Page 64 of Worth the Fall
Her eyes narrowed. “Is everything okay? What is it? Is Matthew all right?”
“It will be. Can you stay? I can’t leave Clara here alone.”
“Of course I’ll stay. Will you tell me what’s going on though?” Her face was still pinched with concern.
“I’ll tell you everything when I get back. Promise,” I said before leaning down and kissing the top of her head.
“Be careful,” was the last thing I heard as I practically sprinted into the garage, the door slamming behind me.
By the time I pulledinto the saloon, my blood was already fucking boiling. This guy wasn’t giving up his crusade to slander Brooklyn’s name publicly, and I was putting a stop to it. Tonight. I’d truly thought we’d already ended this bullshit, but apparently, he needed another reminder.
Shoving the doors open, I puffed out my chest as I entered the busy establishment. Adrenaline and anger coursed through my veins as I scanned the darkened space. I spotted Matthew immediately, sitting at one of the stools at the bar. Bella was near him, an uncomfortable look on her face like she knew what was coming.
Eli, Brooklyn’s ex, was a few stools away from Matthew and hadn’t noticed my arrival yet.
Good.
I’d catch this motherfucker off guard.
At least, that was my plan until my brother’s face damn near lit up like a Christmas tree once he saw me. He pushed off of his stool and basically announced to the whole bar that I was there.
“Finally,” he said as he gave me a quick slap on the back.
Eli spun around on his stool, a nasty look plastered on his smug face as he eyed me. “Figures you’d show up.”
“Does it now?” I stood my ground, refusing to move an inch.
“I call my wife a cheating whore, and you come running,” he said before grabbing his drink and downing it. “I’ll take another, sweetie.” He directed toward Bella, and I saw Matthew’s jaw clench in response to the nickname.
“Down boy. This one’s mine,” I said quietly toward my brother.
“I think you’ve had enough.” Bella’s voice rang out, and she had to know that would only anger the guy further.
Telling a drunk person that they’d had enough to drink was like throwing gasoline on a fire. You only made it rage more.
“Bitch,” he mumbled under his breath, and I had to physically restrain Matthew from going after him.
“You seem to have a problem respecting women,” I ground out.
“You seem to have a problem staying away from the ones who are married,” he fired back, and I heard gasps from all around me.
It was a ridiculous accusation to hurl. Anyone who knew me at all knew that I wasn’t the kind of guy to screw someone else’s woman. And him talking shit about me didn’t bother me in the slightest. He could tell lies until the sun came up, and it wouldn’t affect me at all.
But calling Brooklyn disparaging names and telling the whole damn town that she’d cheated on him pissed me the hell off. Because I knew it wasn’t true. And so did he.
“I’ve already told you this once, but since you’re too fucking stupid to listen, I’ll tell you again,” I started to say, my voice filled with anger as Eli stood up from his seat, his frame inches shorter than my own. Not that it mattered.
“I didn’t sleep with Brooklyn while you were married to her. And we both know she isn’t the type of person to cheat on anyone. You’re doing all this to feel better about your shitty, miserable, pathetic life. Not to mention the fact that you lost the best woman you’ll ever have. Not even sure how you got her in the first place.”
“Fuck you, O’Grady.” He gave me a shove, but my body was barely effected.
Matthew placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me even though it wasn’t necessary.
“You fucked my wife. Got her to leave me and then gave her a job for it. How cliché can you be? What does she have to do to get a promotion? Screw someone else in the family?”
“She’s not your wife,” I ground out.
He’d called Brooklyn his wife twice now, and it burned me from the inside out, just hearing him say it.