Page 36 of Lucas

“Even if you wanted to?” My voice goes hoarse. “So, you don’t want to? You weren’t planning to address it all. This was for nothing. All of it. You spent a week with me so you could fuck my brains out, no strings attached. Just like I thought.”

“What the hell are you babbling on about? That’s what we agreed on.” His eyes go cold. “You think I can’t get laid any day of the week? That I have to make some kind of deal for sex?” He huffs. “That’s rich, lady.”

I know what he’s saying is true—Lucas could have a different woman on his arm every night. Before he met me, he did. I’m no different than them.

Except that isn’t quite true. He didn’t find me attractive enough to show off. Didn’t take me to parties or work functions, didn’t put me on display. We hid out where people least expected to find him—

“You played me,” I say, running off on a tangent, fully believing the worst because that’s so much easier than sorting through what’s truth and carefully executed white lie. “Keeping me hidden, like your dirty little secret. For fuck’s sake, Lucas. Grow up. Quit being such a kid.”

The tips of his ears go crimson and a restless energy vibrates from his skin. I realize after I’ve said it, that referring to Lucas as being unwilling to grow up is a bit of a low blow given what happened to him in his childhood.

“Leave, Eden,” he says, his voice so low and ominous it makes my skin crawl. “Get the fuck out of here.”

“Hey, buddy, is that any way to talk to a lady?”

The question comes out of nowhere, catching me off guard. Both of us off guard, evidently. I don’t even have time to react, because Lucas bolts from his chair to stare down the man who dared to speak aloud. My hands tremble. I’ve seen Lucas’s anger boil over before. I know what comes next.

The man stands. He’s big, muscular. Probably works out. “You got something to say, tough guy?” he says, leveling Lucas with a stare that screams, Go ahead, try me.

I yank on Lucas’s sleeve. “Come on, let’s go somewhere private to talk.”

But Lucas isn’t listening to me. It’s as if he’s in a trance. He yanks free of my grip and raises his fists. His eyes burn so bright they’re practically glowing. He pulls back and fires a shot, straight to the guy’s dimpled chin. Blood goes flying.

The big guy flops his head like a rag doll, and then rolls it back. He spits on the floor, cracks his neck, and grins like a Cheshire Cat. It’s the most terrifying grin I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something.

“Bro, you made a bad mistake messing with me.”

He lunges toward Lucas, who easily dodges the guy’s fist. “What’s wrong old guy, don’t think I have it in me to take you?”

Lucas is fast, nimble, and a seasoned street fighter. Couple that with adrenaline, and it’s conceivable he could…

That’s what I believe. At least, until I look up and the odds take a startling twist.

Lucas doesn’t just have one adversary—there’s two.

Shit.

The newcomer bounces like a boxer just getting ready to jump into the ring. He moves from foot to foot, executing some kind of fancy footwork that might be mesmerizing if his eyes weren’t locked on Lucas. Now I’m no longer impressed.

He jabs his fist toward Lucas with an audible snap, missing. His hand recoils back into position, locked and loaded.

Lucas blocks the second punch, catching the guy’s wrist as it whizzes by. He twists, and newcomer is down on one knee. But behind Lucas, the big guy has recovered. He stumbles to his feet and grabs a chair, holding it high over his head.

A scream catches in my throat, somehow enough to warn Lucas of the danger. He ducks, and the chair hits the table, knocking everything flying. Dishes, cutlery, food, full mugs of beer—it all shatters across the floor with a thundering crash.

Lucas turns to take care of the big guy, but newcomer comes in with a swift uppercut, catching Lucas’s jaw. There is a deafening crack, and then a roar of pain. I’ll be shocked if Lucas doesn’t have a broken something.

“Someone help!” I scream.

My voice gets lost in the chanting and cheering. I can’t tell which team anyone’s on, just that they’re itching to see this bar fight escalate, while I’m desperate for it to stop.

Lucas grabs the newcomer by the shoulders, and they grapple for position. The big guy sweeps his foot under Lucas’s leg, taking him out at the knee. He buckles, starts to go down…

He isn’t going alone.

Lucas twists the newcomer around as they fall, and there is a bone-shattering crash as they hit the edge of the bar.

As one of the two attackers jumps on top of Lucas and begins hitting him while he’s down, I decide to do something to stop this madness.