I smirked. “Ah, see, you think you’re so smart, that you know everything. Well, I do know Viola. And I know women. As a tough-talking variety of the species myself, I can say with some authority that sometimes we women bust a guy’s balls so he won’t see just how much his words hurt us.”

He shook his head, green eyes flashing with disbelief. “Why would anything I have to say matter enough to hurt Viola?”

“Yeah, Lucas.” I made a “duh” face. “Why would your words matter enough to hurt her?”

It took a second but slowly that disbelief and confusion softened to understanding. And then shock. Before veering between disbelief again and something I couldn’t quite work out.

He opened his mouth to respond, when a beep of a horn stopped him.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the Land Rover. Roane gestured from the driver’s seat. Shadow’s head was hanging out the window, his tongue lolling from his mouth.

I gave them a quick wave and turned back to Lucas, who was scowling at his feet in thought. “Well, see you around.”

He glanced up at me warily. “What are you playing at here?”

This guy was so suspicious. For someone this sharp, he really was blindly clueless about Viola. “I’m just looking out for Viola, that’s all.”

Lucas curled his upper lip. “Aye, well, I doubt very much Viola would want you telling her enemy that he has the ability to hurt her feelings.”

“Her enemy?” I scoffed. “Why on earth would a smart guy like you go out of his way to make an enemy of Viola Tait?” I shook my head at him as if he were a moron. “I’ve lived in one of the biggest cities in the US, kid. I’ve met a lot of people in my thirty-odd years on the planet. And she’s a singular kind of woman. Intelligent, confident, kind, loyal, fierce, protective, witty as hell, funny, drop-dead gorgeous and no ego to go with it. Whatever guy ends up with Viola will be the luckiest guy in the world.”

He smirked. “What are you? Her publicist?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why did you stick up for her with that old guy if you’re so indifferent to her?”

“Again, why do you care?”

“Answer my question first.”

With a heavy sigh, he crossed his arms over his chest. “I already told you why. I would stick up for anyone who was the target of that kind of bigotry.”