Page 22 of Wrestling With Love

"It’s entertaining. Come on, humor me."

Diamond sighed, humoring her more out of exhaustion than interest. She let her gaze drift over the crowd before settling on a man slouched in a booth, his shirt rumpled, his drink barely touched.

"Divorced," she said. "Recently. Probably lost a lot in the process. Keeps checking his phone like he’s waiting for a message that’s never coming."

Lena’s brows shot up. "Damn. That was… actually good."

Diamond just shrugged again.

Lena grinned. "See? This is fun."

Diamond didn’t agree, but she let Lena have her moment.

That’s when she felt eyes on her.

The shift in the air was almost imperceptible, but Diamond knew better than to ignore it.

She ignored it at first. Didn’t matter.

But then she heard them.

“Hey, sweetheart,” a voice drawled behind her, thick with amusement. “Didn’t know they let pretty little things in here alone.”

Lena stiffened beside her but forced a smile, brushing it off. Diamond didn’t.

The guy moved closer, stepping into her space like he had a right to be there. His friends—three or four of them—watched, entertained.

“C’mon, no need to look so mean,” he continued, grinning. “Bet you’d look real nice if you smiled.”

Diamond’s jaw clenched. She’d heard it all before.

One of them reached for Lena, fingers curling around her wrist.

Wrong move.

Diamond grabbed his arm and twisted it sharply. The guy yelped, stumbling back, and his friend stepped forward in his place.

She kept her voice low, cold.

"Walk away."

They didn’t.

It was over in seconds.

Diamond drove her knee into the first guy’s groin, watching him drop like a stone.

Lena grabbed a beer bottle off the table and smashed it over another’s head.

One of them threw a punch at Diamond. She ducked, grabbed his arm, and flipped him onto the floor like dead weight.

The bar erupted. People shouting, scrambling, the bartender already yelling at them to get the hell out.

Diamond didn’t need to be told twice.

She wiped her knuckles against her jeans and walked out with Lena, the cool night air hitting her face.

“I told you we needed a night out,” Lena grinned, flexing her fingers like she hadn’t just been brawling in a bar five seconds ago.

---