I see the moment the talker makes his move. He holds his breath and punches out. I block and then see a fist coming at me from the other side. I block again, but it leaves me open, and I take a jab to the ribs. I grunt and see the talker smile wide as if he just won.
Celebrating too early. Big mistake. I’m just getting warmed up.
I stop messing with the no-name and uppercut him, sending him flying through the air and landing on a few girls, who scream. Then I turn, all my anger focused on the last man standing.
He backs up a step and then lunges. I grab his fist, and he stops. But I don’t. I use it to hit him in the face. Once. Twice. Then I spin him till his back is to me and kick him in the spine. He stumbles into the crowd, which parts like the Red Sea, and smacks into a wooden wall before falling backward.
Everyone here has held their breath as I breathe and look around, waiting for the next attack. I eye a few, who just shake their heads. Seems there are some with brains after all.
I go back to Nat and see her eyes wide with fear, but she doesn’t back down, just blinks it away and hands me Ruby. Who stumbles more than I’ve ever seen in my life. I bend down and throw her over my shoulder before turning and heading for the door, which is now standing wide the fuck open without a single person in my way.
“That looked like fun. I want to do that. Put me down so I can do that,” Ruby says as she pushes off my back to look around.
I just keep walking, and Nat meets my stride as we get outside and make our way to the car.
“Think we could charge money for that? I bet we’d make more than they do each night. Ha! I’m three for three. Hashtag winning.”
I look at Natalie over Ruby’s rump, and she shrugs. She’s just as clueless about Ruby’s rambling as I am.
“Ooh, you know what we should do? We should get tacos. No, wings! I love wings.”
I grin at her drunken words as I lower her beside the passenger door of her car.
“You good to drive?”
At Nat’s nod, I reach into Ruby’s front pocket and pull out her key fob.
The outline was clear to see when she was dancing, and since Ruby isn’t a girl who brings a purse to a party, I don’t even hesitate to get them.
But maybe I should have. Or at least thought this through. Because while Nat was on the other side of the car, and the music from the house party was loud enough to cover most of what someone said to another person when close, I did not miss Ruby’s moan. Or the soft rotation of her hips as she tried to get my fingers to move to areas that, if sober, she’d never let me touch.
I toss Nat the keys after unlocking the door, then pull Ruby to me so I can get her door open. She comes willingly, pressing her entire body to me and even rubbing against me.
I should get fucking sainthood after this shit.
Getting Ruby into the car is easy, if not a bit rough. To keep things the way they should be, I might have pushed her in. And while she tried to fumble herself into a sitting position,I put her seat belt on and shut the door. If she touched me one more time, I don’t know what I would do. She’s definitely on something. I need to prepare for what the night will bring.
I tap the hood of her car and head to my bike behind them. Nat sticks her head out the window when I mount up.
“Head home. I’ll follow you.”
She nods and drives off.
I take a second to check my phone.
Nice hostage rescue.
Dick. Of course he was watching. And not helping. Not that I needed him to.
Shut it down.
His response is a meme of the Grinch smiling with plotting fingers in front of him. I don’t care what he does, just want this place to learn a lesson. One being that you don’t do this shit to anyone. Two, you don’t fuck with a Hound. And three, that Ruby is off-limits.
My guy might not be a Hound, but that’s just because he likes to travel too much. I told him to become a nomad, but even then he’d have to prospect in one spot for a year. He isn’t the type that can stay still for a month, let alone twelve.
The drive to Ruby’s isn’t long, thank fuck. I must be tired, because my vision blurs a bit. I have to adjust more times than not and almost wreck at the last turn.
I pull up just in time to see Nat trying to get Ruby to stand long enough for her to close the passenger door.
