But as I send a quick glance to the bird who has been eyeing me up from the bar for the past hour, I know a quick shag around the back won’t fix what’s wrong with me.So I drop my pint back to the table and go back to staring at the bottom of the glass, hoping I’ll find the answers at the bottom.
“What the fuck is with you two?”Isaac demands from his seat opposite me.
I glance to my left, finding Luke in the same position.His head is bent, his gaze in his pint.
“What’s wrong with you?”I question.
“It’s obvious what’s wrong with him.Tiny still won’t let him in,” Isaac states.
My eyebrows shoot down.Do we know a Tiny?“Tiny?”
“Mina.”
I glare at Isaac when he answers for Luke again.“Did his voice box break or something?”
He snorts.“I’ve been talking to you two for the past twenty minutes and neither of you have responded.I’ve been answering my own questions, hoping one of you miserable fuckers would notice.”
I grin.“You know, talking to yourself is probably one of the first steps to madness.”
“I’d be inclined to agree with that statement if it was said to anyone but me.But I’m related to you two fuckers so it doesn’t apply.”
I don’t even flinch.“Ouch.”
He sighs in annoyance.“So, what’s wrong?”
“I’m going,” Luke announces, his pint unfinished.“I’ll catch you later.”
I watch my triplet leave the bar, barging through the crowd coming in.Most of them open their mouth to snap something, but once they see who it is they keep going, not wanting to fuck with a Hayes.
Guilt gnaws at my stomach.“Seriously, what did I miss?Is he okay?”
“I think he likes Mina,” Isaac replies, worry in his tone.“She’s broken.I’m worried he’s setting himself up for failure.”
I glance at my brother in disgust.“Isaac, it pains me to say this, but I really want to punch the fuck out of you right now.”
He rears back.“What?What did I do?”
I lean forward.“She’s not broken.She was assaulted in a way people like us will never understand.Broken is the last word I would use to describe her.”
“Woah, calm down.I didn’t mean it like that.I’m just worried.He’s always going to the club to see her, even though she shies away from him.I think he’s also been sitting in his car outside her building when the gay guy is working late, so he can keep an eye on her in the only way he can.”
I roll my eyes.“I hate being the one who makes sense.It makes me feel mature.”I shudder.“He likes her.He’s protective.He’s not harming anyone.If he wants to take steps to gain her trust, let him.He’ll be good for her.”
He stares at me like I just solved world peace but doesn’t quite trust it.“Doyoulike her?”
“What?No!I don’t have the same kind of filter as Luke.I would say something to upset her.I mean, I like her as a person.It’s like Rebecca said, there’s something about her you want to protect and keep from harm.”
His shoulders drop.“Yeah, I get that.”He pulls Luke’s pint closer to him.“So what’s up with you?”
“I think I need to get laid,” I answer.
The seat next to me dips as a husky chuckle reaches my ear.“Please, don’t tell me you can’t go without sex for a few hours, Reid Hayes.”
I arch my eyebrow at Hayden.“Are you offering to take me to the bathroom?”
“Reid,” Clay warns, dropping down in the chair next to Isaac.
I wince.“Shit.My bad.Didn’t see you.”
