Page 23 of Tamed By the Lion Freak

“An animal died for your incompetence.”

“Go to hell.” She shoved past the vlogger.

“Why are you in town? You’re not working at the Twisted Carnival, are you? Don’t tell me they actually trusted you with more lions,” he called after her.

Behind her, she heard a commotion. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw Leo confronting the vlogger. Even from a distance, she could see the barely contained fury in Leo's stance as he snatched the camera away.

The vlogger's protests were cut short as Leo systematically deleted the footage and then, with a snarl that was more lion than man, smashed the camera on the ground. Her mind raced. How had their first date gone so wrong? One moment, she'd been having fun with Leo, and the next, she was fleeing from her past and the harsh judgment of strangers.

Kitty ducked into a narrow side street, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She leaned against a brick wall, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, Leo stood at the entrance of the alley, his posture tense, eyes wild with a mix of concern and something darker.

"We need to talk." he said, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down her spine.

"About what? How you tried to forbid me from making my own choices? Or about how you just assaulted that asshole?"

Leo's eyes flashed dangerously. "I protected you.”

"I don’t need your protection.”

For a moment, Leo looked torn. Then his expression hardened. "If you make this deal with Madame Noir, I can't protect you from the consequences."

"I never asked for your protection," she said, even as part of her ached at the growing distance between them. This is what happened when you jumped into bed with a stranger. This is what happened when you opened yourself up to trust.

Leo's laugh was bitter. "No, you didn't. But you accepted it, along with everything else the carnival offered. Are you willing to risk your freedom, your life for Brutus?"

“To make things right, yes.”

"Then there’s nothing else I can say," Leo said. He held out his hand, a peace offering.

Kitty hesitated. Marco would have yelled and screamed. Threatened, maybe threw something around. He definitely would have sulked for days. Then it him her. Leo wasn’t Marco. He wasn’t trying to continue the argument. He wasn’t trying to enforce his will on her. She wasn’t used to that. Taking his hand felt giving in, but refusing felt like losing something precious, something she wasn't sure she could live without.

She took his hand.

“I’ll be here for you, even if I can’t protect you,” he said.

And Kitty believed him.

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