Page 49 of Old-Fashioned

Only then did he stare deep into my eyes and ask, “Are you okay?”

I nodded then started to open my mouth until both Baker and Caelan walked over and asked what happened.

I told them what he said and what Jewell told the man.

It was Baker that sneered, did an about-face, and stormed over to Jewell and glared down at her, getting right in her face, and in a menacing whisper he said, “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you’ll wish your momma had kept her fucking legs closed. We clear?”

When I looked back up at Abel it was to see his eyes had never wavered from my face, and then I whispered, “I had it handled, Abel.”

He looked down at me, fire still blazing in his eyes, the left side of his cheek ticking, his hand moved so it was cupping the side of my face, his tone was dangerously low, “I know you could’ve. But I’ve already spent seven years in the pen, I ain’t afraid of going back.”

“Is there anything you’re afraid of?” If his arm wasn’t wrapped around my waist, I would’ve hit my knees when I heard the words he spoke next.

“Yeah, you leaving me. You getting even a fucking papercut. It would’ve taken half this bar to pull me off someone that struck you.”

It was time, hearing all of that, seeing what I just did from Abel… It was high time we had our talk, and hopefully I made him mine, “Abel, I...”

But I didn’t get to say anything else.

“Shh, Baby girl. I know you’re not there yet, but I’ll get you there.” With that cryptic message, he leaned down, pressed a kiss on my forehead, let me go, but made sure I was stable, and then I watched, just as all the women in this bar watched him walk to the bar, around it, and post up back in his spot.”

“What good are bouncers when he takes care of it?” Baker asked.

Caelan answered him and caused a smile to be on my face for the rest of my shift, “Bouncers protect everyone else; he just protects her.”

I was still staring at Abel when I murmured, “Need me to watch your kids this weekend?”

I saw him cringe, “It’s your weekend off, Ceann Beag. I wasn’t going to even ask.”

I loved it when he called me little one, but not as much as when Abel called me Baby girl.

“I got them. You go put a hurting on that asshat. His ego is too big for his britches.”

And the man that Caelan was scheduled to fight this weekend really was a pompous ass and I hoped like hell that the man had to be carted out of the ring on a stretcher.

Anyone that tried to use someone’s kids against them, deserved to not be breathing for a little while.

Getting back to work, I sat with Rich when I could and watched the game with him, and all night long, we barely had pathways to move as people either cheered for their teams or booed at their opponents.

It was just as I saw another woman lower her top and walk to the bar that I decided I’d had enough, therefore, I sat my tray down on the bar, stepped to the side, lifted the partition, stepped through it, and then stalked over to Abel.

When I was halfway to him, his head turned and locked eyes with me, but I didn’t stop.

Once I reached him, I tagged his hand, and then pulled, he didn’t hesitate to follow me out from behind the bar, into the hallway, and then I stopped in front of his office, looked up at him, and said, “Unlock your door, boss man.”

He lifted one brow but did as I asked.

Once the door was unlocked, I tagged his hand again, pulled him inside, and then closed the door.

Looking up at him, I said, “Okay, we need to talk. And I can’t handle watching another woman try to hit on you. I just freaking can’t. So, we are talking about this. Right. Fucking. Now.”

Abel grinned down at me, and gave me that look, which caused me to press my thighs together. Damn him. To which I snapped, “Thought you were going to ignore everything I said last night?”

He smirked, “Can’t fucking help it.”

And then, he sobered, “I told you, Baby girl, all you had to do was say my name, and I would be yours.”

Now was the time for us to get a few things straight.

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