Page 42 of No Holds Barred

Hope nodded. “Keep eating. You need to keep your strength up.”

“Yes, you do.” Leanne’s voice coiled around them like a snake ready to strike.

Hope tensed instantly, but she didn’t look behind her to see Leanne. Instead, she focused her gaze directly on Angelica, who stared straight back at her. Hope dropped her hand back onto Angelica’s knee and left it there as she nodded and then slowly turned to face Leanne.

“Good morning,” Hope said, keeping her tone as light as possible, even though she didn’t feel that way.

“Good morning.” Leanne’s lips pulled up to the side in a half smile, but it looked a little predatory, as though she was trying to make this as uncomfortable as possible. “It’s good to see you, Ange.”

Angelica licked her lips, her entire body tense, but Hope was damn sure that no one else would be able to tell because she looked the perfect picture of calm. “Leanne. I thought you took that job in Florida.”

Leanne shrugged as she stepped into the room and settled into the chair on the other side of Hope. “It didn’t seem like a very good fit.”

“They didn’t offer you the position,” Angelica said, correction in her tone.

Leanne’s smile faltered slightly. “No.”

“Hmm. Wonder why.” Angelica had the slick little smile on her lips that told Hope she knew more than she was letting on.

She definitely wanted to ask more about that later.

“How are you doing, really?” Leanne’s voice softened, all that bravado that Hope had witnessed before disappearing in an instant.

Perhaps there had been real love between them at one point.

“I’m doing well,” Angelica said, keeping her face straight.

“I was so scared when Josef called me about your car accident. And when he said it was so bad that you couldn’t work?—”

“You thought you’d jump on the opportunity to take over yourself?” Hope said, her anger lashing out before she could stop it. Still, someone needed to say it because if anyone else found out about Leanne and Angelica’s past, they’d be thinking it. They just might not say it to her face.

Leanne’s mouth dropped in surprise, and Hope was pleased with herself for that one.

Angelica cleared her throat, shooting Hope a look that told her to shut it. “He didn’t have to call you. As you can see, I’m fit enough to work.”

Hope held her tongue on that lie.

“You still look sore. And your leg! Don’t you want to rest up until you’re free of the cast?” Leanne’s voice took on a tone like she was talking to a child. It grated on Hope’s nerves. Angelica was anything but, and while Hope loved coddling her, it wasn’t because Angelica needed it.

“I’ll be in the cast for six to eight weeks.” Angelica didn’t even move.

They both recognized the moment that Leanne’s gaze fell on Hope’s hand on Angelica’s knee, on the way her fingers curled around to the smooth skin on the inside of Angelica’s leg. But Hope didn’t move her hand. She wanted Leanne to understand just how damn possessive she was of Angelica because then it’d show Leanne that she didn’t stand a chance in hell if she pushed back on Angelica at all.

“Oh. I see,” Leanne muttered. “I’ve been replaced.”

“Hardly,” Angelica said.

“And aren’t you the one who left her?” Hope asked, keeping her look just as pointed as before. “I don’t remember anythingabout you agreeing to make the relationship work. Instead, I just remember you abandoning her when she made the ask.”

“That’s enough, Hope,” Angelica whispered, pain in her voice.

When Hope looked over to Angelica, she couldn’t tell if what she’d done was right or wrong.

“I’m here to film, so your services are no longer needed.”

“They are.” Josef barreled into the room.

Hope immediately jerked back, placing her hand back in her lap and shying away from Angelica. While it felt good to tease Leanne, she didn’t want to tick off Josef any more than he already was.