Page 37 of Bossy Hero

“I never would have accepted your help if I knew it came with conditions and recurring guilt trips. However, I won’t ever make that mistake again. Believe me.” Her eyes darken, and the slight wrinkles around her mouth deepen. “Be careful you don’t slip and fall from your moral high ground. I’d hate for you to lose your footing while casting judgment on everyone else’s lives.”

“That’s not what I?—”

She doesn’t let me finish a single sentence, not that I deserve to. “Save it, Alan. This ismylife. Mine.”

Storms off is too subtle of a description for how she leaves. She thunders away from me, bolts of lightning fueling her steps.

I stand there, simmering in my rage and disgust. Not just because of her dismissive behavior or my own stupid slipup, but at this whole damn situation. My protectiveness fires to life inside me, and my knuckles twitch.

I’ve never met him, but I hate Travis motherfucking Mason with all my might.

For what he did to Leo and his siblings.

For what he did to Maddie—not only physically, but emotionally.

And because no matter how horrible he treats her, he still gets to be with her. With that beautiful soul who deserves so much better than him.

Why does she put up with it?

And she’s got the nerve to be angry withmefor caring about her safety? That’s absurd. Why not direct that ire toward the one who tried to kill her? Who knocked around her kids for most of their childhood? Who manipulated her and keeps her in an emotional hostage situation?

But no. She shunsme—a man who’s only ever wanted to care for and protect her—instead of the one who beats her senseless.

Yeah.Senseless. That explains a lot. Because she must have zero sense left to take back that pathetic shit stain.

Speaking of which, if he’s here, I’m gonna rearrange his fucking face.

I slam down my half-empty beer bottle on the bar top and tear off through the crowd. My gaze shifts from left to right in quickly sweeping arcs until I lock in on Lionheart’s hulking frame near the main entrance. My feet propel me at a clip just shy of a jog. On my right, Sawyer approaches with Sammy hot on his heels.

I get my first sight of the abusive douche at about ten feet out. Travis is shorter than Leo and me, with a lankier frame. His hair is graying at the temples and thinning on top.

By the time we get to Leo’s side, Madeline has positioned herself between the big guy and his father. With her back to her abuser, she faces her son with her hands out in front of her in a placating gesture. “This isn’t the time or place for this. Your father is trying to set things right. Please keep calm so you don’t make an even bigger scene than you already have.”

With that, my eyes scan the room, and yeah, a crowd has formed.Fuck. Among other notables, our commanding officer watches on from the front of the pack.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

The sight of him shakes me out of my fit of rage. Icannotlet this get out of control. Not without consequences. I won’t let Leo take the fall tonight. He’s suffered enough because of his father.

“Mom, stand aside,” Leo rumbles from low in his throat, his eyes never leaving his father’s wrinkled face. “I won’t cause a scene as long as he turns around and leaves the way he came. If he doesn’t, I’ll remove him.” He tips his head to the side, narrowing his gaze. “Three, two?—”

Sawyer, never one to be silent for long, claps Leo on the shoulder and says, “No need to get physical, buddy. Mr. Mason will go on his own.” He shifts his gaze to the fuckface. “Right, sir?”

Travis Mason shoots Sawyer a withering side-eye, then returns his focus to Leo. There’s no love in his expression. No remorse. No attempt to make amends. This is a power move and nothing more. Even if I couldn’t read people so well, I’d read this fucker Lima Charlie.

From behind, he settles his fat fingers onto Maddie’s shoulders and squeezes, as if he’s prompting her to defend him. And she’s fallen so quickly into line. Gone is the woman from one minute ago who was raging at me. In her place is an empty shell.

It makes my blood boil.

“Leo, your father loves you, and he’s proud of you.”

Madeline’s pleas only aggravate Leo further.

“Don’t give a fuck how he feels about me. I don’t want him anywhere near me ever again.”

Despite the vitriol drowning his tone, Lionheart keeps his volume low and controlled. But there’s a twitch in his posture, signaling he’s about to lose it.

I step closer, resting my hand on his forearm in a silent warning.

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