Page 48 of Sharp Lies

“Lily,” Tony said, his eyes shooting to mine. “What are you doing here?”

Damn, I hated him. I hated that he thought he had a right to talk to me that way and sound like I didn’t have just as much right to be at a fucking carnival as he did. I hated that he kept showing up when I wasn’t expecting him and ruining things that should have been wonderful.

And for the first time, that hatred overcame the fear that was threatening to make my knees fold.

“I’m learning how to knit, of course,” I snapped. “What do you think I’m doing here? I’m enjoying the carnival.”

His eyes narrowed in anger and then slipped down to where Warren’s hand and mind were linked, and when they came back up, they were practically molten. “You learning to knit with him?”

“Among other things,” Warren said, stepping suddenly in front of me. “What do you want, Tony? Because the last time I checked, Lily was no longer your problem.”

Tony sneered. “When you’ve seen as much of her as I have, that problem doesn’t go away. What’s your name again? Warren? Warren what? Or do you just go by the first name?”

“My last name definitely isn’t your problem,” Warren replied quietly. His hand shot back to hold me still when I tried to duck around him, and he squeezed my arm tightly.

I wasn’t the sort of girl who stayed still, though, and I stepped out from behind him to eye Tony and his friend. What were they doing here? I could see them flexing their muscles and curling their hands into fists, and I didn’t think they were just doing it for show. Had they known I was here? Had they known I was with Warren?

And so what if I was?

Second thought: If they thought they were going to get the better of him, they were wrong. Tony had gone soft over the last five years, and Warren had at least a full head on Tony’s friend. He also had training that Tony didn’t have, and as far as his friend went...

One glance at him told me he was just as soft as Tony.

Not that I wanted them to fight over me. Though seeing Warren beat up on the guy who’d hit me didn’t sound like the worst way to spend an evening.

Before any of that could happen, though, Stephen McCarthy suddenly showed up, all slicked-back gray hair and barrel chest, his clothes much too expensive for this area and his skin stretched tight from plastic surgery. He’d been hanging around Oakville since I was a kid, and I knew his face well, but I’d never seen him look so angry.

And all the bravery I’d been feeling slipped away, leaving me feeling weak.

I stepped closer to Warren’s back and looked up at him, though, narrowing my eyes like I was going to stand up to him.

“Tony, you and your friend can go,” he said quietly. “There’s nothing for you to see here.”

Tony looked furious. “But Lily—”

“Isn’t going home with you tonight, whatever you thought,” Stephen snapped. “She evidently still needs some convincing on that score.” He stepped within arm’s distance of Warren, and I felt Warren’s muscles grow tense as he got ready to fight. Stephen was bigger than Tony, almost as big as Warren, but he was also older.

And Warren was furious. I could feel it coming off him in waves. No way in hell would anyone in their right mind fight him right now.

As it turned out, though, Stephen only wanted to talk.

And he only had one thing to say.

“You may have your bodyguard with you tonight, little girl, but that’s not always going to be true. I have something to say to you, and he’s not going to stop me. I’ll be talking to you next week.”

He turned on his heel and left without saying anything else, and now my knees finally did give out.

I went to the ground in a heap, my legs refusing to support me any longer, and Warren went down with me, his arms around me and my head tucked under his chin. And though I wanted to let him make me feel safe again, and I wanted to believe he’d take care of me no matter what, the truth was that I was terrified.

Terrified of what Stephen McCarthy was going to do to me now that I was back.

CHAPTER 22

LILY

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WHEN WE GOT HOME, WARREN surprised me again by passing right by my driveway and pulling into his instead.