“So they say, but normally, it’s more like, ‘Oh my God, his ass is so amazing. It’s like touching gold. I want himso bad,’” he drew out, turning his sister pink.
“And here I thought sitting with you would be better than being drooled over by that guy.”
Gavin immediately straightened. “What? That guy was bothering you? Why didn’t you tell me that straight off? The one you just left, or some other schmuck?”
She blinked. “Why, Gavin, I didn’t know you cared.”
“Of course I do. You think I want some asshole bothering my baby sister…again?” He and Landon had taken care of the last creep to mistreat her weeks ago. “Which one was it?”
She paused, studied him, then reluctantly pointed to the biggest guy there. “Him.” She sucked in a breath, then released a shaky sigh. “Okay, now I just feel stupid. I should be able to handle this kind of stuff.”
“Hope?”
“But, I don’t know. He scared me a little. Gavin, can you just nicely tell him I’m seeing someone else?”
“Are you?”
“No. But it might get him to leave me alone. I don’t want a scene or anything. Nothing physical. Just convince him to leave me be,” she said in a husky voice and blinked up at him.
Gavin automatically nodded, wishing like hell she’d pointed out one of the smaller of Del’s many guests. The guy bothering her was one of the bride’s employees, a mechanic at her garage. Rumor had it most of them hung out at a dive bar called Ray’s. He and Landon had visited once, when they’d beaten some manners into Hope’s ex. If Ray’s groupies hadn’t done time, it was a sure bet iron bars would figure at some point in their futures.
“Stay here.” He left Hope, determined to set those assholes from Webster’s Garage straight, when it dawned on him his sister hadn’t tried too hard to get him to mind his own business. He glanced behind him and saw her smirk, which quickly turned into a frown. So, the gloves were now officially off in the Donnigan Prank Wars. Good to know.
He walked to the big guy she’d indicated, a hulking bruiser a few inches taller than his own six two. He had short brown hair and tattoos creeping up his neck and peeking under the sleeves of his suit jacket. Gavin knew the guy and the two giants next to him worked for Del. Since Aunt Sophie and Del’s father, Liam, were dating, he knew more than he wanted to about Webster’s Garage. It was almost incestuous how closely everyone at this wedding was tied together.
Big Guy paused as he drew closer, and Gavin realized he’d already met this asshole. The guy had danced with Hope a few months ago, back when Del had thrown a pre-wedding party Gavin had been forced—once again by his mother—to attend.
“What?” the dick, Sam Something-or-Other, barked at him. The others with him turned as one, now silent and staring.
Just then, a beautiful blond joined them and frowned. “Sam, be nice.” She tugged his huge arm back down by his side. “Hi,” she said to Gavin. “I’m Ivy.”
Gavin smiled. “I’m Gavin. I need your man to do me a favor.”
“No.” Sam didn’t blink.
Next to him, the two guys chuckled. The taller one snorted. “This is you being nice?”
“Fuck off,” Sam said to Gavin or his friend. Gavin couldn’t tell which. No emotion. Not even a glare.
Gavin ignored the suggestion. “So I need you to pretend to hit me.”
“Don’t you dare,” Ivy admonished.
Sam gave a slow smile. “Pretend? I can do one better than that.”
“Oh, now I really want to know where this is going,” the other of Sam’s friends said, his voice slightly accented, attesting to a Latino heritage.
Tall guy sighed. “Lou, don’t encourage him. Cyn will have my head if he starts any shit.”
“Don’t swear,” Sam said. “Not in front of Ivy.”
“But you told me to fuck off,” Gavin added, enjoying himself. He glanced over his shoulder at his sister and saw her sudden concern. Yeah, not so funny if he got pounded by three giants instead of just the one.
“I did?” Sam blinked. “Oh, sorry, baby.”
“Actually, I prefer Gavin. But if you want to call mebaby, I guess that’s okay since you’re doing me a solid.”
Sam’s scowl was enough to freeze hell over. His friends just laughed.
