Page 8 of Orlando
But he was here, so he might as well do this and go home.He could even stop at the coffee shop to get coffee and ask if they were hiring.
Satisfied with his plan, he nodded to himself and reached for the gate.It squeaked a bit when it opened, but no one appeared to ask him what he was doing there.He was starting to realize that everyone was really welcome in the garden.
He liked that.
He took his time, wandering down the path and peeking into the various plots.He hadn’t dared do that on Saturday because of the many people there, but he could today, and he smiled at the various plants he recognized.He wasn’t surprised to see many pumpkins growing.Halloween was right around the corner, and soon, he’d see them all over town.
The sound of something heavy dropping to the ground made Orlando frown.He glanced around, but he couldn’t see anyone.It was a bit creepy, to be honest, but he’d decided to come early on Monday morning, and he hadn’t expected a crowd.Still, gardening was best done early in the morning, right?
“What the fuck?”a voice asked.It was a man, and he sounded shocked.
Orlando waited, unsure what he should do.The stranger probably wouldn’t be happy with him interrupting whatever they had going on, but he would never forgive himself if he didn’t check to make sure whoever was there was okay.What if they needed help and Orlando left?He doubted anyone else would be coming around anytime soon.If this person needed help, he’d have to be the person to provide it, and if they didn’t, well, he’d just apologize and leave.
He could still hear noises, and they were alarming.Something else fell, and the man swore again.He tried saying something else, but his words turned into a yell, and Orlando knew he couldn’t stand back.
He dropped the hat and the sunscreen and ran toward the center of the garden.He didn’t know where he’d have to go from there, but he’d let the sounds guide him.
He didn’t have to look far.He ran between the benches, quickly looked around, and found Liam stumbling away from his plot.For a second, Orlando didn’t understand what was happening.Liam was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, along with work boots.His skin wasn’t as pink as it had been on Saturday, but his hair was messy.He didn’t even look in Orlando’s direction, but Orlando wasn’t offended, considering there was a woman trying to punch him.
Liam moved, tilting his body in a way Orlando hadn’t expected.He couldn’t see the woman who was trying to punch Liam, but he couldn’t think of a good reason for anyone to want to do that.Of course, he didn’t know Liam, so he could be wrong.
“Lady, I don’t know you.Why are you doing this?”Liam asked.He kicked at something, and Orlando realized there was a gun on the scene.
His amusement left him.He moved without thinking about it, his entire being focused on helping Liam.His jaguar approved.It thankfully didn’t try to fight to take over, but then Orlando had been trained to avoid things like that.
It had only been a few weeks since he’d stopped training to become an assassin.He still used the gym, but it was a gym in town, and it wasn’t the same.It didn’t matter, though.Things had been ingrained in him while he trained to be an assassin, and it felt natural to move back into that role.
He slipped in between Liam and the woman and raised his hand to catch her fist.His eyes widened when he realized she was holding a knife.She wasn’t trying to fight Liam.She was trying to kill him.
Which kind of made sense considering that Orlando knew her.
Cynthia didn’t pause, not even when she recognized Orlando.If anything, she put even more energy into trying to punch Orlando.He was still holding her wrist, but she’d trained to fight with both hands, just like he had.
In a way, this was like when they’d been training.Orlando knew each of Cynthia’s weaknesses, like the way she always favored her right foot.It was something the trainers had tried to make her stop doing, but it seemed she was still struggling with it, and Orlando wasn’t above taking advantage of it.
He had no idea what was going on, but he wanted answers, and the only way to get them was to get Cynthia to stop fighting and start talking.
That was easier said than done.
* * * *
LIAM HAD NO IDEA WHATthe fuck was going on.He’d been minding his business, watering his plants before work, when he heard something.He hadn’t thought anything of it because he was never the only one in the garden early in the morning, but when another noise had come from even closer, he’d been curious.
His curiosity had saved him.He’d turned to find a woman standing behind him, a gun in her hand.He’d reacted on instinct, using a shovel he’d left nearby to hit the woman on the arm.She clearly hadn’t expected him to react because she’d dropped the gun, and he’d managed to push it away with a foot.
Unfortunately, that hadn’t stopped the woman.She’d come at him with her fists, and if he wasn’t wrong, she had a knife in one of her hands.
Liam swallowed and glanced at Orlando.He had no idea why the man was here, but he was relieved.He was also pretty sure that Orlando had just saved his life.The woman would have eventually killed him if no one had intervened.
But what about Orlando?Liam would never forgive himself if something happened to him because he’d been defending him, but he wasn’t sure how to stop what was happening in front of him.Besides, it looked like Orlando knew what he was doing.The woman might have a knife, but Orlando was still clutching her wrist so she couldn’t use it against him.She was punching him with her other hand and kicking him, but it didn’t seem to matter to him.
Liam was scared, incredibly confused, and just a bit aroused.He’d found Orlando attractive on Saturday when he’d seen him talk to Martha, but it was nothing next to how hot he found him now.For one, he was closer, which meant he could see his dark eyes and the dimple in his chin.Orlando was also incredibly competent, which Liam had always found attractive.
But no matter how competent Orlando was, he was still fighting with someone holding a knife.What could Liam do?Whatshouldhe do?
He looked down.The hose he’d been using to water his plants was on the ground, getting everything wet.If Liam used it, Orlando would get wet, too, but did it matter?As long as Liam managed to get the woman to stop, Orlando would be fine, right?
Liam picked up the hose.He waited until Orlando and the woman moved so that the woman’s back was to him, and Orlando was half-hidden in front of her.Liam raised the hose, hitting the woman’s back.She yelled and jerked away, but Liam was mostly in time to lower the hose.He didn’t think Orlando was drenched, but the woman certainly was.
