Page 54 of Bitter Rival

“Beckett! Let him go.” Daisy grabs my arm and tugs on it. “It’s fine. Just let him go.”

It’s not fine. There is nothing even remotely fine about any of this.

I march him down the hallway, keeping a tight grip on him while he tries in vain to break free.

“You’re insane. Let me go, man. You heard her. I didn’t do nothing.”

My grip tightens. “You want me to let you go? Ironic, isn’t it? She wanted you to let her go too.”

Fucker. I kick the exit door open, toss him out the door and give him a shove. “There. I let you go.”

He stumbles and crashes into a dumpster then gets to his feet, weaving. “Fuck you, man,” he sputters.

I slam the door shut and turn to Daisy, who’s staring at me like she’s never seen me before.

Her mouth opens then shuts. Opens and shuts again. She blinks up at me. “What… Why…”

“Rendered you speechless. That’s a first.” I look her up and down, searching for any signs of damage. “Are you okay?”

Daisy nods, still staring at me. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She pushes a stray lock of hair off her face with a shaky hand that belies her words, and my blood pressure spikes through the roof.

I take a few deep breaths through my nose to calm down. “Are you ready to go? The Uber is waiting.”

She swallows. Nods mutely.

So I take her hand and lead her through the bar, on a mission to get the hell out of here before I’m tempted to go back and beat the shit out of that douche for grabbing her like that.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Beckett

I’ve been watching you all night.

I’ll bet he was. But instead of initiating a conversation like a decent human being, he waits for her outside the restrooms and shoves her against the wall?

Puts his hands on her?

I just wanted to get to know you, my ass.

Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how he wanted to get to know her.

“Wait,” Daisy says. “I have to check on Callie.” I let her go and walk over to the bar. When I catch Ledger’s attention, I fill him in on what happened.

This is his bar so he needs to know what kind of customers he’s serving.

“Dark hair? Goatee?” he asks.

I nod, my hands balling into fists at my sides. What I wouldn’t give to plant one in that fucker’s face. Should’ve done it when I had the chance. “That’s the one.”

“Piece of shit. That’s Clayton. We went to school with him. He’s always been an asshole. All the Fletchers are. I’ve had a few run-ins with them over the years.” Now that he mentioned the name, it rings a bell.

I’m not surprised to hear he’s had a few run-ins with them either. Back in middle school, I was never a fighter and neither was Caiden, but Ledger was always getting into fights.

“I’ll take care of it,” Ledger assures me, leaping over the bar to go deal with it. “He won’t be allowed in my bar again.”

When he strides away, I have half a mind to follow him, but Daisy grabs my hand and starts dragging me to the door.

“I don’t want you getting into a fight,” she says. “Not with that pretty face.”

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