Page 96 of Wicked Serve

He laughs, as if expecting me to play along with his idiotic joke. I ignored his mean streak while we dated, but it was always there, ready to say something cutting. I made way too many excuses for him before the truth came out. I try to keep my chin high, but the comment hits its mark, just like he intended. My cheeks burn with embarrassment.

I finally catch sight of my brothers. Sebastian is pressing his lips together tightly, and Cooper looks like he’s about to launch himself at Chance.

But Nik is the one who strolls over. “Party planning, no. Communications, yes.” He slips his hands into his pockets, the picture of casualness, even though I catch a flash of intensity in his eyes. “You know, I was hoping I’d meet you one day, Chase.”

I bite the inside of my cheek as I ease away from Chance. One step, then another. A hand steadies me. Mia, glaring daggers, flanked by Penny, who’s staring at him like he’s a particularly disgusting bug. Cooper and Sebastian step on either side of Nik, adopting that same faux-casual stance. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so much ice in Cooper’s eyes.

Chance scowls at Nik. “It’s Chance.”

“Right. Whatever.” Nik leans in, a smirk on his lips. He has an inch or two on Chance, and definitely more than a few pounds of muscle. He picks at his nails, letting Chance squirm for a moment. “So, Chance. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t smash your head through that glass window.”

Chance startles, but he masks it with a sneer. “Interesting.”

“What’s interesting?” Sebastian says darkly.

“Is she a frigid bitch in bed with you, too?” he drawls. “Or did she learn some new tricks by now?”

He’s addressing Nik, but he looks past him to me. Tears threaten to spill down my face. He’s the one who cheated on me and made our relationship into a joke on my goddamn birthday, and yet I can’t move. Can’t think of a retort.

“Hey,” Nik says sharply. “You don’t talk about her like that.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Cooper adds with a growl.

Nik presses in, forcing Chance to flatten against the window. “You’re a cheating scumbag, and—”

“Go away,” I interrupt, finally finding my voice. I wrestle my arm away from Mia and take a few quick steps forward. He can’t just stand there and insult me in front of my family and my boyfriend. “Unless you want me to walk into that store and tell your girlfriend about how much of a dick you were to me. I’m sure she’d be interested to hear all about her perfect, serious boyfriend’s past.”

The color drains from Chance’s face. “Fucking bit—”

“Look at me.” Nik yanks Chance close by the lapels of his jacket, but doesn’t raise a fist. “If you ever run into her again, you keep your mouth shut and walk away. If I hear that you’ve talked to her, if you’ve so much as looked at her—I’ll fucking destroy you.”

“The same for us,” Cooper says.

“All of us,” says Penny.

Mia grins. “I won’t hesitate to go for your balls. Just so you know.”

“That’s your cue to take your sorry ass somewhere else,” adds Sebastian.

Nik keeps Chance pinned for a long, tense moment. “You understand?”

“Yes,” he finally grits out. Nik lets him go with a little shove. He hurries into the boutique without so much as a backward glance.

“Are you okay?” Nik asks, immediately coming to my side. “What happened?”

“I’m fine.” I’m wound up, but not in a bad way. I didn’t stand up to Chance when I first learned the truth, but I did when it counted, and Nik and my family had my back. I feel triumphant; I feel good. “I’m fine, he doesn’t matter.”

“He doesn’t matter at all,” he says, voice low. “Don’t listen to a word he said.”

“Yeah,” Penny says. “He’s nothing, Izzy.”

“He’s an idiot,” Mia says, throwing the boutique a dirty look.

“I’m glad I saw him,” I say. Nik raises an eyebrow, but I nod. “Really, I am. He is nothing, I knew that, but it’s still good to know for sure. And to watch you tell him to fuck off.”

“And you,” he says, brushing his lips against my temple. He’s been doing that a lot recently, probably because of the new scar. My stomach flutters with warmth instead of anxiety. “You were a badass. My little hellion.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian says. He shares a look with Cooper. “What do you think, Coop? Is it time?”

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