Page 5 of Romeo

“Why’s that?”

“What’s not to like? You’re hot as fuck. You got an ass I wanna smash. And since you’re good at school, I bet your easily teachable. Even if youarea virgin.”

Her eyebrows, the same color as her hair, stitched together. “Do lines like that get you laid?”

“Usually don’t gotta work so fuckin’ hard to get laid.”

“I bet not with sweet butts at your beck and call. They can’t say no, right?”

“They can say no.”

“Not if they want to remain a sweet butt.”

She was right. But this was not the path he wanted to head down tonight. He wanted them to take the path to his waiting RV, instead.

Her eyes flicked from his face back to over his shoulder. Her spine snapped straight at the same time she whispered, “Shit.”

Of course that made his spine tighten, too, but before he could turn around to figure out the issue, the issue was standing next to them.

“Let’s go,” Shade ordered Maddie in a low tone that screamed he didn’t want an argument.

“I’m fine here,” she told him.

“No you ain’t. Let’s go, Maddie. He ain’t for you.”

Romeo turned to face Shade but remained standing between the Fury member and Maddie. “Why? ‘Cause I’m Black?”

Shade’s dark eyes narrowed on him. “‘Cause you’re a fuckin’ dog sniffin’ around someone you shouldn’t be.”

“She’s an adult and I thought you ain’t her pop, so not sure why you get to tell her what to fuckin’ do,” Romeo told him.

Everything went completely still on Shade, except his lips. “My job to protect her.”

“From me?”

“From anyone lookin’ to take advantage of her. You need to fuckin’ respect that.”

This exchange was the most words he ever heard the Fury member say, not that Romeo had been around him much. But the man was known to speak few words and when he did, he spoke softly and slowly like he chose his words carefully.

Unlike Romeo. He tended to let shit fly. “We’re only havin’ a bit of fuckin’ conversation, that’s it.”

Shade’s tight jaw shifted. A second later he focused on his stepdaughter, if that was what she was to him. He still didn’t know that answer. If truth be known, he also didn’t fucking care.

“Let’s go, Maddie.”

Romeo took offense when Shade curled his hand around her forearm and tugged. “Maybe she don’t wanna fuckin’ go.”

Romeo felt the other presence before he saw it. “It” being a him.

Judge. The Fury’s sergeant at arms.

“Brother,” was all the tall, bearded man rumbled.

Romeo wasn’t sure if the warning was directed at him, at Shade, or the both of them.

“Let’s not ruin this fuckin’ day. Or our alliance. When you’re in our territory, gotta respect our rules.”

Romeo frowned and asked Judge, “What rule ain’t I respectin’?”

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