Page 42 of Breaking Bristol
He held a hand up. “Swear. I thought things were fine, then I told her I was a cop, and she excused herself and bailed.”
“You’re a cop?” Bristol asked, her voice, sounding a little shaky, got my attention.
“I am.”
She sipped her fruity cocktail. “Do you know Beau. Beau Bradford? In Warrenville.”
“I do.”
Her entire body tensed, and I stilled to study her movements. “Oh.” I felt her legs shifting when she uncrossed and recrossed them. “Just wondering. He’s my friend’s husband is all. I’m sorry that woman ditched you.” She rushed the words and relaxed, resting her back against my chest. “She was probably a felon or something, so you’re better off anyway.”
I chuckled and tucked some hair behind her ear.
“Oh yeah. No skin off my nose.” Gray’s eyes moved past me, and he pulled his shoulders back. “Can I help you?”
I looked to see Rowdy Clark and turned to box Bristol in as he came to stop next to us. “Rowdy.” I said his name dismissively. He was nothing but a pathetic bully—from kindergarten to high school. He made it his mission to pick on someone. He knew he couldn’t take on the guys so he always targeted a girl. Sometimes he’d get to them before someone could stop him, but most times he was cut off at the pass, which made him even angrier.
He was a grown-ass man who hadn’t changed a bit. Jealous, insecure, and the biggest asshole I’d ever known… and that was saying a lot.
“Who ya got there, Beck?”
“None of your business.”
“Hey.” He lifted his hand with a beer in it. “Just making conversation.”
Gray crossed his arms. “Why don’t you go do that somewhere else?”
“But the view’s better here.”
Something intense and possessive twisted my insides. “The fuck you just say?” I took a step toward him, but Gray put his arm out and stopped me.
“You know he’s not worth it, Beck.”
Oh, it’d be worth it. “Get gone. And don’t look at her again.”
“What are you gonna do, kill me?” he taunted.
He wanted to provoke me, to fuck with my head, thought I’d snap… but no. I saw clear as day. I was surprisingly controlled but seriously lethal when I shoved Gray’s arm out of the way and got toe-to-toe with him. “Yeah, Rowdy.” I lowered my voice and poked him in the chest. “That’s exactly what I’ll do. I’ll fuckin’ kill you.”
I didn’t even know until right this second, but the need to protect and defend her, to shield her, was so palpable it was like an extension of my body. My entire being hungering to do its duty so ferociously that I could taste it.
His eyes got big, and Grayson separated us. “All right, enough. Rowdy, take off. Beck… cool it.”
Rowdy huffed and turned around, then disappeared out the front door. I felt Bristol’s hand on my back and reached for her, pulling her against me as I found her eyes. “You all right?”
“Yeah. Totally fine. I’m guessing there’s some kind of history there.”
Gray laughed, but I found not one fucking thing funny. “You know that one guy from high school who was always a jerk and tried to make other people feel less than to make himself feel better? That’s Rowdy. He’s never grown up and apparently gotten worse to the point I almost feel sorry for the guy.”
“He doesn’t deserve your sympathy, Gray. He’s pathetic.” I shook my head, trying to calm the fuck down.
“Whatever.” My friend slammed his beer. “He’s gone. Let me buy another round.”
The three of us shot the shit a little longer, and outwardly, I was relaxed, but internally, I was still wired. When Bristol started moving to the music, we said goodbye to Grayson who was headed home, and I segued us to the dance floor.
I never really liked dancing, but with her, I didn’t want to stop. Having an excuse to touch her and feel her ass against my crotch was worth putting up with bad pop music and large crowds. Her tight body released some of my tension, but I couldn’t shake the way my nerves vibrated.
Someone bumped into her, and I had to take a step back, my teeth grinding and fists clenching in her dress so I didn’t do something stupid. “Hey, it’s fine. It was an accident.” She put her hand around my neck and pulled me down so we were nose to nose. “It’s okay, Matthew.” She stroked my jugular, and I could feel it throbbing against her thumb.