“Drop it. I need to have a few words with the PROSPECT alone, so when we get in here, stay in the lobby. I’ll let you see him before we leave.” Luke jumped out of the truck before I could say anything and slammed the door. He stared at his phone by the hood of the truck waiting on me.
I was still sitting inside, trying to figure out what I had done to put him in such a shit mood. All I did was suggest something. Was it really that big of a deal? I clambered from the truck, deciding my skinny jeans and pencil thin stilettos were probably not such a good idea. I wanted to look nice, since Luke looked nice, but there was nothing more annoying than the click of heels in a hospital corridor. I had to practically run to keep up with Luke who held my hand like it was his job rather than his desire. By the time we made it to the lobby, I was fuming. His fucking phone got more attention than I did. Not uttering a word to me, or looking at me or doing anything besides texting and staring straight ahead had thoroughly pissed me off. Once we arrived, Luke let go of my hand, then disappeared down the hall to Marty’s room, without a single word.
The cheap, leather furniture in the lobby was that awful mint green color that reminds you of the seventies. I made myself comfortable on the love seat, only to get up and pace the floor again. I was the only soul in the room and my ass had graced every seat in there. It seemed like hours had passed when Luke arrived with Worm, the VP, and another man, that I remembered as Boss Hog, following him.
“Let’s go.” Luke’s tone was harsh and his eyes hard.
“I want to see Marty,” I said, cocking out my hip and crossing my arms. Bad move, Dallas. Luke rushed up to me and grabbed me, looking down at me and bringing his face so close to mine that our noses almost touched.
“Now,” He growled as I swallowed hard, nodding my head vigorously at him. Luke was fucking scary. His grip on my arm was a little too tight and by the time we were in the elevator, I was sure there would be bruises.
“Luke, you are hurting me,” I whispered, scared that if I spoke too loud or said the wrong thing that he would lose it. He loosened his grip slightly, but kept a firm hold on my arm as he led me through the hospital and to the garage. Luke opened the passenger door and all but pushed me inside. He slammed it behind me and walked around, climbed into the driver’s side and cranked the truck. Worm and Boss Hog had climbed into the back seat and I had an eerie feeling that something was wrong, and whatever it was-I was the cause of it. Luke turned to me, placing a hand on the back of the seat next to my head. I heard the smooth leather crush under his tight grip as he spoke between his teeth.
“Who the fuck is Jeff?” His question caught me off guard and I looked around the cab at the stone faces of our passengers.
“I will ask you one more time,” Luke said, his jaw clenching and his breathing hard. “Who. The. Fuck. Is. Jeff?”
“An old friend,” I said, just loud enough for him to hear me. What was with the questions? Luke’s fist smashed into the radio and I jumped as the pieces fell to the floorboard.
“Don’t you fucking lie to me, Dallas! Who is he?” Luke yelled, just the power of his voice pushing me back further into my seat.
“He-he is my ex-boyfriend,” I stuttered. Luke should know this. He had been following me for years. How could he not have known and why was it such a problem? My mind was racing, and I was scared out of my mind, but I found the courage to speak, “I broke up with him three months before I met you.” Luke just stared at me, the darkness in his eyes so threatening that I found it hard to breathe.
“How long have you been seeing him, Dallas?” Luke asked, his voice so cold that I shivered.
“I dated him for several months. We met at a convention through a mutual client. It was never anything serious. I didn’t love him or anything, it was just sex.” Fuck me and my big mouth. That was surely not the right thing to say. Luke’s eyes grew bigger and darker, if that were possible, and I knew that I’d pushed my limits.
“Let me tell you something, sweetheart, this guy you were fucking just so happens to be playing on the wrong fucking team. He has been doing dirty work for Frankie, and your little idea that you had earlier has just back fired in my fucking face. Now, I’m dealing with a prick whose cock has been in my girl’s pussy and there ain’t a fucking thing I can do about it. I have a meeting with your Jeff in an hour and I have to sit there and strike a deal with him, just so I can find Frankie.”
The console between Luke and I disappeared as he moved closer to me. My brain was screaming at me to jump out of the truck and run, but my ass was frozen to the seat.