Broken Lion (12 page)

“But do you insist?” I said. “We can’t do it if you don’t insist.”

She grinned at me and Dan. “Okay. If you two insist I insist, then I insist.”

Dan frowned, “What does insist mean again?”

“It means we’re getting dinner,” I chuckled.

We ended up at the Hard Rock Cafe. Dan sat next to me in the booth with Brigid across from us. We all got burgers and milkshakes. Dan and I both sucked our food down. I ended up eating all of Brigid’s fries.

“Do you need to order another burger?” she asked.

“Thinking about it.”

“Your appetite sure hasn’t diminished since your injury.”

“I’m still working out like crazy. Mainly upper body and core stuff, but I keep busy.”

“It shows.”

“Thanks.” I wanted to say something flirtatious, but it wasn’t the time with Dan next to me. “Who wants dessert?” I picked up the dessert menu.

“I do!” Dan said.

“Haven’t you had enough sugar already with your shake?” Brigid asked.

“No!”

I gave Brigid a look, trying to figure if she was cool with Dan having more sugar for dessert. My thought was, when you go all out, you go all out. I never ate sugar when I was training for a fight. But when I was out with a gorgeous woman and her awesome kid at Universal for the whole day, it seemed like the thing to do. I arched my eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay. We can get dessert. But we should split something.”

Dan leaned against my arm as we both looked at the menu.

He said, “I know what I want! Cheesecake with Oreo cookies!”

“That sounds good,” Brigid said. “We can split that.”

I gave her a sly smile. “I know what I’m getting.”

“What?”

“It says here on the menu they have an Irish Kiss.” I winked at her. “I’m getting that.”

She blushed and stared at me, her eyes twinkling. Damn it, if this was different circumstances, I would lean right over this table and kiss her full on the mouth.

“What do you think, Irish? Should I get the Irish Kiss for dessert?”

“It does not say that!” She reached for the menu.

“Does too.” I handed it to her.

She read it out loud. “Jameson Irish Whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream and Monin Spiced Brown Sugar topped with whipped cream, chocolate morsels and chocolate syrup. That sounds really good.”

“I want that!” Dan gasped.

She said, “It has alcohol in it, Daniel. You’re too young.”

“Awww!”

“I’m old enough,” I said. “But it sounds pretty rich. You wanna split an Irish Kiss with me, Irish?”

She smirked at me but she was loving this.

“Well?”

“Okay. You get one and I’ll just take a sip. One of us has to drive home.”

“If you’re worried, I can order the alcohol free Irish Kiss.”

“I don’t see that on the menu,” she smirked.

“It’s not on the menu.” I gave her a pointed look, meaning me.

She knew what I meant. “You’re bad,” she giggled.

“So they say.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Dan asked.

“Just dessert, buddy.”

When the waiter returned, we ordered. A few minutes later, he brought out Dan’s Cheesecake and one Irish Kiss. Dan attacked his cheesecake with his fork.

“Can I have some?” Brigid asked.

“There’s only enough for me,” Dan laughed, his mouth full of Oreos.

“Be nice, bud. Your mom didn’t order her own dessert. So you and I both have to share with her.”

“Okay,” Dan groaned.

Brigid forked a bite of the cheesecake and savored it. “That’s really good.” She set her fork down. “That’s enough for me.”

I sipped on my Irish Kiss. It crossed my mind that having a public orgasm like in When Harry Met Sally just wasn’t the same when a dude did it. Plus Dan was here. But I could still have a foodgasm while I slurped it up. “Oh, man. This Kiss is really good. I mean, really, really good. Wow. Who would’ve thought an Irish Kiss would be so tripping good?” I never swore in front of kids. “Oops! Got whipped cream all over my lips. Sure is messy. In a good way.”

“Would you stop?” Brigid blushed.

“Stop what? I’m just enjoying my Irish Kiss. Bet you want some.”

“It can’t be that good.”

“Best dessert I ever had.”

“Oh! I want some!” Dan begged.

“Sorry, buddy. It’s got alcohol. When you’re older I’ll get one for you.”

“Do I have to wait?”

“Yup.”

“I’m old enough,” Brigid said.

“Want some?” I teased.

“Yes.”

I smirked at her like I was five and turned away, hooking my whole arm around the glass. “Can’t have any.”

“Fine,” she sneered with a smile. “I don’t want any.”

I grinned, “Okay, I’ll share.” I slid the glass across the table.

She tipped the glass up to her face and sipped. “Mmmm, that’s really good.” When she lowered it, she had whipped cream on her lips, which she licked off.

I would’ve liked to have been the one to lick it off. I was dying to kiss this woman. She still had a dot of whipped cream on her nose, which she didn’t notice. I bumped Dan. “Hey, what’s that on your mom’s face?”

He snickered around another mouthful of cheesecake. “Mom looks funny.”

“What?” She smeared her napkin across her lips. “I already licked it off.” She totally missed the dot on her nose.

Dan sniggered harder. “You missed it, Mom!”

She wiped her mouth again. “Did I get it?”

Dan leaned against me, laughing.

“What?!” She glared at me. “Are you guys messing with me?”

She was so damn cute I couldn’t take it. I tapped the tip of my nose.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh. You should’ve said something.”

“What, that my whipped cream was all over your face?”

Her eyes popped and she blushed like wine. “Would you stop?”

“Not until I get my Irish kiss,” I said suggestively.

Her eyes flicked at Dan. “Not with… Not here.”

I played dumb. “I mean this one.” I reached across the table and grabbed the glass and took another gulp. “Mmm, mmm. My favorite kind of Irish kiss.”

She beamed a blushing smile and silently mouthed the words,
I hate you
.

“The feeling is mutual,” I chuckled.

Chapter 13

LION

When we finished eating our desserts, the waiter brought the check, I had to fight Brigid for it.

“Today was my idea, Irish. So was dinner. So I’m paying.”

“Okay. But I’m paying next time.”

“Next time? Where’re we going next time?”

“Disneyland!” Dan blurted.

Brigid laughed. “Daniel, haven’t you had enough amusement parks for the summer?”

Dan smiled. “No.”

“What he said,” I chuckled.

“I’ll think about it,” Brigid said.

“Next weekend you have free, we’re going down to the DL. Ride us some Space Mountain and Indiana Jones, maybe some Pirates of the Caribbean. Right Dan?” I held up my fist for a bump.

He punched it. “Right.”

“What do you think, Irish?”

“Maybe,” she scowled. But she was still smiling.

It was pretty late when we left the Hard Rock. The CityWalk was still lit up, but the crowds had thinned down to a trickle and the earlier buzz of thousands of people talking and laughing had faded to a soft mutter.

Dan stretched his arms in a huge yawn.

“Goodness,” Brigid said. “It’s way past your bed time, Daniel. We need to get you home.”

“But it’s summer, Mom!”

“You still have to sleep.”

“I don’t want to sleep! I want to go to Disneyland!”

“Look what you did,” Brigid said to me.

“It’s the sugar,” I said. “We just gotta burn it off.”

We took the elevators down to the parking garage. When we got off at our level, the elevator next to us was opening too. Three shady looking guys walked out. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. There were shady looking people all over LA. It didn’t mean they were going to mug you.

Because we had arrived so late, Brigid’s car was parked way out in the boonies at the far end of the parking structure.

“That was a nearly perfect day,” Brigid sighed as we walked.

“Nearly? What would make it more perfect? I mean, after all was said and done, I had a ton of fun and got my Irish Kiss. What could be better than that?”

She blushed and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

If it wasn’t for the damn crutches, I’d brush my knuckles across the back of her hand to see if she wanted to hold mine. Yeah, it was against the rules. But sometimes you had to say fuck the rules.

Stupid crutches.

We finally found Brigid’s four door parked way down at the end of one of the aisles. At this hour, most of the spaces were empty. It had been absolutely packed when we’d arrived. A few of the overhead fluorescent lights were out on this level, giving it a dark and lonely feeling.

Dan was jumping up and down as we walked, still hopped up on sugar and bouncing off the walls. Time to burn it off.

“Hey, Dan. I’ll race you to the car.”

“But you’re on crutches.”

“So? I bet I can still smoke you.”

“No way.”

“Then we’re on.”

“Okay.” He was excited.

“On my count. Ready? On three. One, two—”

He took off running.

“Cheater!” I laughed.

Brigid laughed too. “Better go get him.”

I didn’t waste any time swinging after Dan. There was no way I was going to beat him, but I could at least catch up. We were both out of breath when we got to the car. He tagged the trunk.

“I win!”

“Yeah you did, Speedy.”

Brigid was strolling toward us, but she was halfway back down the aisle. Dan and I leaned against the trunk of the car while we waited, watching her.

The next thing I knew, the shady guys from the elevators were walking up behind Brigid. She turned back and said something to them. I couldn’t make anything out because the sound of their voices was muddled by the echoes in the garage. My entire chest tightened. I could tell from Brigid’s body language that she was agitated. The shady men kept talking, but I still couldn’t make anything out.

“Stay here, Dan.” My heart was racing as I crutched toward Brigid and the men.

“Lemme use your phone, lady,” one of the guys said when I got close. He had a thin mustache and curly hair like a villain from a drug cartel action movie.

“I don’t have a phone,” she lied. She’d had it out earlier when we were taking pictures.

“Yeah you do,” Curly said, his voice menacing. “Pretty lady like you always has a phone. Lemme use it.”

“I said no! So take a hike!” She was in the shadows below where the overhead lights were out. I was in shadows too and Brigid was between me and the men. Maybe they hadn’t seen me. If they did, they might back off, so I swung out to the side into view.

“Back the fuck off, buddy!” I barked as I crutched forward like a wobbly wind up toy.

The men slowed, watching me.

“Thank goodness,” Brigid muttered as I came up beside her. She stepped behind me, putting me between her and them. “Where’s Daniel? Is he safe?”

“Yeah. At the car.”

“I better make sure he’s okay.”

“He’s fine. But you should go get him and put both of you in the car.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. When you get him in the car, you should drive out of here as fast as you can. I’ll meet you down on Universal Studios Boulevard. Where we drove into the parking lot by the 101.”

“I’m not leaving you here!” She hissed.

“Can you just go? I’ll meet you down by the freeway onramp.”

She stared at me, mad.

“Will you go?”

She glared at me before turning toward the car.

I stared at the three guys. They reminded me of the gang bangers I’d grown up with in East LA, which was only a few miles from here. The gangs came out to Universal Studios just as much as anybody else in LA. Everybody loved rollercoasters and theme park rides in a fun and safe family-friendly environment. Sarcasm.

Where the hell was security? Maybe it was late and they’d all gone home. Who knew.

“You got a phone, crip?” Curly asked.

“Crip? What, because of the crutches?” I don’t know why he’d be making a gang reference. I wasn’t wearing blue anywhere and these guys weren’t wearing red or any other colors I recognized. Not that it mattered. Gangs weren’t showing like they used to. Not even tattoos. It made it too easy for cops to track them. Nowadays gangs wanted to keep a low profile.

“Lemme use your phone,” Curly said. “I know you got one.”

“Why don’t you and your buddies turn around and head out,” I suggested.

“Lemme use your phone and I will.”

I knew this drill. It started with harassment and escalated from there, depending on how brave these guys were. Three against one guy on crutches might make them stupidly brave. I had no interest in dealing with them. I considered turning and crutching away, but I wouldn’t risk turning my back on them. Too bad I hadn’t practiced crutching backward more.

Brigid’s car started up in the distance behind me.

“Looks like your lady is leaving you, crip.” He looked over my shoulder.

I wasn’t going to fall for that by turning to look. I kept my eyes nailed on him.

One of the other guys reached under his baggy T-shirt. It was baggy enough to easily conceal a medium caliber handgun like a 9mm or a .357.

Casually, I swung forward one step on my crutches. I wanted to be in striking range if Baggy had a gun under that shirt of his. You never wanted to be too far away from the guy with the gun unless you had your own. I didn’t. Closer was better.

“You reaching for your phone?” I asked. “Thought you said you didn’t have one.”

Baggy stared at me. “I do. He don’t.” He nodded toward Curly.

He was lying. Heck, they were both lying.

I said to Curly, “Use his phone.”

“He outta minutes.”

“Of course he is.”

The three of them were sizing me up while they got their courage up. In the shadows, they probably didn’t notice my ripped arms. All they noticed were my crutches. This was serious. I could feel the contempt coming off these guys in waves. I was nothing but shit to them. An easy target.

Nothing more.