Asshole set his jaw.“How about you fuck off back to where you came from?”He tried to give him a shove.
Tristan didn’t budge.And he’d had enough.
He snatched Asshole’s wrist, wrenched it sideways as he grabbed the guy’s shoulder with his other hand and twisted him around so the wrist was cocked behind his shoulder blade at a painful angle.Asshole yelped in surprise and came up on his toes to avoid having his bones and ligaments snapped.
“You’re leaving,” Tristan said, the entire bar suddenly deathly quiet.
“Fuck you, man!”But Asshole didn’t dare struggle, as if he instinctively knew that a few more ounces of pressure from Tristan meant a broken arm.
Tristan took a step, forcing Asshole forward toward the door.Two other men at another table in front of them rose, started toward them with set faces.
“Go to the bar,” Tristan said to the women without taking his eyes off the men, angling Asshole in front of him like a shield as his buddies approached.In his peripheral vision, he saw the ladies hurry away.
Gavin appeared at his side an instant later.Tristan shoved Asshole away from him, making him stagger and catch himself as Tristan faced the other men.One of them took a swing at his face.Tristan deflected it, hooked his ankle around the attacker’s and yanked it out from under him, sending the guy sprawling on his ass on the floor.
The third guy gave an enraged howl and charged at him.Gavin knocked him sideways before he could come within punching range.
Tristan raised an eyebrow at the three of them.“Had enough?”
Buddies Two and Three shoved to their feet and charged at them.
He and Gavin both moved in closer to take away their leverage and caught them each in a chokehold.Buddy Three clawed at Tristan’s arm, trying to rip it away from the front of his throat.Tristan increased the pressure of his forearm, stopping him cold.But he didn’t move fast enough to avoid the head jerk.
He sucked in a breath as the back of the guy’s skull slammed into his mouth.Tasted blood as his lip split.Sonofabitch.
“That’s enough, all of you.I’ve called the cops,” the bartender said, standing off to the side, watching them all warily.
“Fuck you, Doug,” Asshole snarled, cradling his wrist.Tristan hadn’t broken it, but hopefully it was at least severely sprained.“He’s the bastard who started it.”He jerked his chin at Tristan.
“No, you started it, and I saw you do it,” Doug said.“Now get the fuck out of my bar and take your dipshit buddies with you, or you can spend the night in jail.”
Asshole stood there quivering in fury and humiliation, his face turning bright red.Then he glanced at his buddies, who had wisely decided not to move in case it got them choked unconscious.“Let’s get the fuck outta here,” he growled at them.“This place has gone to shit anyway.”He spat on the floor for emphasis.
Tristan gave Buddy Three one extra squeeze to drive his point home, then sent him on his way with a hard shove that made him stumble toward Asshole.Gavin released Buddy Two with a healthy push to help him on his way.The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, arms folded as they watched the trio stalk out the door, receiving a few threatening glares before they disappeared from view.
Gavin glanced at him.“Feel any better now?”
He thought about it.“Maybe a little.”
“Here.”Doug handed him a damp paper towel.“I’ve got a first aid kit behind the bar.You guys want another beer?It’s on me.”
His bleeding lip was too sore to drink a beer.“Maybe just a bag of ice.”
“Sure thing.”
“I’ll take a beer,” Gavin said, following Doug back to the bar.
The relocated women were standing next to it, watching Tristan as he made his way over with the paper towel pressed to his bleeding lip.“Thank you,” the blonde said.“That was really great of you.Can we buy you a drink?”
“No, I’m okay.You guys good?”They didn’t look too rattled.
“Yeah, we’re fine.He was such a creep.”The brunette glanced at his lip.“Can I take a look at that, see if you need stitches?I’m a nurse.”
“It’s all right, I—”
“Here.Sit.”She put a hand on the middle of his back in clear nurse mode, steered him toward a stool, and he sat on it dutifully.
Doug slid the first aid kit to her.She pulled on the gloves inside and pushed the hand pressing the paper towel to his lip away.
