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Leese set his drink on the bar and shifted to face Cannon "He has this way of acting like he’s known everyone forever You knohat I mean?"

"I do" Cannon, too, set aside his drink "Armie isn’t easily i deal or a problem He isn’t shy or modest and no one scares him"

"Oh, I dunno" This is where Leese felt he had to tiptoe But Cannon seemed in the mood for a heart-to-heart, so why not? "I think your sister scares him plenty"

Cannon studied hirin "That’s pretty daht the same It’s because she matters to him Armie is like a brother to nificant others with his friends, and not like the women who helped to build his rep"

"His rep would scareperson Independent, too She knows I’d like to spoil her, but she insists my success is my own and she can take care of herself But the robbery, being held at gunpoint" His jaorked "Regardless of how she tries, having soun in her face, that’s not so to push past And if I can’t be with her, then I’lad Armie is"

Nice that Rissy’s brother was okay with the setup For her sake, Leese hoped Ariven what he’d witnessed so far, he wasn’t convinced

Seeether--except for Armie hilad you’re keeping an eye out for her"

"No problem" Hell, all the ladies, especially Vanity and Rissy, considered him a confidant For whatever reason, they trusted him with their secrets, and their worries Leese wasn’t sure if that was a compliment to his character, or an insult to his ht not see it," Cannon continued, "and Ar it, but do me a favor and keep an eye out for him, too, will you?"

"You’re serious?"

Cannon nodded "Everyone is so used to Arling It’s not the workload, and it’s not the SBC debut But seeing Rissy threatened--that put him in a tailspin"

"What do you expect me to do?" Leese just naturally looked after kids or wos But Arhter that everyone assuht line to the title belt How the hell would Leese be of any help?

"You’re single If you see him out and about and he has a problem, any problem, whether you think he’d want your interference or not, let me know"

"Sure" But it felt weird as shit to babysit Armie "Quick" Jacobson

"Thanks And Leese? Keep it to yourself"

"What?"

"All of it Anything to do with , what he’d expected all along "For the record," Leese said evenly, "I would have done that without the warning"

"I figured Thanks"

Cannon no sooner left than Justice and Brand joined him A few minutes after that, several ladies invited thes--like the cute brunette who invited hiht before they left, he heard two of her friends ask about Armie, and he sured Arot her way, Armie would never have another three-way He almost felt sorry for him--except that Rissy was a catch, and if the lucky SOB didn’t screw it up, Leese was pretty sure she was the one woman who could make Armie a very satisfied man

CHAPTER NINE

THE NEXT MORNING, Armie hen Rissy left the bed He cracked open an eye and watched her pull on a sweatshirt Shame to cover that sweet body When she peeked back at hi with her like this was incredible, but also left hi closer to the bed, and then the mattress dipped

He turned to face her, saw her startled expression and said with stern warning, "You weren’t planning to write on ain, were you?" It had taken her a daet the marker removed