Pete grins, leaning close. “What’s your favorite so far?”
I think about it for a second before I admit, “The cheese wontons.”
He grins and kisses the side of my head. I watch as Elias’s jaw tightens again. Does he not like PDA, or is it something else that makes him look upset? I’m not sure, but I don’t feel it is my place to ask.
The tempura arrives next, and we all dig in, debating on our favorites. Humming happily, loving the food and the company, I chew away on a piece of shrimp as I scan the dining room.
My eyes catch on a man sitting a few tables away, staring straight at me. When our eyes connect, he smirks, lifting his beer to his lips and taking a drink, not dropping eye contact with me. I shift uncomfortably and lower my eyes to our table, not liking the way his gaze makes me feel.
I feel Pete tense beside me, and I glance up at him curiously. His grin’s gone, and he’s clenching his jaw as if something's upset him. I realize he’s staring at something and follow his gaze to that man still staring at me with a grin on his face. My skin prickles as I watch Pete slowly get to his feet.
“Peter,” I whisper, concern lacing my tone.
Our group goes quiet as he steps up to the man’s table. “What’s your problem, man?” he asks angrily.
What is he doing?
The guy blinks, confused, as if only just noticing Pete standing there. “Excuse me?”
“You were staring at my girl,” Pete says, his voice controlled with a hint of menace. “You wanna keep your eyes, stop using them like that.”
“Pete,” Sly draws out his name slowly in warning, already rubbing a hand over his face.
“There’s no harm in looking,” the man replies with a shrug, like he’s not facing one of the scariest men in the room.
Dex’s grin is immediate as he lifts me across his lap and deposits me into Jagger’s. “Stay here, baby. I need to go help Pete.” He cracks his knuckles, looking way too happy as he steps up to Pete’s side.
“What the fuck is happening right now?” Elias asks, his eyes bouncing back and forth between all of them.
Jagger wraps his arms around me protectively. He runs his nose up my throat and inhales, making me giggle when he hits a ticklish spot.
“No harm?” Pete asks the guy with a tilt of his head, making him look more unhinged than usual. “The harm isthat she didn’t want you to look at her like that. You made my girluncomfortable.”
Elias starts to rise, looking around like he’s trying to find logic in a room that’s about to lose it. “Hey, let’s not?—”
He’s cut off as the guy, finally starting to realize the threat of the two men in front of him, stands. His eyes bounce to me sitting in Jagger’s lap, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. “For such a possessive asshole, I’d think you care more about other people touching your girl.”
Pete's smile is full of menace as he responds. “Those of us lucky enough tobelong to herare the only ones allowed to look or touch.”
The man’s friend mutters something I think is meant only for him, but with the whole restaurant now silent, as everyone feels the tension coming off my guys, his words reach us. “What a whore.”
That’s all it takes.
Everything happens at once. Pete shoves the guy back, and he trips over his chair, landing on the ground. Dex literally vaults over the table, onto the friend who spoke those words.
Chairs scrape, people scream, and Jagger holds me a little tighter, reminding me he has me. Sly exhales hard through his nose, muttering, “Not again,” and stands, quickly moving to help the others. Not that they need it.
I see Pete and Dex both on top of the two men, their fists flying. I wince and look away, my eyes connecting with Elias. His jaw has dropped open, his eyes wide, like he can’t believe this is happening.
Sly grabs someone by the back of the shirt when they try to hit Pete from behind. He throws him backward, and he hits the edge of a table, sendingfood flying.
“Dios mio!” I exclaim as I watch the dining room turn into complete chaos.
I look back and see Pete has moved on to fight someone else, his moves sharp and precise as he bounces from foot to foot, a permanent grin on his face like he’s enjoying himself. Dex’s movements are slower but full of raw power, while Sly moves with a calm ease, almost like some majestic, ancient vampire who knows that these people are of no real threat to us.
Dex pulls back his fist, ready to hit someone, and accidentally elbows a guy in the face who was sneaking up behind him. He watches as the man topples back, falling across a table, and a plate of noodles goes flying toward our table and straight into Elias’s face.
The entire restaurant seems to freeze. Though it’s just our group that stares at Elias with wide eyes.
