Great. More tension he didn’t need.
He stomped past them up the stairs to his room and slammed the door.
Unfortunately, Anson opened it, and Jack followed.
“What happened?” they asked at the same time.
“Shit.” He yanked off his shoes and chucked them at the closet. Then he ripped off his shirt and threw it at the hamper, seeing Maya’s sad, stubborn face glaring back at him.
“That good, eh?” Anson must have had a death wish.
“Whyare you talking to me?” Dex would love a fight. Anything to keep him from rushing back to Maya and shaking some sense into her.
“I knew it. She dumped you, didn’t she? I told her not to mess with you. That little—”
“That littlewhat?” Dex took a step in Anson’s direction, then Jack was there between them.
“Jesus, Dex. Are you eating small children for breakfast or what? Anson, has he gotten bigger since being back?”
“Who knows? Mr. Fat Head spends so much time with his heartbreaker he can’t think straight.”
“What did you say to her?” he roared.
“Anson, shut up,” Jack said. He shoved Dex back. “You too, Dex. Whatever happened, this isn’t about Anson. Hell, I’m not even sure it’s about you. Ann and Riley were talking, and this seems to be Maya’s problem.”
“Her problems are my problems,” Dex said. “Unfortunately, we’re done because apparently my mother is a racist and apart from the amazing sex, I’m an unwelcome distraction.”
“Well, there you go.” Anson rubbed his hands clean of the discussion. “Move on with your life.”
“Fuck you. Why don’t you try taking your own advice and leave Riley alone?”
Jack groaned. “Not you too.”
“I haven’t done anything. I’m building a restaurant. Expanding my career. I’m not the one boning the hot-tempered artist who can’t see the truth when it slaps her on the fucking face.”
“That’s it.” Dex flew past Jack and would have nailed Anson in the gut if his cousin hadn’t moved. “Quicker than you used to be.” Dex took another swing and knocked him to the floor. Hard. “But still predictable.”
They wrestled, Dex got in a few jabs that made Anson swear and Jack wince before rolling off his cousin.
Dex lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling, breathing hard. “I owe you.”
“Yeah, I think you do,” Anson croaked.
Jack stared at the pair of them. “What the hell was that?”
“Dex feels better when he lets off some steam. I took one for the team.”
“You two are loony.” Jack sat with them and sighed. “When things between Ann and I weren’t working, I had to take some time to figure it out, not go all Fight Club. We had some ugly history, nothing like you guys have with Maya or Riley.”
Anson frowned. “Why the hell do you two keep pairing me up with Riley? I don’t—”
“Save it,” Jack and Dex said as one. Jack continued, “But I do know that if she’s important, you’ll fix it, Dex.”
“Of course I’ll fix it, dumbass. I just don’t know how yet. At least I left with a smile on my face, all happy Dex and hey, Maya, no problem. See you later.” He snorted. “She bought it, I think.”
“You ask me—” Anson started.
“I didn’t.” Dex paused. “Okay, what?”
