Luckily, one of his friends jumps in when he sees me bent over and grabs hold of him so I can get my hands around Tripp. “Let’s go, man,” I wheeze. “He’s not worth getting a lifetime ban from Herds.”
I haul Tripp towards the exit with little difficulty. He knows the fight’s over. I’m half-convinced he only started it because he knew I’d be there to bail him out tonight.I shake my head and shrug at Sawyer’s wide-eyed stare as we head for the door.
“You’re a dead man,” I threaten Tripp, thinking about how I could have spent my night with Sawyer, but instead I’m stuck cleaning up his mess.
“I heard him talkin’ shit about Allie. If you heard what he was saying, you would have thrown the punch, too.”
I sigh. I probably would have, but still...
I shove him out the door, gravel crunching under my boots. “Get in the damn truck. Ruined a perfectly good night.”
He swipes the blood from his nose and smiles at me. “Just like old times, eh?”
I roll my eyes. “Except we aren’t kids getting in fights out in a damn field somewhere. Get it together. You’re an adult. He could press charges.”
“He’d be a pussy if he did. Maybe he’ll learn not to talk shit about Allie.”
My gaze slides to Tripp in the passenger seat. “You landed a few good hits before he got one in.”
“Damn right. He might be bigger than me, but I actually know how to throw a punch.”
“You’re gonna need all those moves if it happens again, ‘cause I’ll be the one handing you your ass next time.”
He snorts out a laugh and then groans in pain before pulling off his already-ruined shirt and staunching the flow of blood from his nose. “I’m glad you’re here, Wes.”
I smile despite myself. “Me too, bud. Me too.”
Payback's a Bitch
Sawyer
“What the hell just happened?” Allie asks.
My blood is still thrumming in my veins from the whispered words Wes gifted me while we were dancing. He’d given me one longing look before hauling Tripp out of the bar, and now I’m still reeling from his dirty promises and the way his hands felt on me as we spun around the dance floor.
I want nothing more than the ache he ignited in my core to be sated, but I have to take care of Allie, who is staring at the overturned chairs that are being put upright by some of the bar’s patrons with bleak astonishment. Meanwhile, Chase and his friends stalk back to the bar to replace the drinks that were spilled in their brief skirmish with Tripp.
My gaze swings toward the table next to all the action, and I arch my brow at the group of people we went to high school with, finishing up their drinks. “What set Tripp off this time?” I question.
They glance at each other before one of them speaks up, nodding toward the bar where Chase is nursing his black eye by pressing a cold beer to it. “Chase was running his mouth about Allie, and Tripp overheard him.”
Allie steps closer, curiosity piqued. “What was he saying?”
He stalls, taking a drink of his beer while the rest of the table shoot each other furtive looks.
Allie expels an irritated breath, crossing her arms over her chest. “I can handle it. I deserve to know what he’s saying behind my back.”
One girl at the table winces, but answers anyway. “He said that you pant after him like a bitch in heat and would be in his bed by the end of the night.”
Allie’s mouth gapes and fury burns bright behind her eyes. I don’t miss the hint of hurt that lurks there as well, and that pain is the thing that has my temper tipping from pissed off to positively murderous.
“That motherfucking tiny-dicked asshole.”
Allie’s teeth grind together as she eyes Chase laughing with his friends.
One of the worst things about living in a tiny town is that you can never truly get away from your exes. You’ll inevitably see them when you’re at the one grocery store, the only bank, or the best bar in town.
“Come on, Allie. Let’s get out of here. There are way too many shitty exes in this vicinity to stay.” I pull her outside with me. The chill of the October air doesn’t touch the flames of anger that have my skin overheating.
