Ty
Jas goes rigid, and fury pumps through me. Tonight was going great until these douches showed up. I don’t recognize them, but even if I did, it wouldn’t make any difference. Their fate was sealed the second they made a move.
I release Jas and step forward, shielding her with my body. Adrenaline pumps through me, and I flex my fists in anticipation as Zach and Gage take up position by my side. Yeah, I’m all for a fair fight. It won’t take five of us to show them no one messes with a Bastard’s old lady.
They’re trapped with their backs against the bar, and for the first time, real fear flashes across their faces. I stare right in the eyes of the one who dissed me. “Something you want to say to me?”
He doesn’t answer, but his bottle of beer slips through his fingers and smashes on the floor. It won’t take more than a couple of punches to teach these shitheads a lesson. I glance over my shoulder, shooting Jas a cocky grin to let her know this’ll all be over in under a minute.
There’s a sad, resigned look in her eyes. She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t need to.Fighting doesn’t solve everything.Her words from the other day when I turned up after the midnight run rattle through my mind. She’d bitten her lip, and her eyes were suspiciously glassy, and like a dick I reveled in the knowledge she still cared enough to get upset because I was hurt.
Sometimes you just need to let things go.I’d laughed and told her I never let things go. Hell, I have a rep, and it’s everything. But looking at her now, doubt crawls in.
Unlike the other night, these pricks aren’t worth it. I know that. They’re probably shitting themselves right now, and giving them a few bruised bones isn’t going to change anything.
They’ll never come back to the Hammer.
I turn back to them, shoulder to shoulder with Zach and Gage. Am I really going to do this?
“Get out of here.” I don’t raise my voice, but it’s like the entire club falls silent, even though the band’s still playing and only the six of us can hear me. I step back, and after a second’s hesitation Zach and Gage mirror my actions. They might not agree with what I’m doing, but they’d never question me in public.
The three of them scuttle away like cockroaches, and I let out a long breath before catching Zach’s keen gaze. “You got a problem?”
“No, bro.” He slaps my shoulder and strolls off to wrap Grace in his arms. I catch Gage’s smirk, but he doesn’t say anything before pulling his girl toward him.
I face Jas. She’s staring at me as though she’s never seen me before. “You let them walk.”
I shrug. “Didn’t want to spoil your night.”
She traces her finger along my jaw. “Wow.” Her voice is soft. “You really have grown up, haven’t you?”
I loop my arms around her. “I told you a lot of things have changed since you left.” Sure, I hadn’t been talking about myself at the time, but I have. We both have. “I don’t need to show you how tough I am just to impress you anymore.” I grin because I never really needed to do that, but I want to see her smile again.
She doesn’t smile, but she threads her fingers through mine and pulls me toward the stairs. I tug her around to face me. “You want to go home already?”
“No. There’s something I need in your office.”
“You left something in there earlier?” She only had her purse, and she didn’t leave that behind.
“I didn’t say that.” This time I don’t resist, and she leads me up the stairs until we’re outside my office door.
She gives me a sideways glance and holds out her other hand. “Key.”
I drop it into her palm. “The plan was formeto drag you in here later tonight.”
“Well, plans change.” She pushes open the door and flicks on the light. I follow her inside, not bothering to hide my lecherous grin. “I think you’ll enjoy what I have in mind.”
“I’ll bet.” Images of her spread eagled on my desk fill my head as she locks the door behind us. “Lucky for you I’ve a couple of rubbers in my pocket.”
“Lucky foryouI’ve a whole pack in my purse.”
I laugh and pull her close. “Long night ahead, huh.”
“That’s right.” She eases back, slides my cut over my shoulders and carefully places it on a chair. “I hope you have plenty of stamina.”
“For you, I’ll keep going all night.”
She pauses halfway through unbuttoning my shirt. “Only for me?” It’s obvious she thinks I’m spinning her a line. With anyone else, I would be.
