Page 128 of Vexatious Queen

“Or what? You gonna hit me, big man? Act all tough in front of your friends. It’s a shame you can’t handle hearing the truth?”

Merlin poked Liam in the chest.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I really liked Nora.”

“You have a funny way of showing it. Sticking your dick in another girl doesn’t usually go over as well as flowers,” Liam said.

“So, it was you who told her.” Merlin stepped closer until the two of them were nose to nose. “Fucking snitch.”

“Naw, man, it wasn’t me. But I really wish it had been, just to get you the fuck out of her life. You never deserved her, and now…she’ll never take you back. So, thank you for being so fucking stupid as to bring your slut out in public. Then again, you’re not so bright. I didn’t expect much from you.”

The eruption between them was instant. One second, we were standing, holding our breath as the tension filled the room, and the next, they were fighting.

Merlin took a cheap jab at Liam, getting him in the stomach. The blow only managed to move Liam back a few steps. There was no hesitation or taking time to recover. With a jump kick that I didn’t see coming, Liam slammed his foot into the middle of Merlin’s chest. The momentum sent Merlin crashing through the glass door. He hit the sidewalk hard while glass shattered in all directions.

Liam pulled his gun out of the back of his jeans and handed it to Nash, then he was out the door and hauling a dazed Merlin to his feet.

“You don’t get off that easy,” he snarled and cracked him across the face. “Fucking prick.”

Liam hit him twice before Merlin sobered up from the fall. They circled each other like fighters in a cage match.

“Oh my god,” Ren gasped, and I tightened my hold on her. “Myles, we need to help.”

“Naw, we need to stay out of it. Liam doesn’t want us involved.”

“How do you know?”

“He hasn’t given us the signal,” I said with a shrug.

Ren narrowed her eyes at me in confusion.

“Trust me, you’d know. He needs to do this,” I said as Nash held up his hand, stopping Mr. G’s men, waiting in the parking lot, from getting involved.

Everyone walked outside to watch the show, glued to the action like it was the season finale of Survivor. Fists flew, and both got good, hard shots in, but Liam was faster. For every two shots he landed, Merlin only got one.

“You little fucking prick, you know nothing about me,” Merlin growled as he stumbled back from a punch that I knew broke his nose. Sure enough, blood ran down the front of his face as he looked up, eyes full of rage.

“Wrong, I do, and I’d rather be a prick than a waste of space like you. No idea what my sister saw in your pathetic ass.”

“Shut the fuck up. You have no idea how much I cared for your sister,” Merlin yelled, pointing at Liam.

“And yet you cheated on her, multiple times. Great way to show it,” Liam said, and dodged the punch coming for his face. Dropping low, he did a sweeping roundhouse and took out Merlin’s feet. He landed hard on his back with a groan that obviously knocked the wind out of him.

Liam pounced on Merlin, knees pressed into his chest, fists raining down on his face until he didn’t bother blocking the shots anymore. A sharp whistle pierced the air, and a heaving Liam looked over at Nash.

“That’s enough, you made your point,” Nash said.

Liam glared at Merlin like he was trying to temper his rage, which was not Liam. But he finally stood, and Merlin sagged on the pavement.

“Don’t ever go near her again,” Liam said, pointing at Merlin. “Or I’ll make sure you eat my gun for your next meal. No one disrespects my family, least of all my sister.”

Blood ran from a cut across Liam’s cheekbone and more from the split in his lip and his knuckles.

“I really did care for Nora,” Merlin mumbled as Liam started to walk away.

“And I really don’t give a fuck one way or the other,” he said. “You’ve been warned. Go near her again, and I’ll come for you. And next time I’ll finish the job.”

“Damn, man, you got your ass handed to you,” one of the guys I didn’t know said, laughing hard.