I run into the crowd, throwing guys off me as I fight through the brawling idiots.
I find her curled in a ball near the stools. Guys are kicking her and the two fighting on the floor punch her in the face instead. Reaching down under the chairs, I pull her up into my arms and toss her over my shoulder. Her short frame can still dangle above the crowd with my height. Spinning around I’m met with the original instigator. The one who pushed my wife off the bar and claimed that my friend deserved to be unconscious on the ice with a cracked fucking helmet. He smirks at me with blood dripping from the corner of his lip.
“Don’t fucking touch my wife again.”
“Or else what, douchebag?”
My nostrils flare, I grip Juliette’s ass tighter, holding her to me as I lift my arm in the air, fist flying through to connect with his face. More blood sprays on the bar and I’ll have to pay for that later. Another apology for her.
Murray spins him around, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.
He looks him right in the eye. “Get the fuck out of this bar and in case it wasn’t clear your fucking banned, don’t come back here.”
The maniacal laugh that comes from him scares me. I don’t put it past the Black Key to do some illegal shit to retaliate.
Murray and the rest of my guys walk around pulling everyone up off the floor, chairs, and wherever else they landed and throwing them out the door. I hear one of them announce that the bar is officially closed and to get out immediately.
Bringing Juliette back to her office, I set her on the couch getting my first good look at her. “Shit. You got punched pretty good in the eye. We need to get you a steak on that.”
“Always the cowboy.” She reaches up, tentatively, grazing her skin with her fingertips. She flinches at the small touch from her own fingers. That’s going to be one nasty bruise and black eye. “You got more blood on my bar, didn’t you?”
I follow her gaze to my blood covered knuckles. “I’m gonna kill that fucker,” I mutter.
“Did Murray really ban him from the bar?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure they banned the whole group. If you saw what we saw, it was bad. As soon as you went down, our guys were ripping people off the floor. It was like a scene from a movie.” I chuckle.
A small knock at the door sounds before it opens. Jess pokes her head through the small opening.
“Just wanted to check on you. Murray and the guys got everybody out. I think it might be best shut down for the night.”
“Yeah, I agree. Sounds like I need to get home and get a steak on my eye.“ Juliette laughs, but winces when the motion moves her face muscles.
“If you wanna go, I’ll get Murray to help me clean up. Maybe even some of those other boys. Who knows, maybe I’ll find myself a date for the rest of the night.” Jess winks at both of us.
“Remember, Dakota called dibs on Murray, so you’d have to fight her tomorrow over coffee. And we don’t need a repeat at Buckles and Brews.” My eyes ping-pong between Jules and Jess as they talk.
“Yeah, yeah. I don’t see her acting on it though.” Jess waggles her eyebrows before walking out, leaving us alone.
Goddamn, Murray. I’ll have to make sure he didn’t mess up his chances with Dakota tomorrow. I have a feeling Jess doesn’t get toldnovery often.
“What do you say we go home and watch your favorite movies on the couch? Get that steak on there. I might even make you some popcorn.”
“A second date? Are you going to cater to myeveryneed when you take care of me Nurse Davies?” She asks with a sultry tone in her voice.
“You know damn well I will.” I lean down, tickling her side and drop a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Take me away, cowboy.” She moves into my lap for me to carry her out to the truck.
I scoop her up, making her giggle. “Your wish is my command.”
We make it halfway through the dining room before Juliette loses her shit at the sight.
“You’ve got to be shitting me!” She hits my shoulder. “Let me down!”
I’m sometimes a smart man, so I place her down like asked. “You’re not staying. You need to rest.”
She steps away from me, spinning in a circle to take in her bar. “There’s so much blood! And broken chairs!”
