Page 39 of Leashed

He was still revved for a fight, still pissed none of the pricks brave enough to grope their waitress had enough balls to do it with him sitting in reach of their slimy hands.

Entitled dicks.

Rolling out his shoulders, he hunched forward when Sage knelt down and one of them whispered something to her. Her eyes widened and flicked up to Bo as she replied, giving the guy a quick smile before she walked to him.

“The guy over there would like to buy the Goliath another round of whatever you’re drinking. So another water?”

He shook his head and looked up at her. “Goliath, hey? He only wishes I would go down that easy. What did he ask you?”

Her eyes darted away, her cheeks pinking. “Nothing.”

Pushing himself to his feet, he gave her a cheery smile. “I’ll ask him myself.”

Sage’s palm shot to his chest. “You hush and sit. He was asking if we were serious since I’m not wearing a ring.”

“The fuck kind of question is that?” he growled, taking strange offense at some jerk asking his pretend girlfriend about the commitment level of their fake relationship. “Know what? Tell him to come over here and see how fucking serious I am about him groping you.” The visual he’d caught as he’d entered the lounge flashed across his mind, the guy slipping his hand up her skirt, exposing her turquoise underwear to every other guy in the place. “Actually, I’ll go to him.”

“No, you will not,” she hissed, her fingers tapping his chest. “I can’t afford to lose this job before I finish school, so sit down, keep looking scary, and I’ll bring you something to eat.”

He looked down at her hand and relented, flopping into his chair. “Fine. But if one of them starts that shit again, and I’m removing their goddamn arms.”

*

Sage finished countingout her tips, sliding a wad of bills over to the bartender and passing Josh another handful when he walked by. Bo sat at the bar with his friend, him hunched forward with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other and her enthralled with the phone in her hand.

“You really don’t have to wait,” she called over for the third time, rolling her eyes when Bo stuck his tongue out without looking up.

His group had taken off an hour earlier with plans to continue back home, Bo walking out with them and returning with C minutes later, novel in hand. He’d stood at the exit while the last of the businessmen paid up and left, giving him wide berth and keeping their eyes forward.

The unspoken intimidation Bo gave off with his size and his predatory stance was amplified by the impressive level of stillness he could achieve. As the evening had wound down, she had watched him sitting motionless in his chair, his eyes hard, calculating, and missing nothing.

She’d have to ask him if he hunted.

Armed with a spray bottle and a rag, she made her way through the empty lounge until Bo groaned and walked over to her. “Give me that. You’re taking for-freaking-ever.”

She held out the rag and spray, smirking as he demonstrated the speed he could complete the task. Tables done, he slammed the bottle on the bar, shrugged his jacket on, and grabbed his book, looking over C’s shoulder. “What the…how did you end up on a dating app? Give me that.”

Sliding off her chair, the quiet blonde walked up to Sage, reaching up to cup her chin and whispering in her ear. “Leash him tonight.” Patting her cheek, she turned to Bo and held up a key. “Orion gave me this. I expect you home before dawn.”

Without waiting for a response, she strode out the doors without a glance back.

“Bo? Your friend is very sweet and a little odd.”

Snorting, he led her outside. “You have no idea. I’ll pull up behind you and follow you home, okay? I planned to head out for a run anyway, and I’ll run easier if I know you haven’t been axe-murdered.”

C’s words forgotten, she got in her car and waited until she saw his headlights before she pulled onto the road.

*

Sage flopped herlegs to the floor, cognizant of nothing outside the knocking on her patio doors. She stumbled over, cracking the curtains a fraction before shoving them open and unlocking the door. “You aren’t bleeding, so you better have a good excuse for waking me up,” she grumbled, wrapping her blanket over her head as she collapsed onto the sofa.

“I thought I did,” Bo muttered, a slight slur to his words as he sat on the other end of the couch. “Now I don’t think I do.”

Glaring at him, she sat a little straighter. “You’re drunk. How on earth are you drunk? The bars are closed and you weren’t even drinking at the lounge.”

Brows knotting, his long hair falling into his eyes. “There was a bottle in the back seat.” His head dropped forward a fraction. “I took it into the park to bury it, but Dio was there. And I was like, fuck, Dio. Enough. But he said just one and I felt for the guy. I mean, he was so damn powerful and now he’s a story so I did and…and then I just walked over here.”

Kicking toward him, she tightened her hold on her comforter. “I’m tired and cranky and in no mood to play hostess.”

She could feel his weight shift on the sofa as he leaned back. “I’m tired and cranky too. And drunk as shit.”

Huffing in exasperation over her inability to resettle into a comfortable position, she balled up and looked at him. “Well, who told you to drink tonight?”

“Dio,” he muttered, his bloodshot eyes blinking lethargically.

“Then go tell Dio to call you a cab and you can sleep it off at home.”

“Yeah, right. That place fucking sucks. Fucking quiet.” With a grunt, he slid off the couch and onto the floor. “Sorry. Flipping sucks. Freakin’ quiet.” He stretched one arm toward her for a moment before he changed course and grabbed one of her research books off of the coffee table. “You chicks love reading about this shit,” he mumbled, flipping through the pages. “Myths are like an aphrodisiac for you. But you know what? Hercules was an ass. Wrestled Cerberus to submission…what a joke.” He shoved the book to the side and lolled his head back, his eyes closing. “Sago plant. That’s how he did it. Tamed Cerberus, my ass. Sick as a fucking dog for weeks after that hero passed through.”

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