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"I know about you The orphan with no fa Poppy didn’t want you then and there is no way she wants you now I’h you to do it"

I probably would’ve let it go, probably would have ed to uy to fk off, he lifted his foot and kicked Ji howled in pain and jerked out offirst because the little bastard tried to get in a sucker punch when I turned to see if the dog was okay I caught his fist in my hand and jerked his arm behind his back When he was off balance I clocked him once hard in thedown his chin I was just so e as he wiggled against me and I turned him around and clamped him in an unmovable choke hold

He threw his head back and tried to head-butt rabbed him by the back of the neck and bent him forward so that he renched over at a totally aard and painful angle I marched him out of the breezeway and down the sidewalk to the street I shoved hih force that he stumbled and fell forward on his hands and knees

"Don’t co order today, and believe me, if you think I’m bad you don’t even wanna see what her sister has in store for you if you coain Only piece-of-shit men hit women and you’re lucky I don’t do to you what you did to her"

He turned over to look back at lowered at me I really should smash his nose in to teach him a lesson or at least kick hi

"Poppy is arbled and I just lifted an eyebrow at hi the way shoulda taught you how to respect wohed out loud as he li and lifted his leg Poppy’s husband tried to scrah and Jimbo was obviously proud of hiot to his feet, swearing at us and calling us names the entire way as he stor on the head and told hiirls

Saleht ball on the couch ent back inside Salem launched herself at me as soon as I cleared the front door, so I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her on the top of her head

"I called Royal I had to"

I kissed her on her treed on the ends of her hair "Probably a good idea to have your sister talk to her She’s right That guy has soht be a major threat to not only her, but you as well She needs an eency order of protection and you should see if Royal can arrest hi, who had made himself comfortable on the couch next to Poppy "He kicked Jiuy every bad nalad you were here"

Poppy poked her head over the back of the couch and said, "Me, too"

I kissed Sale to be here"

She wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her cheek overjust for her

"So am I, Rowdy" I actually believed her when she toldo back to sleep after all of that, so by the ti Hio in earlier than normal to make up for the appointover Poppy didn’t want to be at the apartment alone and I couldn’t blame her So I decided to take her to the shop withwas finally tagged, organized, and inventoried We were only about a week out fro a fully operational store above the tattoo shop and there were already inquires in my in-box about online orders for uys and the new artists all booked out over ato have to hire soe the retail aspects of the business It was a good probleuys saw it the same way

Cora was excited to have extra hands around for the busy day She actually had scheduled a couple of piercings for the afternoon, so she put Poppy to work in the office updating portfolios and working on so to do with office supplies and stuff the guys ordered for their stations She was in a tizzy about paper towels or soh Cora seeh so that Rowdy asked her about it She just brushed him off and the subject was dropped, at least until she walked up to the counter with her client, a girl that had wanted der, fat, sparkly ring on that all-ier as Cora handed me the checkout paperwork

I felt my jaw drop as I reached out to snatch up her ed?"

The shop was busy and there was plenty of chatter going on in the background, but when I asked the question the place was suddenly quiet enough to hear a pin drop Cora yanked her hand back and a hot-pink flush colored her face Her turquoise eye flashed at ot all hed at her and reached back for her hand to look at the ring on her left hand

This was Cora after all, no boring dia would do Instead it was a ring that twisted around her finger and had two geolden topaz and the other a pristine blue sapphire It wasn’t an exact match to her two-tone eye color but the idea was there and obvious I never would have pictured a big, gruff guy like Ro so perfectly right

I felt Rowdy over my shoulder as he reached out and took Cora’s hand froht Secretive bastard" He let Cora’s hand fall and reached out to squeezenot to get any ideas or a warning that soratulations, but why didn’t you say anything, Tink?"