I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and looking her in the eye. “One sec, babe. I gotta deal with this.”
“Sketch?” she said cautiously.
I grinned at her. “It’s okay, babe.”
“He’s my friend, Sketch, and I haven’t decided if you’re forgiven yet.”
“For real, it’s okay.” I smiled, “and you have. Let’s not pretend that you haven’t.” I turned away from her, startling Tyler enough to make him take a step back. “Firstly, I’m not your bro. Secondly,us bikersdo run this fuckin’ town and you better believe that if you want to live in it. And thirdly—and this one is real fuckin’ important, so listen up,” I said, closing the short distance between us. “You need to stay away from my girl or you’re going to ground.”
Tyler snorted on a laugh that quickly died a death. “Are you serious?”
“Why don’t you try your luck and see how serious I am,” I snarled, and then I folded my muscled arms over my chest and glared down at him.
“We’ve been best friends since high school, asshole,” he yelled, sounding more like a spoiled kid than a man. “Nancy! Tell him that we’re best friends. I brought my truck all the way out here to come and get you.” He sounded desperate. Sad and desperate. And he must have realized he was really beginning to piss me off then, because he turned to her in one last desperate attempt. He reached out and grabbed her hands. “I love you, Nancy. I always have. I won’t let you leave again—not this time, and especially not with this trash. We have something, and I know you feel it too.” His words came out in a rush. One long stream of bullshit that I was going to ram back down his throat any second now.
It was kinda funny thought and I almost laughed. Because from everything I’d seen, he was the only one feeling anything. I thought I should probably put a bullet in his head and end his misery right then. It’d probably have been more humane.
Nancy blinked and pulled her hands free. “Tyler…” She hesitated, clearly not wanting to hurt his feelings. Seemed like that was all she ever tried to do. She was a good girl but she needed to move this shit along so we could go home and fuck.
“I know, I know,” he said. “I know you said you just wanted to be friends, but I can give you everything he can’t. Do you have any idea the sort of life you’ll have with him!”
Motherfucker was skating on real thin ice now.
“I can give you the security you crave, and I’ll never break your heart. You’ll have a home, money, my parents will come around to us. We can make a life here together in Miles City.” He pleaded with her, and I don’t think he even realized that he was pushing her further away with every word spoken. “With him, what do you have to look forward to? A shitty trailer like your mom has and a couple of angry Neanderthal babies?” he scoffed.
Nancy shook her head, her pity finally giving out to anger. “I’m sorry, Tyler,” she said, her face going hard. “I can’t help the way I feel.”
“Nancy, I’m warning you,” he snapped. “I won’t be waiting for you the next time you come running back here. I’ve been looking after you and your mom all these years, but I swear to God I’ll be done with the both of you if you don’t come with me now. So get in my fucking truck and stop being a stupid bitch.”
I barked out a laugh, startling both of them. I shook my head at him, and though he looked scared, his anger was clearly making him dumb—because instead of apologizing and backing the fuck away from my girl, he lifted his chin.
“What’s so funny, asshole?” he bit out, though despite the hardass attitude I could see the fear in his eyes. And rightfully so.
“Funny?” I asked with a hard look. “Nothing’s fucking funny.”
“Then what are you laughing at?”
I smirked, a darkness washing over my features. “I always laugh before I kill someone.” I shrugged. “Lightens the mood and shit.”
Tyler paled, his eyes widening, but before I could pull out my gun and send him to ground, Nancy reared back and came forward with a punch that put the poor fucker on his back. She shook out her fist and glared down at him, and he howled in pain, clutching at his face.
“What the fuck? Are you crazy?” he yelled at her, and I snarled at him for yelling at her.
She stood over him, glaring down. “I’m not stupid, I’m not a bitch, and I don’t need you to look after me or my mom!” she yelled, and I smiled.
That was my motherfucking girl right there.
I reached for her but she pulled away, glaring at me with so much fire in her eyes that I worried she might start breathing it. Goddamn, she was hot right then.
“And you!” she continued, pointing a finger at me. “I’m not a prize, I’m not part of a competition, and if you break my heart I will cut off your cock and feed it to you. You got that?”
Triumph flared in my chest, despite the threat. Because there was no way I was ever letting her near my cock with a knife, but she didn’t need to know that. “Get over here, Nance,” I said, reaching for her. “Because yeah, I feel you, babe. Now let’s quit the bullshit and get to the good stuff.”
My arm went around her waist and I pulled her close, leaning down and pressing my mouth to hers. She kissed me back, her tongue sliding against mine as she curled her body closer to me.
Fuck. I would never get enough of her. Never.
I pulled out of the kiss and took her hand, leading her toward my bike. I climbed on and handed her my helmet. “Need to get you home, babe.”
