“I don’t need his protection.”
Sloan’s gaze had narrowed. “Did something happen?”
“No,” she said quickly.
“Her car broke down, and she didn’t have anyone to call. A real boyfriend would have been there for her. A real Dom wouldn’t have allowed her to drive that heap at night at all.” Sloan sucked in a sharp breath. He took two steps forward, looming over James.
Oh crap. Oh crap.
“You do not get to tell me how to look after my sub. What did you ever do for our sub except cause her pain?”
Huh, what? What did he mean by our sub?
“I messed up with Sarah, I admit it. But I’m a different person now.”
“Uh-huh, how touching. I’m sure you believe that. But a leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
James straightened, and the tension grew hotter. She shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously.
“It wasn’t totally my fault. You don’t know everything.”
“I know enough. I know you killed her.”
She sucked in a shocked gasp, just as James pulled back a fist and let fly. He caught Sloan by surprise, the bigger man rocked back a step as the sound of James’s fist against his nose reverberated throughout the room. There was a pause, and then Sloan dove forward. Frozen, she couldn’t do anything but watch as Sloan shoved James against the wall. James couldn’t come close to matching Sloan in size, but what he lacked in stature he seemed to make up for in speed. They grappled, Sloan swung, and James managed to duck at the last minute, swinging out his foot in an attempt to take the bigger man down.
She had to do something before they killed each other. But what? She looked around frantically and saw the vase filled with flowers. She grabbed the vase and threw the contents at the two men. The flowers went flying through the air, along with the water, hitting Sloan and James in the face. For a moment, she didn’t think they were going to pay any attention to her, but then they turned, with identical looks of disbelief on their faces. She swallowed heavily.
“Why’d you do that?” Sloan asked in a quiet, measured voice.
Oh shit.
“Oh, I don’t know. I figured it might stop you from destroying my apartment,” she said angrily. “The two of you are acting like idiots, and I don’t have the patience for it. My head is thumping, and my stomach feels raw. You were both strutting around like cocks defending your henhouse. If you’d puffed out anymore, the buttons on your shirts would have popped.”
James snorted. “First time I’ve been called a cock.”
“I doubt that,” Sloan muttered, brushing a daisy off his shoulder. “What’s with the flowers?”
She shrugged. “I was trying to get you with the water. In hindsight, I should have taken the flowers out first. That was only the second bunch I’ve ever received.”
“Why?” James asked.
“Not sure. No one ever thinks to buy me flowers, I guess.”
“Not that,” he said, giving Sloan a look. “Although you’d think your boyfriend would have bought you flowers occasionally.”
“We didn’t have that type of relationship.”
“No? What sort of relationship did you have?” There was a subtle emphasis on the word have and it reminded her that she and Sloan had no sort of relationship anymore. He didn’t have the right to come in here making demands.
“We are still in a relationship,” Sloan growled, pressing the sleeve of his shirt to his nose to staunch the blood.
“You are?” asked James.
“We are.” Sloan gave her a firm look. “But that’s for Kinley and me to discuss. You have nothing to do with us.”
She flinched at the cold note in his voice. James showed no reaction, though. He simply looked at her.
“You,” she pointed a finger at Sloan, “you don’t get to ignore me for weeks and then stride back into my life, giving orders left, right, and center.” Then she turned to James, who was smiling smugly, not realizing there was a gerbera stuck in his hair. “And you’re not helping matters. Instead of explaining things, you’re riling him up.”