Alex’s truck was in the parking lot. Romero wasn’t surprised. Valerie had obviously spent the night with him the night of the bonfire, and last night he’d called Romero to ask how things were with him and Isabel. Romero started to bust his balls, because Alex almost never called him, especially not to talk about relationships, but then Alex admitted Valerie had put him up to it. Apparently, they’d been together all weekend and here he was again. Romero always knew Alex had it bad for Valerie.

The door was open, so he knocked once before letting himself in. He expected to see Alex who stood waiting in the front room. “Hey, Alex.”

Alex greeted him but Romero barely paid him much attention. What he didn’t expect was to see some dude in Isabel’s kitchen talking to her as she sliced up food.

“Izzy? You cooking? I thought we were going out for dinner?” He barely managed a smile, feeling that same agitation he’d only ever felt since he met Isabel.

He checked the guy out as he walked past him, toward Isabel. He saw it immediately. Even though the guy looked a little older than all them, he was bothered by Romero. Was this another one of her snobby family members or…

“No, I’m just making snacks,” Isabel said.

As soon as he was close enough he kissed her, and it was no peck, but she pulled away too quickly. Romero gulped, trying not to get worked up. Her not wanting to make out in front of other people was understandable, but the look on the dude’s face was almost as bothered as Romero was beginning to feel. So he brought his hand down from Isabel’s back and rubbed her ass, hoping the f**ker would say something. Isabel stiffened at the touch of his hand on her behind, and he felt bad about making her uncomfortable, but not bad enough to move it away.

The guy cleared his throat loudly, clearly afflicted by Romero’s actions. He waved the book in his hand at Isabel. “Let me know, Isabel, when you’re ready for some more Tolstoy. I have them all.”

“Tolstoy?” Romero asked.

The ass**le shook his head and gave Romero that look he’d seen all too many times growing up, usually directed at one of his uncles who were either talking too loud or cussing in a public place. That repulsed, your kind are all the same, look. “Nothing you’d be familiar with, I’m sure.”

That almost set Romero off, but before he could react, Isabel moved away from him suddenly, catching him off guard and walked around the counter. “I’ll walk you out, Lawrence.”

Romero watched as Isabel walked out with this guy who, apparently, she didn’t think was important enough to introduce to him to, or was this someone else she didn’t want knowing about him?

“Who is that guy?” he asked Alex.

Alex lifted an eyebrow and shrugged. “Their neighbor.”

Their neighbor?

Valerie walked out of her room and said something to Alex while Romero was still preoccupied with thoughts of Lawrence the neighbor. “Oh hey, Romero. Where’d Isabel go?”

“Outside, with that dude. Does he come over here a lot?”

She glanced at Alex then back at him. “Lawrence? No. Not really. He was just here to pick up some books Isabel borrowed.”

Alex and Valerie walked to the door. Romero followed them. Isabel was taking too long. Even though Alex stood in front of him, blocking his view, he still heard Lawrence. “…I mean really, Isabel. I can see Valerie with someone like that, all brawn and undignified. But you? I gotta say, not only am I stunned, but a bit disappointed.”

Instantly on fire, Romero jumped in front of Alex, down the two steps of her apartment and right into Lawrence’s stunned face. “What the f**k does that mean?”

Lawrence backed away a step but stood his ground. “I was just making an observation. There’s no law against that.”

Romero knew he was close to losing it but as usual, there was little he could do about it. “You don’t know shit about me, ass**le!”

When he saw Lawrence start to point a finger at him, that was it. Romero pushed him hard in the chest with both hands. The guy stumbled back flipping over the bushes in front of the apartment. “Oh my God!” Valerie gasped.

Alex jumped in front of him before he could charge at him. “Easy.”

One glance at Isabel and he saw she was completely stunned and he gulped hard, glad he’d decided to push Lawrence instead of clocking him like he’d really wanted to. This probably never happened in her world.

“You see!” His attention was averted back to a red-faced Lawrence, who barked at Isabel, then pushed her hands away as she tried to help him up. “This is exactly what I was talking about.”

Romero lost it. “Did you just push her?” He nearly broke free from Alex’s hold, who bear hugged him in reaction.

“Get him out of here, babe.” Alex warned Valerie, then to Romero he said, “Relax, dude. If he’d pushed her, I’d let you at him.”

Lawrence didn’t have to be asked twice. He left quickly and they all went into the apartment. Romero didn’t even care that Alex and Valerie were still there. He was livid. “Why does that ass**le even care who you’re with?”

He hated to see that apprehensive look in Isabel’s eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. So when she turned to Valerie and Alex who announced they were out of there, he tried to get a grip, but he couldn’t bring himself to even look away from her.

As soon as they walked out, she turned back to him. “Okay, so he’s an idiot,” she said, stating the obvious.