently for an explanation after he hung up. He turned toward me and lowered his voice.
    “You know how you had a weird feeling all night?”
    I nodded.
    “There was a fight at the bar.”
    “Oh my God. Is everyone okay?”
    “Fitz said yes. A few bruises, but everyone is okay.”
    “What aren’t you telling me?”
    He took a deep breath. “One of Randy’s guys showed up. Sounds like George took care of him.”
    “What does that mean?” I shrieked, my hands suddenly shaking at the thought that this huge threat was nearby.
    His words were reminiscent of the time someone had been following me and Bruno “took care of him.” I wasn’t sure what it meant then, and I didn’t know what it meant now, either.
    “I’m not sure, Jimi. But we’re staying here until I get the all clear.”
    “Where is Randy’s guy now?” My voice was still at shriek level, and I wasn’t sure that I was capable of bringing it down to a normal decibel.
    He pulled me against him, rubbing soothing circles on my back. He clearly wasn’t sure what to do, but I was pretty sure there was nothing he could do that would make any of this go away.
    A text buzzed through Parker’s phone, and a minute later I saw my dad appear in the doorway of the diner. He looked around the place a moment before his eyes landed on mine, and I saw relief pass through his. I also saw a bruise on his cheek and fresh wounds above his eyebrow and on his lip.
    He looked rough from across the room. I couldn’t imagine what he looked like up close.
    I pushed past Parker and ran to him. People in the diner were starting to recognize him, so we didn’t have much time for a family reunion. He pulled me into his arms, and tears started leaking from my eyes.
    “What happened?” I asked, my voice trembling as I pulled back to look at my dad’s injuries.
    He shook his head. “Not now. Let’s get out of here.”
    I nodded, and I turned to find Parker, who was right behind me. We ducked out of the diner, ran through an alley and around a corner, and there sat George behind the wheel of one of the limos we had arrived in just a couple of hours earlier.
    Once we were settled into the back of the limo and on our way back to the hotel, I was ready for answers.
    Parker spoke first. “So what does the other guy look like?”
    I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t force it out. My dad chuckled.
    “Do you remember Randy’s friend Carl?” my dad asked me
    I nodded. Carl was always with Randy, and he always seemed like a total slime bag to me. Sort of like Randy, actually.
    “He showed up. I kicked his ass.”
    “How did he get past George?” Parker asked.
    I sat silently, my eyes on my dad’s face. He was handsome as always, my daddy, but he looked exhausted, and the cuts and sores looked fresh and painful.
    “The whole security team has pictures of all of Randy’s associates, but George ran down to pull the car around. I saw Carl first and laid in on him. Bruno is the one who broke us up and got George.”
    “Where’s Carl now?” I finally asked.
    My dad shrugged. “George and Bruno escorted him out.”
    “Is that code for kicking his ass some more?” I asked.
    My dad chuckled again, and then he winced slightly. “Yeah,” he muttered, and then he turned his attention