Free Saved by the Outlaw: Motorcycle Club / Hitman Romance by Alexis Abbott, Alex Abbott Page B

nothin’ to get too worked up about. Especially if you’re sure the injured man is gonna pull through. The FBI’s in town, yeah, but they haven’t poked their grimy noses too far into our business yet.”
    “Give ‘em some time,” says Greene distastefully, rolling his eyes.
    “Well, we will just have to make sure we’re ready for the pidarasy when they do,” says Leon, clenching his fist. I can’t help but be drawn to the musculature of his arm, the smoldering ferocity in his face. I want to smooth away the tension and see what he looks like totally relaxed, totally vulnerable…
    There I go again.
    “In the meantime, it’s probably still best that you lay low for awhile, Leon,” advises Samuels, fixing him with a meaningful stare.
    I get the distinct impression that “laying low” is not something Leon does particularly well. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who likes working in the shadows, in the background. He’s pretty upfront about the things he does, and he clearly doesn’t have a lot of concern for his own safety and wellbeing.
    “For sure,” Greene agrees. “A lowlife like Mickey is gonna blab about this to everyone he meets on the street. Luckily for us, he’s such a notorious loudmouth nobody is likely to take him too seriously, anyway.”
    “You’d think a guy who runs a liquor store in a not-so-upscale part of town would be a little more careful about not pissing off every single person who comes in contact with him, but here we are,” laughs Samuels.
    “What happened to the gun?” Gerald asks suddenly.
    “Taken care of. My right-hand man Genn took it away somewhere out of Mickey’s reach. It’s been confiscated,” Leon concludes, smiling. I know he’s remembering Mickey’s own accusation of ‘confiscating’ the weapon earlier today at the liquor store.
    “Alright. Well, I guess that just about covers it, then.”
    Both officers stand up to leave. Samuels says to Wanda, “Thank you for the tea and stuff, ma’am. You’re a real treasure to the neighborhood.”
    “For sure. Always a pleasure to see you,” Greene says, nodding.
    “Oh, stop it, you!” she giggles, swatting at him playfully.
    We walk them over to the front door, and just before the officers disappear down the steps of the brownstone, Samuels points an emphatic finger at Leon and me. “I’m serious about layin’ low, alright? Don’t show your faces until at least tomorrow. For your own good and ours.”
    Leon sighs. “Got it, Officer.”
    Once the cops are gone and we’re all standing awkwardly in the living room, Gerald puts his hands on his hips and announces, “Well, looks like you two are staying here tonight.”
    Leon starts to protest, “Oh, that’s not necessary — ”
    “Yes it is! You two will take the basement room.” Wanda insists, getting up from her chair to lay her trembling hands on his arm, a concerned and determined look on her face.
    “You heard the missus,” Gerald shrugs. “You’re our guests for the night. But I promise we will stay out of your hair. Won’t we, Wanda?” he adds, giving his wife a meaningful look.
    She opens her mouth as though to argue, but then simply sighs instead. “Of course.”
    “We’ll start on supper,” Gerald continues, gesturing to his wife. She nods and follows him into the kitchen. Leon gives me an apologetic half-smile.
    “Sorry about this,” he tells me in an undertone. “You never should’ve gotten mixed up in this. If you need to sneak out and go somewhere, check in with someone— ”
    “No,” I reply quickly, shaking my head. “There’s — there’s no one.”
    Leon blinks a couple times, a little taken aback by my response. I realize too late how pathetic it sounds. That there’s nobody waiting up for me. Nobody to worry over when I’m coming home. How depressing.
    “Sorry about Gerry and Wanda. They don’t get a whole lot of visitors anymore these days, except for when members of the Club stop by. Wanda gets