Page 47 of Nightmare

He returns it with a wink.

My eyes flash briefly to Western, before I turn and disappear into the darkness.

Yikes.

These bikers are something else entirely.

I think I’m getting slightly addicted.

~*~*~*~*

“YOU WHAT?” LEO GROWLSas we walk side by side on separate treadmills.

He pressures me into coming to the gym with him every now and then, most of the time I don’t go, but today I was feeling the need to burn off some extra energy. My thoughts are getting the better of me, consuming my mind, and I need to distract myself. No better way to do that than to work up a sweat. Besides, I wanted to tell Leo what happened with Western, even though his growl is a clear answer as to how he feels about that.

“I don’t know how it came about,” I explain, quickly, “but, Leo, it was out of this word.”

“He’s married, Bonnie. I know you’re not that kind of girl, so I’m goin’ to go ahead and tell you I’m fuckin’ shocked that you’re telling me this.”

Leo is right, of course.

Western is married, but it isn’t how the public sees it.

I don’t know if I should go ahead and share that information, so I keep it to myself. Instead, explaining, “He is married, but from what I have gathered, it isn’t a good marriage. She left the other night, which is why I was there to begin with.”

“Still, that doesn’t mean you go ahead and make out with a murderer.”

That word is beginning to bug me.

“I wish you would stop calling him that.”

Stopping the treadmill, Leo gets off. I follow suit, and, panting slightly, I stand in front of him, waiting for the lecture that’s about to come.

“That’s what he is. I know you refuse to believe it, Bon, but that’s what he fucking is. He killed people, more than one, and he went to prison. People don’t just go to prison for no reason.”

“They do, actually. It happens all the time.”

“He was seen with the bodies. You can’t just explain that away.”

I wish I could tell him more, but right now, I’m keeping anything I do know under wraps until I can get more information.

“I know how it looks, but I need you to believe that I’m doing the right thing here. I don’t think he did it, and I don’t think he’ll hurt me.”

Leo’s expression grows tight with anger. “You’re an idiot if you keep going with this.”

His words hurt, and while I understand them, they make me equally as angry.

“Don’t call me names, Leo. Last time I checked, I was a grown ass woman who is fully capable of making her own decisions.”

“You’re right,” he snaps, “you are. But don’t go ahead and fucking tell me about them and expect me to agree.”

“I won’t tell you about them, then,” I snap back.

“Fuckin’ marvelous.”

With that, he turns on his heel and walks away, leaving me standing with more than one set of eyes on me after our little spat.

I love Leo, but he can’t possibly understand.

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