Page 47 of Burning Bridges

“Come on, that won’t be necessary. No need to get jealous. You can have her back when I’m done with her. Piper and I were just discussing the best place to fuck. Her little welcome-back present for me.”

Before I even know what's happening, Leo has flown across the parking lot and punches him across the face. Kylo doesn’t miss a beat and grabs him by the front of his shirt, getting up in his face. Kobe and the other guy are quick to pull them apart, but I don’t want them to for once. I want Leo to win, I want him to end Kylo right here, right now.

“Don’t be so reckless, Leo. A time and a place,” Kobe says to his brother, trying to calm him down.

Leo glares daggers at him and tries to push his way past Kobe, but Kobe holds him strong, trying to bring his attention back to him.

“Think I might call it a night,” says Kylo with a chuckle. “You can give me that welcome-home fuck next time I see you, Princess.” The dirty pig winks at me, and I feel like I’m going to puke. He came here tonight with the pure intention of causing trouble for us, all of us. This didn’t have anything to do with calling a truce with me or my family. Is he even working with my brother? Or is he just starting shit and making his presence as the new head of the Kings known?

“Are you okay?” asks Amelia softly.

“I’ll be fine,” I huff, passing her on my way back inside to grab my jacket. I know I sound like a bitch, but it's none of her business. I’m anything but, though. My body is shaking so much I feel like I can barely walk. I slip my coat on and place a hand on the table, trying to steady myself. What the fuck was all of that? Turning, I see Leo watching me from by the kitchen. His breathing is still labored, and he looks furious. He must have followed me in.

I don’t know what to say to him. Does he hate me or think I’m in with the Kings? Kylo sure made it look like I was tonight. “You should re-join your group,” I tell him, trying to show him I don’t need him. After tonight, I don’t need anyone. The only person I can trust is myself. And I’m getting the fuck away from this place before Kylo comes back and makes good on his promise.

“They've gone home.” He comes closer. “You’re not okay. I can see how shaken up you are.” He approaches me like I’m a skittish horse about to bolt. Touching me softly with his hands, he runs them down my arms till he reaches my trembling hands. He laces our hands together, and I feel just how worked up he is.

“You're one to talk.” He’s just as shaken.

I drop my head so he can’t see the tears that are threatening to fall. “What is it?” His voice is soft, and it hardly sounds like him.

“Nothing you need to worry about. I thought you would be done with me after tonight, you know, since I was here with a King,” I mutter, so close to losing it completely. The thought he could be done with me over something that wasn’t even my doing is devastating.

“I know you better than that, Piper, and you know it. There is no way you came here to meet him on your own accord. I could see it from the moment you spotted him.” He pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me.

I let go of all the tension I have been holding in for so long, tears breaking free as I sob into his chest. I can’t even agree with him. I’m too mentally drained from trying to get through whatever the hell that was. I have no idea why he's being so nice to me, but right now, I don’t care. He is here for me when no one else is, and he gets me without me having to explain myself. He knows I wouldn’t ever choose to meet with any of the Kings. He holds me tighter, and I feel safe with him.

I have no idea how long we stand like this in the middle of the restaurant, but I don’t move. “Give me your keys,” he says softly after some time.

I glance up at him, confused.

“So I can drive you home. I’m not letting you go alone after this.” He smiles sadly.

“Oh.” I pull them out of my purse and hand them to him. Leo came to my rescue tonight, and now he’s going to drive me home, and I couldn’t be more grateful he is here for me. Maybe there is someone I can trust. He has been right in front of me all along, and I was too stubborn to see who he could be. Too busy hating him to see he has never been the bad guy.

Chapter 27

LEO

TonyAcevedoisafucking asshole for setting her up the way he did. There is no way Piper was comfortable having dinner with Kylo King.

From the moment he walked into the place, I was on high alert, watching them interact. The man is the worst kind of human and the last person I want anywhere near Piper. But what I can’t work out is why would her own brother set her up like that? Maybe that's what she is trying to work out herself. She has been deathly quiet the whole drive home.

I need to know why she is so petrified of him. Most people are, but Piper isn’t scared of rough gang members like most people would be. The look on her face when he walked into my restaurant tonight is imprinted in my brain; she was frozen with fear, and I have to know why. It's eating at me. There is something I’m missing here, a part of her life no amount of stalking can make clearer for me. And tonight, she’s going to tell me what it is.

I pull up to the gate of my house, and she looks up, confused.

"I thought you said you were taking me home?" she utters absentmindedly.

"I did. I didn’t say whose home. I’m not taking you home to an empty house. I can see you shouldn’t be alone right now.” I’m also never leaving her alone again. I know she's scared right now, but I don’t think she knows how lucky she is that she’s still alive. If Kylo wants to mess with someone, he will, and he made it obvious she is someone he wants to play with. She’s not safe on her own anymore, no matter how strong she thinks she is.

Instead of looking upset, she looks relieved, visibly relaxing back into her seat. I pull her Ferrari through the gates and up the circular driveway of the house. “Where's Hannah tonight?” I ask, wondering where her daughter is.

“She's staying with her dad for a little while. She’s not safe with me,” she says sadly, and I can see the way it breaks her heart to admit it.

Maybe she does know how bad this is. “That’s a good idea,” I agree.

“I hate it. She should be with her mom, but Axel is right, I can’t risk her safety. I need to protect her from all of this.”

---