Under Locke(86)

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.



It took me a second to realize that I was blinking a lot. Blinking while I looked up at the ceiling instead of my boss' face.



"Iris," he grunted, his tone still holding the slightly hysterical note that relayed the extent of his anger. "Do. You. Understand?"



I didn't have it in me to answer him with words, so I had to settle for a nod. A nod I directed at the ceiling, while I had to tell myself that I wouldn't cry in front of him—them.



I mean, I get that he had a point. And I completely understood that he was watching out for me. But seriously? Was this the way he was going to go about it?



Just like my mess of an explanation came out of my mouth, so did the small amount of pride I still managed to have after getting yelled at.



It also might have also been just a little childish but I was too hurt and humiliated to care. "I didn't think it mattered after I got left alone all night and day, Charlie." By Charlie I really meant Dick.



He opened his mouth just a fraction before closing it. His dark blue eyes narrowed. "Get back to the damn shop," he snapped.



This jerk was going to get punched in the nuts. If I wasn't stuck staying with him, he'd get punched in the nuts and I'd put dish detergent into his food. Dex had a point. Of that there wasn't a doubt, but making a point didn't mean you have to be a complete asswipe.



Plus, hadn't Sonny told me that Dex needed someone to tell him when he was being a dick? Sure, I'd done worse but that wasn't the point. He didn't know that, and he never would if this was any indication of how he handled stuff.



So fuck him. I sucked in a deep breath to ward off the tears that were right there and forced a smile on my face. It was ugly and unnatural but at that point, I didn't care. The guy was a man of his word. He'd put up with me until Sonny got back.



I think.



Smiling that creepy smile, I curtsied, staring straight into those dark eyes. "Whatever you want, your majesty."



Luther snickered just barely.



But Dex? Dex just stared right back.



"You gonna let her talk to you like that, man?" the Widow I didn't recognize asked.



Those blue eyes swung directly from me to the man. Dex looked at the man even more aggressively than he had me. "I don't remember askin' for your opinion, shit for brains, so shut the fuck up."



If I wasn't so mad and hurt, I'd probably get a kick out of his words, but I was.



The man made a noise in his throat. "D—"



I coughed and took a step back. "I'm going back to the shop," I told them in a quiet voice, watching Dex as he kept his gaze steady on his MC brother.



"Text me when you're headin' home later," he grunted, still not tearing his attention away from the man.



I looked over at Luther to see him watching the two younger men.



Whatever.



I didn't bother saying anything else before turning around and heading toward the door. I jogged down the stairs as fast as I could because all of a sudden, I felt like crying all over again.





Chapter Twenty



The look on Slim's face when I pushed through the door of Pins said way too much.



If he were prone to biting his fingernails, I think he would have been in the process of doing it. Instead, he smiled apologetically, lines creasing his forehead. "You okay?"



I tilted my head down and looked at him with wide eyes, rounding the reception desk to drop my purse on the floor. By some miracle, I'd managed not to cry.



No sooner had I gotten into the car had I realized that I couldn't exactly burst into tears at how upset and embarrassed I was. It made sense that Dex would be mad. I understood that. I really did. The problem was that he'd ripped me a new one, and the fact that it'd been done in public just made it worse—a heck of a lot worse. It was clear I was an inconvenience, but was it necessary to put things like I was a stupid child?



My chest hurt and I'd started hiccupping like crazy while I drove the two blocks down to Pins.



But screw it, I wasn't going to do it. I wasn't going to cry for no reason.



All right, there was a reason but that was beside the point. Deep down, I knew what I'd done was beyond foolish. If anyone had found out, I could only imagine what kind of shit storm The Dick would have raised. Hell, Sonny would have probably found out and I truly doubted he had any issues with actually knocking some sense into me.



So I'd be taking that little tidbit to the grave with me from the looks of it.



"I'm fine," I told him but the reality was that my voice seemed higher than normal. Obviously, I wasn't completely fine.



The last thing I wanted was to see any of the Widows anytime soon, especially Dex. Which didn't exactly work since I was staying with the guy. Damn it.