Page 4 of A Fighting Chance
Alistair turns his burning gaze my way. Immediately I lift my hands, palms out. There is something burning between the two of them and I don’t want to get in the middle of that shit.
“Just being friendly with the customers,” I chuckle, trying to alleviate the tension.
His gaze scans my face searching for any signs of deception.
“Mercedes isn’t interested in your bullshit. So, move it the fuck along.”
He grabs the half-empty beer in front of Kristoff, leans over the bar, and dumps it in the bin. Alistair looks at me like he has more to say but turns and walks away. From the corner of my eye, I see movement.
“Ali,” I yell hoping he can hear me before it’s too late.
Chapter Three
Alistair
Ishouldn’t be able to hear her voice above the music, the loud conversations, and the laughter in the bar, but I do. I hear it as clearly as if she had whispered it into my ear in the dead silence of the night.
It takes me a split second to react and turn around. A fist connects with the side of my face and instead of going down like I am sure this asshole expected, all I do is flex my jaw. My vision clouds red and I charge at Kristoff.
What the fuck is he thinking?
This is my family’s bar. I will rip him limb from limb. I get in three good shots before Xander and Malichai pull me off him. I roar to the heavens, my blood beyond boiling. It was bad enough to see him and Mercedes chatting like they have known each other forever. But to disrespect me by hitting me, with a sucker punch no less. I will rip his goddamned head off.
I watch as two of the regulars help him up and lead him out of the bar. My brothers hold me back as I try to calm the fuck down before I do something stupid.
But then I see Mercedes, standing behind the bar, breathing heavily. I can’t stand the thought of any man being near her, especially Kristoff.
“This is your fucking fault,” I bellow pointing at her.
“What?” She looks shocked.
“It’s always been this way. You do whatever the fuck you want and the rest of us have to deal with the consequences.”
She looks like I slapped her. All the color drains from her face before she squares her shoulders. Bending down she scoops up her handbag and walks around the bar counter until she is right in front of me. Her gaze sweeps me from head to toe and back again before she speaks.
“I’ll be back tomorrow morning for my shift,” she says to Xander. “As for you Alistair. Grow the fuck up. I’m not your problem, your temper is. And it always has been.”
I stare at her my chest pumping up and down as I try to get my breathing under control. “You. Don’t. Work. Here,” I say lowly.
“If I’m not missing something Xander is the manager and he offered me a position. He needs the help.”She glares at me. “I’m not leaving so you better get used to it.”
I watch her as she walks across the dance floor toward a woman. They speak for a couple of moments before they hug, and she walks out of Lucille’s. What a fuck up. The only woman I have ever loved, and we can’t fucking stand each other.
***
Mercedes
Thank God Severn is a small community and as safe as they come. It’s past midnight when I leave Lucille’s and walk home. My temper got the best of me, and I may have made some hasty decisions in my anger, but Alistair has always had a way of pushing my buttons. The man has an innate talent for pissing me off to the point that I can’t think straight.
I honestly don’t know if I want to stay in Severn for the foreseeable future, but I couldn’t let him talk to me like that. I may not be able to throw a physical punch as he can, but I can hit back verbally.
I hate that we have become these people. Angrily, I wipe at an errant tear. He used to be my favorite person in the whole world, the one I told all my secrets. And now we can’t even be civil for five damn minutes.
The house I grew up in is about ten minutes from the bar and I walk at a leisurely pace, enjoying the fresh night air. I need the fresh air to help me clear my mind and get rid of some of my anger. Thank God it’s summer or I would be freezing my tits off.
I feel a sense of unease sweep over me like someone is watching, but when I look around there is no one to be seen. Two cars are parked outside an apartment building and a big ass caramel-colored pit bull is sleeping peacefully beneath a tree behind a high fence. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, so why do I have the sudden urge to run?
Too many horror movies is what my mother would have said and I chuckle at the memory. She was probably right but that doesn’t stop me from speeding up a little. I breathe a sigh of relief when I finally make it inside my house and lock the door.