Page 16 of Sizzling In the Mountains

The prick on the ground starts moaning as he wakes up.

“Thanks for nothing, asshole,” I say, stepping on his hand as I walk back to the bar. He hollers and curses at me the whole way back. I don’t even look at him.

I head back to the table with an unfamiliar lightness in my body. The night might not have ended perfectly, but I did get a kiss. The best kiss of my life.

I’m on cloud nine as I take my seat while another fight starts in the cage.

My mind races with ideas on how to raise money for the library. I just want to make everything right for Victoria. I want her to be happy. I grin when I come up with something.

“Hey,” I say, getting everyone’s attention around the table. “I have an idea to raise some money for the library. We can auction off dates at the firehouse.”

“Yeah, no thanks,” Ethan says, shaking his head.

Mason crosses his arms and laughs dismissively. “No fucking way.”

“I’m not doing that either,” Colton says.

“Neither am I,” Doug says, taking a sip of beer. “I already have a girlfriend.”

Mason chuckles. “Oh yeah? Who?”

“Victoria,” Doug says, dead serious.

Mason shakes his head and laughs. I squeeze my hands into fists under the table.

Doug looks confused. “What? What’s so funny?”

“If you hadn’t noticed,” Mason says, pointing to me with his finger, “she was talking to James all night.”

“Because he was sitting next to her,” Doug says. “She was being polite.”

“He walked her to her car!”

“Because there are ruffians around.”

Mason shakes his head in disbelief. “Did you see James’ face when he walked back in? He was smiling ear to ear!”

Doug frowns. It’s finally dawning on him. “But…”

“She’s mine,” I say, clarifying it for him.

He looks right at me in disbelief. “But I called dibs!”

I grit my teeth as I stare back, giving him one final chance to let it go.

“You have to honor the dibs!” he says. Fuck, this guy doesn’t know when to quit.

“Should we settle it in there?” I ask, pointing to the cage while I glare at him in warning.

He gulps as he looks up at the guy getting his face punched in.

“No, no,” he finally says, putting his hands up in surrender. “We’re good. She’s all yours!”

I take a sip of beer as I glare at him. “Damn right, she is.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Victoria

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