“Well, I think—”
“I’m going to give you two seconds to get the fuck away from her before I beat your ass, Gregurich,” Reid’s voice broke the trance that Beau was trying to hold on me. I could see Reid over Beau’s shoulder. His fists and jaw clenched, whatever restraint he had was wearing thin as those two seconds passed and he walked to where we were standing. Beau held up his hands, releasing me, and took a step back. Briefly, I thought maybe that would be the end of it. That somehow we could avoid what was next, but just as I reached Reid’s side, Beau turned on his heels and launched his fist toward Reid’s face. The sound alone was enough to draw a scream from me.
“Omigod,” I yelled, as I rushed to Reid’s side. The punch hadn’t knocked him off his feet, but I could see his cheek reddening and immediately starting to swell. “Are you okay?”
“I’m all right,” he said to me, before turning his attention to Beau. “I’m going to give you that one,” Reid said. The chuckle that followed surprised me as much as it surprised Beau. The smug smile he had on his face after sucker punching Reid fell as quickly as his fist had. Reid rubbed his hand over his cheek and smiled as if it hadn’t hurt at all. “I deserve a punch for stealing back what was mine, but I swear to God if you ever touch, talk, or look at her the wrong way, I will end you. Do you understand me?” Reid took a step toward him, and he knew as well as Beau that they weren’t evenly matched. Reid could have wiped that parking lot with Beau if he wanted to. “Don’t think I won’t use every connection I have to ruin you.”
“Go fuck yourself, Travers,” Beau snapped, not wanting to back down.
“I don’t have to,” Reid said, dropping his arm across my shoulders. “That’s what I’ve got her for.” I tucked myself against him as we walked back inside. The second we were back inside and far from Beau, Reid turned to me. “Are you okay?” he asked. His eyes scanning my body for any trace of Beau being a little too forceful. “Did he hurt you?”
“I’m okay,” I promised. “You’re the one who got punched in the face.” I brought my hand up to his cheek and he winced a little when I pressed on it.
“I’m fine,” he assured me. “He hits like a little bitch.” He gave me a wink and smile to let me know that he was really all right and then grabbed my hand. We walked over to the table where Georgia and Brett were sitting.
“Damn, RT? Who clocked you?”
“Who do you think?” he replied, before giving his buddy and my sister a run-down of what happened.
“Did he hurt you?” Georgia asked. Reid shook his head.
“Is he gone?” Brett said, cracking his knuckles. “We need to go out there and give him a Throttled Energy ass whooping or what?”
“Just let it go, man. He’s not worth getting into trouble with the sponsors over. We’ve got too much to lose.”
“He is definitely not worth the trouble,” I agreed.
I couldn’t help but feel like this was entirely my fault. I hadn’t provoked Beau, but it was my fault he was so upset. Maybe if I would have just been honest with him from the get go, he wouldn’t have felt the need to lash out.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Reid.
“Baby, you have nothing to apologize for. He shouldn’t have been out there harassing you.” He ran his hand down my cheek, looking deep into my eyes. “I’m sorry for letting you go out there alone.”
“No. I ran off.”
“Well, I should have followed you,” he sighed. “And, I’m sorry for the smart ass comment about having you to... you know.”
“Well it was true.” I leaned in to kiss him.