"You finally came to visit! Took you long enough," Susan told her brother three days later as she pushed the door open for him so he'd come into her apartment.
"I'm sorry, but I've been very busy lately," Samuel told her.
"Yeah, I know that," Susan replied sarcastically. Yes, she loved her brother and she had his back…She always would, but that didn't mean she wasn't upset with him over certain decisions that he'd made. Decisions that had made impacts in his life… And hers, although she couldn't discuss it with him. Knowing Samuel, he would freak out, and she wouldn't blame him. What kind of man wouldn't freak out if he learnt that his sister… Or anyone he loved for that matter, was running shady errands for Leo Spencer.
Samuel ignored her comment. He closed and locked the door behind him, then he took a look at the apartment, "Looks good," he added.
"Not better than yours, but thanks," Susan replied. "Would you like something to drink?"
"A glass of water would be nice,"
Susan frowned at him, "A glass of water? Come on, Samuel. It's my new apartment, and you're coming here for the first time. You're going to get something other than water,"
Her brother smiled at her, but he took a seat, "I know, and I'm sorry, but it will have to be another time. I didn't plan to stay long,"
Of course he didn't, Susan thought. These days Samuel seemed to have a lot to do. A lot he didn't tell anyone. A lot that could get him into trouble…. More than he already was. Silently, she went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of water which she handed to him. While he drank, she decided to address the elephant in the room.
"Talked to Leo lately?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"Not really. No," came Samuel's reply, but he said nothing else to ease her curiosity, so Susan pressed on.
"How much longer did he give you to repay him?"
Samuel shrugged, "A few weeks I guess. Honestly, I'm supposed to be hearing from him soon and I'm actually surprised that I haven't already,"
Susan wasn't surprised. She knew why
She'd bought her brother some time, but she didn't know how long before Leo went after Samuel again. She had to talk to him about that, but he had not contacted her again since she made that delivery at the car wash, and honestly she hoped he wouldn't, but she knew better.
"How much do you have from the money?" she asked him.
"Ten grand,"
Leo wouldn't like that, Susan thought, but it had to mean something. At least her brother was trying, and so was she.
"Do you think he'll take it… at least for now?"
Samuel shook his head, "I don't know, but I'll try when he shows up,"
"And then he beats you up again or does something worse," said Susan
Suddenly agitated, she began to pace the room. She was worried for Samuel, and for herself too because now she was involved. She knew she'd bought him some time, but it wouldn't be long before Leo came knocking again. She had to talk to him before then, but that could mean doing something for him again, and Susan didn't know if she was prepared for that as she'd barely recovered from the previous one.
Her heart was racing again. It seemed to do that every time she saw or thought about Leo. He scared her, but there was something about him that intrigued her at the same time…. And that frightened her even more.
__________
She heard from Leo two days later. Just when she finally stopped feeling agitated all the time and was starting to put the events of the past few weeks behind her. It was a text message, and he wanted her to meet him that evening at a small cafe.
Susan didn't go in her work clothes. She went home first, showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a small, black crop top. She wore black heeled sandals to match and tried not to arrive too early this time. She didn't want to sit around waiting for him to show up anytime he wanted, but she also didn't want to keep him waiting, so she gave herself some extra minutes before she drove to the location.
She was a few minutes late, and when she arrived at the cafe Leo was seated at the booth… alone, drink in front of him with his head bowed, looking at something on his phone.
He looked up almost immediately, and their eyes met as she began to slowly move forward. Was it possible for a person to forget how to walk? It probably was possible… How else could she explain the wobbly, jelly-like feeling in her legs as she forced herself not to trip. She wished he'd look away, but he didn't… Didn't even blink.
It was unfair… So unfair that a man like Leo had to look so attractive, Susan thought. She hated his guts, but it would have been easier to hate him more if he didn't look so damn good. Instead of ignoring it, she acknowledged his attraction. The swathe of short dark hair that fell rakishly across his forehead, brows the same color jutting over dark eyes, long straight nose, and that hard slash of a mouth, its cynical twist softened by the fullness of the lower lip, his jaw firm and uncompromising.
And oh, she couldn't forget his sheer size that always instantly drew her attention, easily six foot five, maybe even slightly taller than that, his shoulders wide and powerful, tapering to narrow hips and thighs, his legs long and muscular in the fitted black denims he wore. The black shirt unbuttoned at the throat.
Susan took a seat in front of him, and tried to look unaffected, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long," she said, "And I didn't think you'd come alone. Where is your…."
Leo lifted a brow.
"... Friend," Susan completed.
His lips curled up on one side, "Why? Do you miss him?"
Her eyes narrowed. It was such a ridiculous question. Why would she miss his buff, scary guy who looked like he strangled people who pissed him off? But she knew that if she was going to continue doing this, then she had to be smart about it, and that meant getting into Leo's good graces, so she went with the flow and returned his smile. It wasn't hard to do.
"I'm just making small talk," she said, "Are you always all about business all the time?"
Leo shrugged, "Pretty much, yes," he replied, then he answered her previous question with, "He had business to take care of,"