“What?” Anna shrugged. “From where I come from, you know what a hangover is by fourteen and drank straight liquor by seventeen.”
“That’s different. You can drink at eighteen in England,” Bell countered.
“Wait,” I interrupted. “You’re from England?”
“Yep.” Anna grinned. She dropped her American accent and, with her beer raised, said, “Born and raised, baby!”
“No way,” I said. Two Brits in a month? “You’re pulling my leg.”
Anna winked.
Before I could investigate further, I heard a loud cheer from outside. I looked toward the door as the cheering continued.
“Looks like they started,” Baby noted.
I shifted in my seat, and Georgia, who had been adding little jewels in the shape of a flower, gave a great big huff. “I don’t know why I’m fucking bothering.”
“I don’t like this,” I complained, ignoring her, my eyes still glued to the door. “Why can’t they forgive each other already?”
“People forgive each other differently, Mal,” Bell said, bumping my arm. “Let them get on with it.”
“Forgiveness can come at any time, for the simplest of reasons, huh?” I recalled, thinking back to the girl at the airport.
Anna straightened on the other side of me. “Where’d you hear that?” Her tone was suddenly serious.
I turned to look at her, seeing how intense her eyes were as they stayed glued on me.
“While I was at the airport, I …”
I heard another roar of noise, louder than before.
“That’s it!” I snapped, pulling my feet away from Georgia and slipping them into my flip flops, despite hers and everyone else’s shouting. Then I went straight to the door, swung it open, and ran into the parking lot.
I found all the brothers crowded around in a circle, Wolf’s and Hunter’s heads rising above the rest. Anna and Bell caught up with me first, but they weren’t quick enough as I barged into the circle, pushing past the men who went to yell at me before seeing who I was and stopping.
As I made it to the inner ring, a hand clamped over my mouth and an arm circled my waist, preventing me from stepping into the middle.
I wiggled and scratched at the arm over my mouth and around my waist, trying to break free.
“Calm down, darlin’,” Jax whispered in my ear. “I don’t want you getting hurt, and Hunter sure as fuck won’t be happy with me if you get a black eye.”
I stopped wriggling and growled into his hand.
He laughed before he said, “I’m going to let you go now, but promise me you won’t step in or interfere?”
I didn’t respond.
“Promise?” Jax pressed.
I nodded into his hand.
Jax let go, and I gasped for breath.
“Bastard,” I hissed.
Jax laughed before tapping the nearby brother on the shoulder. Pretty turned around and looked down at me with wide eyes before he looked up at Jax. He then tapped Lamb next to him, who looked behind Pretty, saw me, and frowned. He then looked back at Jax, who shrugged, making Lamb roll his eyes. I hadn’t noticed before, but they were a beautiful pale brown and looked almost brass-colored in the sunlight.
He shoved Pretty, forcing them both to step in front of me, hiding me from view. Between their massive structures, I was barely able to see Hunter and Wolf fighting.