know Eliana could be involved with someone like Angel or Gideon, someone who could inflict pain upon others without a care.
It didn’t mesh with the sweet, caring woman he’d held in his arms. Then again, the most dangerous ones were those who seemed to have two personalities. At least with Hardy, Christian had no doubt. He had violent asshole written all over him.
He also had a virtual laser sighted on him in the form of Christian and his vigilante brothers. Hardy didn’t know how big of a threat they were yet. But he would and soon.
The second Hardy’s vehicle was out of sight, he pushed open his door and climbed out, locking his Mustang behind him. Gideon might be able to give him more information now, and Christian needed to make sure Eliana and everyone else was okay. He could only hope to hell she knew what she’d gotten into.
It had taken everything Christian had to remain in his car when Eliana had walked up to the locked door. He’d been given a brief moment of reprieve when she couldn’t get inside. But someone opened the door for her, proving they’d expected her.
The bar was quiet this time when Christian entered. He glanced around for signs of blood, indicating someone had been killed. Nothing stood out as he wound his way through the tables to the backroom where he found Eliana, Gideon and one of his brother’s flunkies. The prostitute must have gone out the back way. Hardy might have beaten her to a pulp, but at least she wasn’t lying on the floor dead.
“Hey, dude. What’s up?” He tried to appear as casual as possible, as though he had no idea what might have happened moments earlier.
Gideon straightened his posture. “Just the fuck I want to see.” He strode over to him. Before Christian could guess his intentions, Gideon threw a fist in his face, catching him hard on the cheekbone.
Eliana’s gasp rang through the quiet room.
Christian immediately shoved him in return, sending Gideon stumbling back a few steps. “ What the fuck was that for ?”
Gideon narrowed his eyes. “For fucking my attorney, dumb ass. You don’t touch what’s mine.” He pointed toward the exit. “Get the fuck out of here. All of you. You got shit to take care of, Ellie.”
Christian glanced at her, saw the fear on her face, and then turned back to his brother. She seemed nervous, but other than that, she appeared to be okay. He wanted to reach out to her, to make his body a protective shield between his asshole brother and her, but he didn’t know if she’d appreciate it, or if it might do more harm than good.
Eliana and the other piece of shit who occupied the room quickly left without saying a word or tossing another look in his direction.
Dammit.
Christian ignored his brother’s command and stayed. “Sucker punch me like that again, and I’ll knock you flat like I did when we were kids.” Christian could see the wheels turning behind Gideon’s dull eyes. His brother had taken on a God complex that would someday be the end of him.
“Don’t fuck with my business,” he finally said in return.
“First of all, she wasn’t your business when I met her. Second, she’s the one who showed up at my house the other night. If you don’t like what she’s doing, talk to her.”
“I did,” he ground out.
“And?”
Gideon refused to answer, and Christian could safely bet she’d told him to go fuck himself. Or something similar. He buried his grin beneath a serious expression.
“Look,” Christian said, trying to shift to a safer subject. “I didn’t stop by to start shit. I was curious how things went down the other night, if Hardy’s men got through okay.”
Gideon nodded, though he didn’t seem any happier because of it. “They changed the route and moved it up two hours, so no problem. Hardy sent another truck through at the originally scheduled time to see what would happen, and yeah, he confirmed the bust. You bought me some leeway, which is why I haven’t put a bullet
It didn’t mesh with the sweet, caring woman he’d held in his arms. Then again, the most dangerous ones were those who seemed to have two personalities. At least with Hardy, Christian had no doubt. He had violent asshole written all over him.
He also had a virtual laser sighted on him in the form of Christian and his vigilante brothers. Hardy didn’t know how big of a threat they were yet. But he would and soon.
The second Hardy’s vehicle was out of sight, he pushed open his door and climbed out, locking his Mustang behind him. Gideon might be able to give him more information now, and Christian needed to make sure Eliana and everyone else was okay. He could only hope to hell she knew what she’d gotten into.
It had taken everything Christian had to remain in his car when Eliana had walked up to the locked door. He’d been given a brief moment of reprieve when she couldn’t get inside. But someone opened the door for her, proving they’d expected her.
The bar was quiet this time when Christian entered. He glanced around for signs of blood, indicating someone had been killed. Nothing stood out as he wound his way through the tables to the backroom where he found Eliana, Gideon and one of his brother’s flunkies. The prostitute must have gone out the back way. Hardy might have beaten her to a pulp, but at least she wasn’t lying on the floor dead.
“Hey, dude. What’s up?” He tried to appear as casual as possible, as though he had no idea what might have happened moments earlier.
Gideon straightened his posture. “Just the fuck I want to see.” He strode over to him. Before Christian could guess his intentions, Gideon threw a fist in his face, catching him hard on the cheekbone.
Eliana’s gasp rang through the quiet room.
Christian immediately shoved him in return, sending Gideon stumbling back a few steps. “ What the fuck was that for ?”
Gideon narrowed his eyes. “For fucking my attorney, dumb ass. You don’t touch what’s mine.” He pointed toward the exit. “Get the fuck out of here. All of you. You got shit to take care of, Ellie.”
Christian glanced at her, saw the fear on her face, and then turned back to his brother. She seemed nervous, but other than that, she appeared to be okay. He wanted to reach out to her, to make his body a protective shield between his asshole brother and her, but he didn’t know if she’d appreciate it, or if it might do more harm than good.
Eliana and the other piece of shit who occupied the room quickly left without saying a word or tossing another look in his direction.
Dammit.
Christian ignored his brother’s command and stayed. “Sucker punch me like that again, and I’ll knock you flat like I did when we were kids.” Christian could see the wheels turning behind Gideon’s dull eyes. His brother had taken on a God complex that would someday be the end of him.
“Don’t fuck with my business,” he finally said in return.
“First of all, she wasn’t your business when I met her. Second, she’s the one who showed up at my house the other night. If you don’t like what she’s doing, talk to her.”
“I did,” he ground out.
“And?”
Gideon refused to answer, and Christian could safely bet she’d told him to go fuck himself. Or something similar. He buried his grin beneath a serious expression.
“Look,” Christian said, trying to shift to a safer subject. “I didn’t stop by to start shit. I was curious how things went down the other night, if Hardy’s men got through okay.”
Gideon nodded, though he didn’t seem any happier because of it. “They changed the route and moved it up two hours, so no problem. Hardy sent another truck through at the originally scheduled time to see what would happen, and yeah, he confirmed the bust. You bought me some leeway, which is why I haven’t put a bullet
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