Page 120 of The Way We Touch

My brow lowers and adrenaline surges through my veins when I turn to see Davis Kent standing in the back of the room with his arms crossed.

He’s dressed in his usual khakis and light blue golf shirt—in the middle of December—and standing right next to him is someone I’ve been waiting to see again. Peter Krall.

Instinctively, my hands fist at my sides. My jaw is tight, and I step in front of Dylan as if I’ll shield her from these bastards. I’m struggling with the urge to wipe the floor with their asses.

“I think we need to take these losers to the parking lot.” Jack’s voice surprises me, and I turn to see my former football hero with fire blazing in his eyes.

“Are we doing this?” Zane steps up beside him.

Craig is off the bar at once. “Not without me!”

I’ve never been in a gang, but I understand the appeal now that I have four men at my side all thinking the same thing.

“Wait!” Dylan’s voice is worried. “Don’t… It’s Christmas.”

“Too late for that, Sis.” Garrett’s eyes are leveled on Davis and Peter. “These assholes came here looking for trouble, and we’re going to help them find it.”

“Logan?” Dylan puts her hand on my arm. “You’re still injured.”

The worry in her voice twists my stomach, but I can’t let these guys walk.

I put my hand on her cheek, sliding my thumb across her bottom lip. “Don’t worry, babe. We’ll just have a little meeting of the minds.”

“In the parking lot?” Her brown eyes are round, and I lean down to kiss her lips briefly.

She reaches up to touch my face, and I see the leather bracelet on her wrist. Mine is stamped on the side, and defending her honor is the only thing on my mind.

“This won’t take long.” I nod to where Allie is in the middle of the girls scooping up guacamole and watching us. “Take care of your people.”

She doesn’t go to her friend, but I can’t wait any longer.

I rejoin the guys as we walk to where Davis is glaring at us with a disgusted expression, and Krall has his eyes leveled on me with something like hatred. As if he has a right.

“Hello, Davis.” Jack takes the lead. “What brings you here with this guy?”

“Hello, Jack.” I’m ready to slap the smug smile off his punk-ass face. “My friend Pete here wanted to know where he might find your sister’s new boyfriend. I told him I knew right where to go.”

“Let’s take this outside,” Garrett growls, seeming to grow larger.

Davis blows air through his lips. “You think I’m stupid enough to go to the parking lot with you, Garrett?”

“No.” Garrett spits out the words on a taunting laugh. “I think you’re way stupider than that.”

“What do you want, Peter?” I’m working hard to keep my tone level.

“We have a beef now.” This guy’s a defensive lineman, and he’s as big as Garrett with light brown hair shaved close to his head and dark brown eyes.

“Oh, yeah?” Standing taller, I’m mad enough to whip his ass by myself. “How do you figure that?”

He leans down in my face. “You ended my career.”

A meaty hand fists the front of his shirt, shoving him back. “You got what you deserved, asshole,” Garrett seethes. “You tried to kill my best friend.”

“Fucking bullshit. I only broke your streak, Lightning.”

The sarcasm in his tone is like a match to the gasoline in my veins.

Jack must see I’m about to go off, and he quickly steps into the mix. “Outside. Now.”

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