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But because a familiar, bald man was currently marching right toward Jacqueline as she made her way toward Sun Steer’s building.

Bloody hell.

I threw myself out of the car immediately, marching straight towards the love of my life. She halted on the sidewalk, surprised to see Vincent marching right toward her.

Dread filled my gut. I picked up my pace.

“Vince? What the hell?” Jacqueline asked, taking a tentative step back.

“Oi!” I called, making Jacqueline glance over her shoulder to see my approach. Vincent, not surprisingly, slowed his pace as he glared at me, “Long time, no see.”

I managed to step in front of Jacqueline, shifting so most of her was hidden behind my body. Something about this man didn’t feel right. I remembered Brandon’s words from not too long ago, about how he tends to trust his gut with these kinds of things.

My gut was telling me to get Jacqueline the fuck out of here.

“I need to talk to Jacqueline.” Vincent ground out. His hands were shoved in his coat pockets, and the way he was fidgeting inside the material made alarm bells ring in my head.

“I don’t think you do.” I shook my head, stepping back with my arm out in case Jacqueline had any desire to approach him.

The side door to the building opened far behind Vincent, and I almost breathed a sigh of relief watching Mary, Zaid, and Brandon all start walking toward us. Brandon had his phone to his ear, and he was angrily scanning the area. I guessed that he was looking for security.

“This is between me and her.” Vincent spat on the ground, his head twitching to the side. He scratched his cheek, and the way he swayed from the movement confirmed my suspicions.

He was not sober.

“You need to leave, mate,” I lowered my voice, going as far as to grab Jacqueline’s arm, ensuring she was still behind me and out of his reach. I felt one of her smaller, cold hands wrap around my wrist, holding me as well.

“Fine, fine.” Vincent shook his head and stepped off of the sidewalk, making our coworkers slow their approach. His eyes were on the ground as he marched off.

Jacqueline made a concerned noise behind me, so I whirled on her to scan her body. I didn’t think I saw him touch her, but I couldn’t be sure. I ended up grasping both of her arms in my hands, desperate to feel for myself.

“Are you alright?” I asked her, crouching to meet her eye.

Jacqueline was shaking the slightest bit, blinking as her eyes met mine, “Yeah, yeah I’m—Leo!” I was about to turn around when suddenly, blinding pain filled the back of my head.

Everything went dark.

* * *

“Leo? C’mon man,”my cousin’s voice didn’t normally sound so shrill, but for some reason, Mary’s tone made the throbbing in the back of my head feel even worse, “Wakey, wakey.”

“Fuck me,” I groaned, reaching a hand up to rub my eyes. Someone was trying to shine a light on them.

“Mr. Turner, I think you have a concussion. I need you to move slowly.” I had no idea who the hell that was, but I trusted their diagnosis, based on the nausea I was feeling when I tried to sit up. I slowed my movements, allowing my cousin’s ring-clad hands to support me. I finally managed to open my eyes. I was on the ground, outside the office.

In front of me was a medical professional of some kind, and behind them was an ambulance. I turned my head, because just behind the ambulance, Vincent was in handcuffs and being shoved into the back of a police car.

“Where’s Jacqueline?” I managed to groan out.

“Here,” I smelled her rose and vanilla perfume right as she dropped to her knees beside me, triggering an unexpected wave of nausea as her cold hands brushed my hair back off of my forehead, “I’m here.”

“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching up to wrap her hand in mine.

Jacqueline scoffed, “I’m fine, you’re the injured one.”

“Fuck, am I?” I reached my hand up again toward where the pain was throbbing behind my skull. Something damp was in the strands of my hair, and when I lowered my hand, I saw a small bit of blood coating the fingers.

“It’s a small cut. He doesn’t need stitches,” another medical professional said, “We want to determine if you need to go to the hospital. Can you make it to the ambulance or do you need assistance?”