All In: ALL IN KNIGHTS OF MAYHEM (24 page)

Avery

I get settled back into Leo’s room and head downstairs to see that
Beek is taking a nap on the couch. I smile and cover him over with the throw from the back. I pour myself a glass of wine and take the new book Piper had brought me out to the back deck along with my phone. Nestled into a lawn chair I crack the book open and begin to read.

I am half way through the fifth chapter when my phone rings, looking at the display I see it is my father, I take a deep breath before answering.

“Hey Dad, been a long time where have you been keeping yourself?”

“Busy, can you meet me in an hour?” Short not so sweet and to the point.

“Sure I guess, where?”

“The bistro on Fifth and Carmichael.”

“I can, see you soon.”

“Okay.” He ends the call from his end.

I sigh and lean my head back and watch as the puffy white clouds pass over head. My Dad had been expectantly absent the past week and it only makes me wonder what he has been up to. I can only assume he has been hard at digging things up on Leo and his club.

I went in and got changed before I woke Beeker up. I gently touched his leg, ‘Beek man it is time to get up.”

He jumps to his feet, ‘is something wrong, is somebody here?” His head is darting from left to right.

“No honey
, my Dad just called and wants to see me for lunch.” I look at him and smile, ‘if someone had been here I think that my screaming would have been a more appropriate way to wake you.” I smile sideways at him.

He roughly rubs his eyes, ‘yeah I guess you are right, how long did I sleep?”

I cross to my purse, ‘around two hours,’ I turn back to him, ‘no worries, Leo didn’t come home for lunch so you’re safe.” I giggle at his horrified expression.

****

Twenties minutes later we are well on our way into town, ‘you might need to call Leo and let him know where you are going cause if he does go home and we aren’t there he will trip balls.” Beeker points out as we pull into town.

“Yeah I guess you are right.” I pull out my phone and send Leo a quick text message letting him know about lunch.

For some reason an uncomfortable silence fills the cab of my SUV, I turn to Beeker, ‘what’s wrong man?”

He shakes his head, ‘nothing.”

I swat his arm, ‘don’t lie to me.”

He hesitates t
hen continues, ‘Kayla and I um-“ he stops and chews his words, ‘yeah know.” He moves his head as if to say had sex without saying it.

“Oh my god Beek that is wonderful.” I exclaim jerking his arm making him swerve in the road.

“Damn Avery it's not like neither one of us hasn’t ever done it before.”

“Great now you can come out as a couple.” I turn in my set to face him.

“Who knows?” He shrugs his shoulders.

“Exactly, you should just do it
ya know, at the next party just show everybody you and Kayla are together. I don’t see what the big deal is.” I turn my attention back to the road ahead of us, ‘or I could just say something.”

He sighs, ‘you are going to say something aren’t you?”

“Yep.” I retort quickly at him.

“Oh god.” He grumbles
.

“Oh hush and let’s go eat.” I jump out
of the SUV before he can belly ache anymore about the subject.

My father is waiting for us
at a table outside, ‘hey Daddy.” I greet him, kissing his cheek and take the seat across from him. Beeker takes a stool at the bar within sight of me.

“So how is Aunt Shirley?” I ask as I take a drink of the water the waiter has placed in front of me.

“She is fine.” He seems more irritated than usual.

“That’s good.” We sit in the uncomfortable silence
always following us around.

He nods his head in Beeker’s direction, ‘body guard?” He snorts after his comment.

“No that is just Beeker.” I am sure Leo feels better having Beeker follow me around but to tell the truth I am not sure what the skinny little guy could accomplish if challenged.

“Avery we need to talk.” My Dad leans up and starts a conversation in his gruff way.

I take another sip of water, ‘okay, about what?’ I ask even though I know what it is about and that would be the one and only Leo Tucker.

He slides a manila folder across the table to me, ‘I have been doing some digging.”

Imagine that, ‘oh really.” Go fucking figure.

“Yes and the
information is quit disturbing. He is not the man you think he is Avery.” He signals the waiter he is ready to order. I, on the other hand, have not even picked up my menu. I peruse the selections for lunch and decide on a chef’s salad and sweet tea.

Dad and I order then I point over to Beeker, ‘he is with us too.” The young man glances over his shoulder at a grinning
Beeker that gives him a wave.

I direct my
attention back to Dad, ‘so what makes you think I don’t already know about everything in the folder?” I sit back and know it is a bad idea to make light of a topic my father has deemed ultra important as he has Leo.

“
Just take a look,” he sits up and pounds is finger into the top of the folder, ‘I am sure there are things in there he hasn’t told you.”

I shake my head, ‘Dad I know all I need to know about him and
it is enough for me to be content and trust his every move.”

Dad reaches and flips the folder open to black and whites of a crime scene. I turn my head away quickly reaching up to close it all the same, ‘Dad he told me about her and what happen.”
Darting my eyes around making sure the other patrons of the bistro hadn’t seen the graphic photos the folder contained.

“
Yes I am sure he did but I wanted you to see what happened to her for being associated with him,’ he takes a sip of his water to give himself a break so he can regain his composure, ‘they tore her up Avery and I can’t allow that to happen to you. As long as you stay with Leonardo Giovanni Tucker, I am afraid the same will happen to you. Because let’s face it he couldn’t protect her so I seriously doubt he can do better with you. “

I raise my eyebrows at the use of his full name it is an eclectic jumble of Italian Americana
and I love it. I roll it around in my head several times as my Dad watches the shocked expression on my face replaced with a pleased smile.

“I take it you didn’t know his full name, how about this bit,’ he sits up with a smug smile crossing his face, ‘did you know he and his brother Eno were both adopted?”

“We haven’t gotten to that conversation due to the fact I am trying to keep her safe Kent.” My mouth waters at the sound of his deep baritone coming from behind me. He stops to lean in to me and kiss my temple while his big hands are messaging both of my shoulders. He takes the seat closes to me and turns his attention to me completely dismissing my Dad.

“
Hey baby.” He says as he steals a kiss from my lips this time.

“
Hey.” I light up inside and I am also sure my core temperature just shot up about ten degrees. Leo showing up just made this lunch a hundred times more interesting.

“I didn’t realize you would be joining us
Leo.” My Dad is pissed off to say the least and I am pleased I had nothing to do with it. This was all Leo and it was lunch crashing perfection.

“Me either but I was in the neighborhood and wanted to have lunch with my woman.” Leo states as his hand snakes over my thigh giving me
a high wattage he be gettin’ in my panties later smile.

He redirects his attention to my father, ‘so what are you doing here
Kent?” he points at the folder that has been shuffled back and forth between my Dad and me since I sat down.

“
Letting my daughter know what she is getting herself into by being with you Leo.” It is the showdown at the OK Corel and I am hiding in one of the stales behind a horse.

“Well I think Avery is a big girl and can make that decision on her own.” Leo is sparing with my Dad.

“Only if she has all the information.” My Dad has shifted in his seat and is leaning over the table in Leo’s direction.

Leo also leans up in his seat to stare at my father, ‘
Kent can I speak with you in private please?” He is gritting his teeth as he makes his request.

They both stand at the same time and walk off leaving me at the table
alone. It is then the waiter comes with our food, ‘just leave it.” I tell the bewildered man. He sits the baskets of food down in their places, ‘thank you.”

“Do you need a refill,’ he asks as he points at my tea glass.

“Yes please, it is looking like it is going to be a long lunch.” I quip as he nods and takes my glass with him as he exits the situation. I sit and watch my father stand with his hands on his hips talking to Leo who has his hands shoved down in the pockets of his blue jeans. I am guessing to keep himself from punching my father in the face. Kent Delany has a way of setting off the primal animal instincts of anger in a person, who better to know than me. I left for that reason and never looked back.

Leo dwarfs my father as he stands stoic while my father berates him with his knowledge of nothing. Leo’s face is twisted in anger and my father has yet to take a breath. Movement around the tables takes my attention for a moment away from the standoff.

It is Zach, ‘hey bud.’ I stand to give him a hug.

“Hey ba
be, it is good to see you. Miss you on the late shifts.” He squeezes me back taking Leo’s vacated seat and looks at me. I glance over his shoulder and his presence has not gone unnoticed.

I uncomfortably shift my attention back to Zach, ‘yeah
, I just couldn’t do it anymore, yeah know?”

“I do
, cause Avery I was the one who found you babe. You were in pretty rough shape.” He shifts and leans into me taking my hand, ‘how ya been?”

“Good I feel better and the headaches are gone.” I give him a smile, ‘still not able to stay on my own though.”

“Oh?’ He seems puzzled at this statement.

“Yeah I have been staying up at Leo’s.”
I tilt my head in Leo’s direction he has his gaze trained on Zach and me.

“
So I take it you two are back together?” Zach throws a wary eye back at Leo who is smoldering.

“Yeah
, we are working through things.” I laugh trying to dodge any more detail the last thing I need to do is drag Zach into all this mess.

I glance back over to Leo and notice he has left my father mid rant to cross back over to
our table. He kicks the chair holding Zach, ‘that’s my chair.”

Stunned Zach lifts himself up, ‘sorry man.” His freaked looked was all I needed to came to his aid.

“Leo, Zach and I worked together at the prison, he is the late shift guard.” I try to make the air light and breezy to no avail.

Leo eyes Zach, ‘is he now?” His eyes are set and the
bad boy mask is on in full tilt, ‘the one on duty when you got attacked?”

“Yeah man I found her
, scared the shit out of me.” Zach’s voice wavers with nerves.

“Convenient you show up afterwards,’ Leo shifts his stance to square up to Zach, ‘where exactly were you when it was g
oing on, jerking off in the bathroom thinking about Avery?” Leo never cracks a smile.

“Leo!” I am kind of shocked but not really
, it is Leo.

“What the
hell, man I ran in as soon I heard Avery groaning. I was the one who helped her.” Zach steps back looking Leo up and down. This is not good because Leo is, well a bad ass biker dude and Zach is an ex-marine. This isn’t going to end well for these nice tables here at the corner bistro.

I
step between them putting a hand on their chests, ‘okay guys let’s just step back and take a breath please?’ Dad thankfully joins the fray and helps me to back them down.

“Okay boys listen this is not the place or time for this.” The frigid waiter has come out holding the phone propping his hand up on his hip
sending threatening vibes through the air at us. Letting us know he is getting ready to call the cops. Leo’s chest is heaving and the look of sheer terror is crossing Zach’s face.

I take Leo’s hands in mine, ‘Leo baby
calm down, Zach didn’t have anything to do with what happened to me.” He stills and turns his gaze to my father, something passes between them.

Dad turns to Zach, “you need to leave now son and stay the fuck away from my daughter.”

My mouth falls open as I begin to protest Leo squeezes my hands and whispers, ‘shut up Avery.”

Zach backs away and disappea
rs around the corner so fast he knocks two chairs and a table over as he goes. My Dad addresses the waiter, ‘no trouble here son.”

Leo and my father fill their vacant spaces as if nothing happen
ed. I am left standing looking like a guppy out of water wondering what the hell just took place.