“What the fuck, Shy!” Slutty Girl pushes herself to her feet.
I sit back, cross my arms over my chest, and settle in for a good chick fight, only wishing I had a vat of Jell-O to throw them in and was sober enough to enjoy it.
They face off and I place my internal bets. My money’s on Shyann. The woman is stronger than her five-and-a-half-foot frame lets on.
Shyann places her tight little body in front of me. Ha! Like I need this bitch’s protection. “He’s drunk.”
Slut balls her fists. “Since when did you become his bodyguard?”
Shyann’s back stiffens, but she holds her protective stance. I’m about to shove her forward into Slut just to speed up the process, get to the good stuff, when that Cody kid stands between the catfighting girls.
“Sam, don’t!” He presses her back gently. “Walk away, all right?”
Party pooper.
“Fuck you, Cody!” She points at me. “We were hooking up and Shy went nuts!”
I hold up my hands in surrender, a gurgle of laughter rumbling in my chest. “In my defense, you were hooking up with me.” Damn, it’s been a long time since I’ve found something genuinely entertaining. I must be drunker than I thought.
“You wanted it.” She holds up the hand she was groping me with. “I felt it!”
“Oh . . .” I stand up, try not to wobble, and advance toward her, but Shyann’s in my way. My front hits her back, stilling my progress. I grasp her waist to steady myself. “You misunderstand, Sam. That hard-on wasn’t for you.” I flex my hips, rubbing my dick against Shyann’s lower back.
No one seems to notice, but she hisses and tugs against my hold.
“You’re an asshole!” Sam spits through clenched teeth.
I reach over Shyann to take the little bitch’s throat in my palm and crush her fucking windpipe.
Shyann whirls, pressing both palms against my chest. “Gage . . .” she whispers. “Don’t.”
Slowly, I peer down at her.
She should be afraid of me. Terrified. I tried to kill her last night and now she’s gazing up at me with those fucking witchy eyes and all the trust in the world.
“You fuckin’ prick!” Sam rushes.
Cody snags her by the waist. “Get ’im out of here, Shy.”
Shyann grabs my wrist. “Come on.”
I allow her to drag me through the bar, down a hallway, and into some kind of a back room. She pushes me through the door, clicks on a light, then locks the door behind her and leans against it.
A slow grin curls my lips. “I’m your prisoner now, is that it?”
She juts up her chin, but I don’t miss the way she presses deeper back against the door. Aah, little Shy Ann, all alone with no one to hear you scream. “Let’s just wait until Cody calms her down; then I’ll sneak you out the back door.”
I take a step toward her.
“Don’t.” She holds up a hand, her fingers shaking.
“I scare you.”
“You almost drowned me, so yeah, a little.”
“Yet you lock yourself in a room with me.” I tilt my head, studying her, as if it’ll help me understand. “Why?”
She swallows hard but keeps her gaze to mine, refusing to show the fear she’s so desperately trying to conceal. “For Lucas.”
Her resolute answer sends me back a step, my booze-lazy thoughts trying to keep up. “What?”
“I’m protecting Lucas. Last thing he needs is you making trouble for him, Gage.”
My eyes grow tight and the fire of anger flares in my gut. Who does she think she is? “You’re protecting Luke now?”
She throws her shoulders back and nods.
“Weak, stupid, stupid whore.”
Her hands ball up at her sides. “Call me whatever you want. You won’t scare me away that easily.”
SHYANN
I can’t breathe.
Being stuck in this tiny room, surrounded by boxes and cleaning supplies, he could do anything to me in here. I’ve had a taste of what he’s capable of; he warned me then not to underestimate him, which is exactly what I’m doing.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am stupid.
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stay away. Watching Lucas play pool tonight, his head thrown back in laughter, it all seemed so unfair. He deserves to live a normal life filled with friends and the possibility of love.
Every time he brushed against me or whispered something in my ear, my whole body warmed and butterflies exploded in my belly.
I tried. I really did. But when Sam forced herself on him, I snapped.
Gage is the obstacle that stands between us and I can’t let him screw everything up for Lucas. No one can find out about him. The people in this town wouldn’t understand; they’d alienate him, ostracize him, make his life so difficult he’d have no other choice but to leave.
And I don’t want him to go.