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“I’m really sorry, boss.”
“Don’t let it ever happen again.” I snap at him. I’m fucking upset.
“Is she okay?” He quietly ask, he knows he failed
“Yes, she said she kneed him in the balls. Good thing Amrit thought her how to fight back.” I sternly reply
“Good one.”
“Get Malik now, and call Smith for me.”
“Boss, I don’t think Smith did anything. It’s just a vibe.”
“I will be the judge of what he did and didn’t do,” I reply. For Smith’s own sake, I hope he didn’t fucking say something stupid to her.
Smith arrives a few minutes later. I get right to business, even as I had to control my emotions and not express anything.
“What did you say to Lexi?” I ask in a controlled tone
He stares at me perplexed by my question.
“Did you say something offensive to her?” I ask differently, maybe that would jug his memory.
“No, boss, all I’ve ever said to her is hello,” he answers, clearly surprised by the questions.
“Are you sure?” I ask, restraining myself from snapping at him.
“Yes. Did she say I said something to her?” he asks
“No, Ice had some kind of food poisoning today, I have told him to call you. You’ll be his back up anytime he can’t keep her safe.”
“Sure, boss.” He nods “Is everything okay, boss?”
“Yes,” I answer, running my hands through my hair.
“Can I go?” he asks.
I nod in return. Not sure why I’m edgy, first the fucking ex assaulted her and now I must make sure one of my guys isn’t causing her stress in any way. Fuck!
Chapter thirty-one
Bruce
“I need you to tell me why you don’t like having Smith around,” I ask quietly as we put the puzzle pieces together.
She avoids eye contact, fixing her eyes on the task in a precise way. I know she does that when she’s avoiding conversation. She doesn’t respond, just shrugs and stays focused on the puzzle without looking my way.
I turn her face to me, and she closes her eyes. “Open your eyes. It’s important that I know why you don’t like having Smith around you. Did he do or say something to you?”
She opens her eyes slowly and shakes her head.
“Tell me,” I plead. She has no idea how important this information is to me.
“He didn’t do or say anything,” she says quietly. I stay quiet, knowing there’s more.
“I noticed the eagle tattoo on his neck. The guy that tried to choke me had a similar tattoo on his neck. I saw it when I tried to fight him off me. I know it’s not Smith, but it’s just a trigger every time I see the tattoo.” She is now facing me. “I’m working on not getting triggered. I’m sorry,” she says quietly.
“Would it help if he covered the tattoo when he’s around you?” I ask instead. She can take all the time she needs to work on it. Most people would have fallen apart after the number of life-threatening attacks she has had.
