Page 16 of Redemption

“One ball left, Wildcat.” He grins and takes a long slow sip of his beer. The muscles of his thick neck moving in tandem with every swallow. My mouth waters at the sight as an ache throbs between my legs. Judging by the gleam in his eye the bastard knows damn well what he’s doing to me.

“Prepare to go down, Axel Savage.” I wipe my sweaty palms down my jeans and focus on the game. He is not going to get into my head. I’m going to hand him his balls on a silver platter and leave all of this shit in the past where it belongs.

The game’s in the bag. I line up my shot, already mentally preparing a victory dance when a cool wooden object pokes me right between my legs causing my cue to miss and scrape against the felt. “Hey!” I spin on my heel to face the asshole that just touched me without my permission.

“Just playin’ around, Sugar.” The jerk with the mustache smacks my ass and walks off to where his friends are. I tense up ready to beat him with my pool stick when heat radiates from behind me.

“What the fuck?” Axel cuts in front of me and rushes up to the group. A heavy feeling settles in my stomach. Things are about to go from bad to worse. My head whips to the side in search of Zane and the ass is still seated in his chair sipping another beer like he’s at a family picnic, without a care in the world.

“Relax, man. We’re just having some fun.” Mustache pervert laughs and his friends join in like it’s all some big joke.

“Fun is keeping your fucking hands to yourself and off my woman.” Axel shoves him in the chest, knocking him back against the wall so hard a picture falls.

“Fuck off, asshole.” He knocks Axel’s hand off him and puffs out his chest.

Without warning, Axel’s fist crashes into the guy’s nose. Mustache pervert drops to his knees and groans as blood gushes down his face.

“Son of a bitch! You broke my fucking nose.” He cups his face, but blood spurts all over the place.

Axel hovers over him with his fist clenched. “You touch her without her permission I do the same to you.”

Mustache Pervert gets the message and stays down, but his buddies don’t. One rushes Axel, but he’s quicker and ducks the hit. The guy falls forward and ends up hitting a person at another table. From there things spiral out of control and fast. Everyone in the bar is out of their seats punching the first person they can find. It’s a sea of limbs and bodies flying everywhere.

Axel’s got one of the guys from the original group by the throat when another is sneaking up behind him. Before I can open my mouth Zane is out of his chair and has the guy by the throat and pinned up against the wall.

“If anyone kicks my brother’s ass, it’s me.” He throws a punch, but the guy breaks free and the two of them start fighting on top of an empty pool table.

I bob and weave out of the way to avoid being hit, but catch sight of one of the instigators creeping up behind an unsuspecting Axel. Oh hell no! I grab a nearby beer bottle off the table and crack the guy over the head with it. He goes down, but then another one spins around, heading straight for me. I back up preparing to grab another bottle when Axel knocks him out with one punch.

“Time to go, Wildcat.” He laces his fingers through mine and runs for the nearest exit, dodging as many flying fists on our way out as we can. Zane’s heavy steps follow close behind, but I don’t dare turn around or else I’ll slow us down.

We sprint around the corner, straight for Zane’s truck. He uses his remote to unlock the doors, saving us a few seconds. My heart doesn’t stop pounding from the time we jump inside to the time we’re hauling ass out of the parking lot.

Zane doesn’t slow down until the bar is a distant memory. The cab of the truck is silent as the three of us do our best to gain control of our heavy breathing.

I slump against my seat, doing my best to get my heavy breathing under control, but it’s damn near impossible. Then Axel’s laughs break the silence.

“What’s so funny?” My eyebrows pinch together as I wipe a bead of sweat off my forehead.

“You scratched. I won.”

My spine stiffens. The hell he did!

---