Page 44 of The Coffee Shop

“No way! And we would fit just fine if the two of you weren’t so bulky,” Leena says, poking at Luke’s abs. He looks down at her, biting his lip in clear appreciation of the complement and our proximity.

I roll my eyes as I dial the number.

“Chase? Campbell? Where are you? Is my daughter safe?” William Ward says urgently from the other end of the line.

“What in the fuck did you do this time,dad?” Leena shouts at him. I roll my eyes and hold the receiver between the three of us since, apparently,everyoneis on this phone call now.

“Oh thank god. Sweety, are you alright?” He asks, and I once again find it strange to see this…dynamic. It’s weird to hear the King of Hearts, named not only for one of the highest cards, but also for his tendency to make people’s hearts stop beating, actingconcerned. And the untamed rage Leena holds for her father is a sight to behold.

“No, I’m not alright! I gotshot, dragged to a safehouse for nearly a fucking week and then shot at again! Now you better tell me right now what the fu-”

I pull the receiver away from her and put a hand over her mouth. She glares at me. Then she licks. My fucking. Hand.

I glare back at her.

Then I wipe it on Luke.

“What do you want us to do, sir?” I ask the man who’s paying my salary, then stare between the two people jammed up against me, silently daring them tospeak.

“We had a rat, that’s how they found you. Must have tracked the payphone in town and figured it out. He’s disappeared, but we’re looking. Did you see who did this?”

“We didn’t get close enough to make out the card, but their tattoos were definitely from the deck.”

“Fuck,okay. Just stay hidden and keep checking in. We’ll tell you when we’ve found anything.”

“Sounds good, sir,” I say.

“And Chase,” he adds, “I hope my daughter’s not giving you too much trouble,” he says with knowing exasperation.

“We have the situation under control,” I smirk at Leena who rolls her eyes. “We’ll talk in three days.”

“Three days!” Leena shouts, but I’m already hanging up the phone. “Are you fucking serious?! We can’t just keep doing this. Irefuse.”

And I smile at her use of the word, “we.”

“Get out!” I grumble, feeling incredibly claustrophobic, not to mention that my ears are ringing. And not because of the gunshots from earlier.

“He doesn’t even care!” Leena cries out when we’re standing in the parking lot. “My whole life I have put up with this shit and I’m sick of it! I want to go home and pack my things, assuming they didn’t burn my apartment down, because that’sactuallyhappened before. I can’t keep hearinganother three daysforever,” she says, then adds quietly, “I need to start figuring out what in the hell I’m going to do next.”

“Leena, we get it,” Luke says. “Seb and I are being paid to do this, it’s literally our life, ourjob.We understand that this is keeping you from yours and wedon’t intend to drag it out any longer than necessary. But these men aredangerous. We have to keep you safe,” he steps towards her, putting his hand on either side of her face as his eyes soften. “And that’snotjust because it’s our job.”

I stare, because he is so much better at this than me. I would have told her it’s too fucking bad and to get back in the goddamn car.

Tears well in Leena’s eyes, rolling down her face and over Luke’s hand. She’s angry and scared and Luke pulls her into him, holding her close as his own jaw clenches while he fights back his own tears.

It breaks my fucking heart.

Selfishly, I want to hide her away, keep her right between me and Luke where she belongs and never let her go. I don’t care if it’s for three days or three fucking years. I want her safe.

But she’s right. I’m done running.

I have spent my whole life running from my problems, from what scared me, running from the people I love. From the people who love me.

Luke was right, I’m in love with her. I have been for a long time. I ran from my feelings for her, forhim.

I stare at them, my anger suddenly at a boiling point. Someone made my Leena cry, someone put that pain on Luke’s face. And I’ll be damned if I let them get away with it.

They’re dead.

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