One Good Reason (Boston Love #3)(33)

Parker’s weight vanishes and I hear a thud, followed by a grunt of pain. My eyes fly open and I’m stunned to see Luca towering over me like a storm cloud. His dark auburn hair is disheveled, his light blue eyes furious.

“Are you okay?”

I nod, stunned silent by his sudden appearance.

He doesn’t wait for me to say anything. He spins, strides across the room, and hauls a dazed-looking Parker to his feet. Before he can even find his footing, Luca’s got Parker pinned against the wall with one arm pressed tight across his neck, compressing his windpipe until he can barely breathe.

“What the f*ck do you think you were doing?” he hisses into Parker’s face. His tone is downright scary. He looks like he’s about to murder someone.

And by someone I mean a certain wise-cracking playboy who just had his tongue in my mouth.

“Luke,” I call, springing to my feet. “Luke, stop!”

It’s like he doesn’t even hear me. He’s entered full-on rage mode.

I’ve only seen him like this once before — the afternoon he saved me from those guys behind the group home. Parker would be wise to keep his mouth shut and let me deal with it before Luca’s anger boils over.

But, of course, this is Parker we’re talking about. When has he ever kept his mouth shut?

“Well?” Luca hisses, slamming Parker harder against the wall. “Do I have to shove my foot up your ass?”

“Buy me a drink before we talk ass-play, baby,” Parker wheezes, defiant despite the fact that a savage is strangling the life out of him.

Ho boy.

The hand at Luca’s side curls into a fist. Before he can lift it, I’m there — holding on for dear life to keep him from killing Parker.

“Luca! Luca, listen to me!” I yank harder on his arm; he doesn’t move a single inch. I’m an ant trying to shift a mountain. “He wasn’t hurting me. Okay? He was… we were…” I fidget as I search for the right words. My voice drops lower. “He wasn’t hurting me, Luke.”

Luca and I never talk about this shit. I’ve always tiptoed around the subject of men in my life, just as he’s never shared details of the fan-girl hoes who line the front rows at his fights, their fake boobs spilling out of too-tight t-shirts. We don’t talk about sex. Relationships. None of that shit.

Until now, apparently.

I see his posture change slightly as he processes my words. As the scenario in his head — me being assaulted — changes to something entirely different.

He shifts his arm so Parker can breathe, but doesn’t move away. A muscle jumps in his cheek. “This guy? Really, Zoe?”

“Luca,” I repeat softly. “Let him go.”

He does, a disgusted huff of air blasting from his lips as he pushes away from the wall and strides toward the stairs, grabbing my hand and bringing me along with him. Hearing Parker drag a ragged breath into his lungs, I glance back to see if he’s all right.

His eyes meet mine; there’s a dark look in their depths. I get the sense he’s about a second away from tackling Luca to the ground – which will not end well for anyone involved.

Great. I’m standing between two barrels of gasoline, holding a match.

With a rough yank, I pull out of Luca’s hold before he can drag me up the ladder out of the cabin. He stops and looks down at me, features contorted into a stony mask, and I use both hands to shove his chest. Hard.

“What the hell was that, Luca?” I snap.

“That was me looking out for you, like I always do.”

“I didn’t ask you to look out for me!”

“That’s kind of the point of looking out for someone — they shouldn’t have to ask. Ever.” He doesn’t sound remotely apologetic.

I try to remain calm. “What possible reason could you have for thinking I needed looking after at this exact moment in time?”

“You weren’t answering your phone.”

“So?”

“You always answer.”

“Okay, sorry, apparently I’m not a perfect person!” I throw my hands up. “That doesn’t give you an excuse to barge in here like some kind of psychopath and assault my…” I swallow. “My friend.”

Parker snorts at my word choice. I ignore him.

“What do you even know about this guy?” Luca asks.

“More than you, I’m sure!” I hiss. “I don’t need you to protect me anymore. I’m a grown woman.”

His light blue eyes drop to scan my body, stopping on my bare legs. “I can see that.”

I flinch. He’s never said anything like that to me before.

“Just get out of here, Luca.” I turn and walk back toward Parker, making it clear where I stand in this whole ridiculous show of masculine bravado. “I appreciate your concern, but it’s neither wanted or needed here.”

“I’m not leaving without you,” he says flatly.

I stop halfway between the men and roll my eyes so hard I’m surprised they don’t get lodged up inside my skull. “How’d you even find me?”

“Went to your place and used that Find My iPhone app on your computer.”

“That is a total invasion of privacy!” My voice is incredulous. “You had no right to do that.”