Page 43 of Hollywood

I was stuck here with Hollywood until this mess was over, which meant I only had one choice—protect myself from falling more for the man who was too ashamed to tell the world we were together.

It was fine.

I wasn’t fine—yet—but I would be. Soon enough.

Until then I drank my weight in tequila and then I curled up on the sofa in the room I had no choice but to share with the man who’d just broken my heart and shattered my dreams of a happy ending with him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hollywood

“Come on, JT, these white boys ain’t serious. Let’s just go grab that bitch and get what’s ours.” The bruised face identified the man as the left ball sack or maybe it was the right one. I didn’t remember.

“You prefer a woman who can’t fight back, do you?” I taunted the asshole. “I’m happy to remind you why that’s a bad fucking idea.”

His eyes widened with alarm before they returned to normal, and he smirked. “You and what army?”

“The same one that took you and your boys out last time.”

JT, also known as Justin Tamazaki, President of the Jade Devils MC, frowned at the ball sack. “You got your ass beat by that old fucker?”

“Just because my balls have dropped don’t make me old, asshole. You want a taste too?” My arms hung loosely at my sides, but my hands were balled into tight fists. I was angry. Fuck that, I was beyond angry and pissed off. It wasn’t just the fight with Winter that had me on edge, it was the fact that she was still in danger, and I wasn’t sure if she would let me keep her safe.

And it was all these asshole’s fault.

Hell yeah, I was ready to fight.

JT’s lips curled up into a lopsided grin and he shook his head. “And embarrass you in front of your brothers? Not this time.” JT stepped forward and crossed his arms, his gaze focused on Diesel, but his words were meant for me. “Give us the crypto wallet back and the bitch will be safe. For now.”

The bitch.That asshole was itching for a fight, and I was dying to give it to him. “Leave her out of it.”

JT smirked again. “Can’t. Not when you’re so desperate to save her.” He laughed outright and his boys joined in.

“What crypto wallet? If someone had stolen that money, I would consider it payback for the damage you did to my shop. And my employee.” Diesel towered over JT, his low words and even tone spoke of just how lethal he could be. “We’re even right now. That can change any minute.”

“Nah, fuck that. That was retaliation for the theft.”

“What theft? Maybe you ought to make a police report if you think someone stole something that belonged to you.”

They went back and forth, and I listened with half an ear, on guard as my mind wandered to thoughts of Winter and the epic way I fucked up last night. She thought I didn’t want her, that maybe I was ashamed of her when that shit was fucking impossible. She was great. Smart and beautiful, kind and wild and just fucking amazing. She had no idea how great she was or that I was a lucky bastard that I was the one she wanted.

But now wasn’t the best time to talk about it. Or tell Winston.

I would explain it better to her when I got back.

“Not acting so tough now, are you, asshole?” The ball sack was in my face, getting closer by the second.

Come on, asshole.“Don’t need to act tough when I can back it up, shit stain.” I smiled when my guys laughed, a surefire way to piss them off and bruise their egos.

He pulled his arm back and I braced myself for the hit I knew was coming. I gave him one hit, took it like a champ when my head snapped back and then smiled. “Bitch.”

“Nah, that’s your mother’s name.” That was all I said before I unleash a torrent of blows on that motherfucker, worse than the first time. I hit that asshole until my knuckles split open and bled, until they hurt more than the pleasure I felt pounding the fuck out of him. All the anger and frustration I felt about the threats to Winter and Winston came out in those blows. All the fear I felt over losing Winter exploded out of me in a fit of rage I’d never experienced.

“Hollywood, enough.”

I heard Diesel’s voice, but it sounded far away, and my fists were in charge until I felt two sets of hands pull me back. “Come on brother, this asshole ain’t worth catching a charge.”

I laughed. “Nah, he’ll think of me whenever he looks in the mirror for the next few months, won’t you dick face?”

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