“If you don’t want Quin to shoot you, I suggest you stay down, you motherfucker.” Ryder shoved Herschel’s head down against the floor, face first. The voice had been deadly calm, but everyone could tell he was anything but placid at this moment.
Herschel struggled for a few seconds but, like always, when face to face with direct opposition, he folded. The bluster burnt itself out eventually, and he just laid there.
His friends cursed a lot, kind of a blue streak actually, but Quin came around to casually kick one of them in the ribs.
“Shut up. I don’t put up with that kind of bullshit in my bar. Take them away guys. In fact take him to our friends in the police department. The ones who deal with sexual predators. I’m sure there are plenty of people who will come forward to call these guys abusers.” Quin bared his teeth, his growl truly impressive.
A bunch of the bikers who had helped subdue the guys put zip ties around their wrists and hauled them to their feet, including Herschel, who was spitting foul nonsense at him.
“You’re fucking mine, you little fuck. I’m never gonna let you go. I’m always coming back for you.”
“You’re gonna be lucky if they ever let you out of a jail cell. You’re not going to end up having a trial, you know that, right?” Ryder grinned, his bear receding enough so his human face showed a sneering expression. “And for the record, Nolan belongs to himself and no one else. But he’s my mate, and if you come near him again I will kill you.”
Herschel actually went pale because Ryder was fucking huge and intimidating and a real alpha, not a fake one. God, that was the hottest thing Nolan had ever seen.
Nolan just tucked himself under Ryder’s arm, and he put an arm around his mate’s waist, loving how solid and protective he was, even though Nolan felt like he’d held his own today. Like a princess who saved herself in a movie.
As soon as Herschel and his asshole friends were dragged out of the bar by a big group of bikers, Ryder turned and shook Quin’s hand—the one not holding the sawed-off shotgun— “The drinks are on me, guys.”
The cheer went up, and the bar area got really, really crowded all of a sudden, shifters and humans shouting drink orders.Warrick and Connal sidled over to them, grinning, both of them brushing the invisible dust off themselves.
“That was some asshole stank,” Con said.
“No shit.” War clapped Ryder on the back, then kissed Nolan’s cheek. “Good job Nolan.”
Nolan ducked his head, struggling to let go of his bear, which was receding as they spoke. “Thanks.” His clothes had stayed mostly intact despite the fact that he’d sort of beared out. It was a good thing he’d worn oversized shit to the bar. “What happens now?”
“The omega rescue pipeline will handle those assholes.” That was Quin, who handed the shotgun back across the bar to one of his busy bartenders. “Right, Race?”
To his shame, Nolan had forgotten Race was even there. He looked at his brother, his eyebrows going up. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine. I’m proud of you. You really stood up for yourself. I was waiting in the wings to see if they needed a sneak attack from me. I figured if he saw me it would just make it worse.”
Nolan nodded. Sometimes he forgot how patient and covert Race could be, but it was a good thing because it had gotten them both out of more trouble than he could remember. “You’ll help get rid of them?”
“I won’t have to with those three, but now is the time to hit his organization to make sure he doesn’t have anybody else like you were trapped there.”
Race headed for the door, and Nolan did get the idea that he was kind of pissed off, but he didn’t want to interfere. Race was an island sometimes.
“Hey, wait a minute.” Con reached out and grabbed Race’s arm as he went by. “What the fuck does that mean? You’re leaving?”
“That’s exactly what it means. I need to get out there before word gets back to the den that he runs.” Race spat the words out, yanking away from Con’s grip. “And I don’t need your help.”
Con blinked, and Nolan thought he saw hurt for a second on the sweet face before it disappeared under a wide grin. “Too bad. You’re getting some. Let’s go.” Connal hopped down from his barstool.
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Race backed off, hands in the air.
“I’m coming with you, and you can’t tell me no. I mean, I’ll just follow you if you do.”
This is going to be a tremendous amount of fun.Ryder grinned at him when Nolan glanced over, and he had to admit it was probably true.
His brother wasn’t going to know what hit him.
He put his hand in to Rye’s, gripping tightly.And you and I are going to have all the fun as well.
Oh baby, you have no idea. We’re going to be amazing together.
I believe you. I love you so much already, it scares me.
