I leaned over and spit, repulsed by the man’s blood in my mouth. My hands were shaking, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead from the drink.
I thought the demons were unleashed, but I hadn’t seen anything until Reno walked in the room. His eyes looked turbulent as they scanned down to my jeans where the button was loose.
“Don’t fuckin’ do it, bro!” Denver yelled out.
Reno’s eyes rolled back in his head for a split second, his fists clenched, and his biceps twitched.
“Brother, if you shift in here and… Jesus effing…”
Denver punched the man in the eye, still engaged in the fight. He’d already acquired a shiner and a busted lip—his hair was all messed up, and he still looked better than the other guy.
I crawled toward the wall and curled up my legs, staring at Reno. He stood absolutely still. If his wolf attacked someone, it could lead to serious trouble with the local Packmasters. If he killed someone, well… I didn’t even want to think about it.
Reno’s brown eyes settled on me once more. I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand and spit on the floor.
He stalked toward me with a lack of mercy in his expression.
Denver slid across the floor on his butt and groaned. Without breaking stride, Reno approached the man in the torn flannel shirt.
The Shifter threw a hard right hook and hit him in the jaw. Reno didn’t flinch. He grabbed a tuft of Stu’s hair and gripped the back of his neck. Reno jerked him over to the sink and I looked away before he smashed the guy’s forehead against it.
“How ’bout that? You like hitting women?”
“He didn’t hit me,” I murmured.
“Don’t fucking defend him,” Denver accused, holding his side.
The Shifter collapsed to the floor with a nasty lump on his head and lost consciousness.
“I’m not defending him, but this is his blood on me, not mine. He just felt me up.”
Reno’s eyes sliced through the room like a sword. The skin on his neck and face turned red, and I suddenly remembered telling him about that incident I’d gone through as a kid. Instead of coming over and seeing if I was okay, he kicked the Shifter.
Over and over.
“He’s down,” Denver shouted, pulling Reno back by the arms. “Let me clean up this shit before the manager finds out and I get my ass fired.”
Reno didn’t hear him. He shoved Denver across the room and delivered another punishing kick, this time to the man’s groin.
This was too much violence for me to take and I got up and staggered toward the door, still intoxicated and dizzy.
“You okay?” Denver asked, taking my arm and swiping back my hair. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyeliner was streaked and I had lipstick smeared across my face where I’d wiped the blood.
I rushed to the sink and wet a paper towel. “He’s going to flip out if he sees me like this,” I said, frantically wiping my face clean.
“See you like what?” I heard Maddox say from the doorway.
Denver held Reno in a viselike grip, struggling to pull him away from the unconscious Shifter.
“Let’s go home, Maddox.” I rushed toward the door with my head down.
Maddox stuck his arm out and blocked my exit. “Look at me.”
“I want to leave.”
“Look. At. Me.”
I lifted my head and his face relaxed. Maddox had a different look when he got pissed that was opposite from most men. He did this thing where he sucked on his front tooth, or sometimes he’d squint and rub his eye.
“Is this how you take care of your women?” Reno shouted.
Accused.
Provoked.
Holy smokes, this was going to get ugly.
“Please, Maddox. I want you to take me home. I’m not hurt—this isn’t my blood.” I glanced down at the spatters on my shirt.
Maddox scratched his chin and looked at the pulp of a man lying on the floor. Then he flicked his eyes back to Reno and then to me.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you two know each other.” He hooked his finger beneath my collar and tugged me forward just a little bit. “You know him?”
I shook my head. Smart thing to do. Maddox was possessive and I’d rather he remain in the dark about my history with Reno.
“The bartender heard a ruckus and they both came in to help me out.”
His nostrils flared. “Just remember who you belong to,” he said in low words. “I treat you good.”
“You treat me so good that you left me drunk in a bar full of horny men. I feel special.”
He sighed hard and let go of the collar. “That’s just the alcohol talking, so I’ll let your sassy talk slide.”
Reno had started to say something when Denver interrupted, “You’re an asshole for the way you treat your pet. You didn’t even bother keeping an eye on where she went? This is a Shifter bar; you know assholes in here are fascinated with them. Word gets out on that kind of thing and men lose respect for a Shifter who can’t keep his own safe. I think it’s time for you to get out before I call the manager and explain what happened. Jake doesn’t like drama.”