Page 73 of Deacon

I see red. I shouldn’t do this. Jack is going to be pissed off if I fuck up his bar on a weekday afternoon. But right now, I don’t care. From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of Jack, his eyes widening. Then, I cross the room and drop down directly across from Aiden.

He jerks his head up, brows rising.

There’s a second where the tension vibrates between us. Then, the corner of his mouth curls.

“You really want to do this, Ryder?” he says, voice cool.

I should trade words to work this out. Instead, I pick up the table and flip it. He’s thrown back against the wall, the chairs spill out. The crash shakes the room and sends customers scurrying for the door. It’s too early to get involved in a bar fight for most people.

Not for me. I’m ready to go.

Aiden’s eyes flash like an animal as he pushes off the wall, reaching for the chair closest to him. I duck, last second, as it flies over my head and hits the floor behind me, skidding and colliding with the wall.

“Jesus Christ,” I hear Jack snap.

He’s fine. I’ll write him a blank check before I go. I’d pay a heavy price for beating the shit out of Aiden.

Recklessly, I lunge at him. He skirts around me and his fists come up. I straighten, waiting. I’m not here to fistfight this asshole for encroaching on my land. I’m here to humiliate him for the way Freya goes pale when she hears his name.

I don’t think he hits her—there’s no evidence of it—but he terrorizes her, that’s clear.

And that’s enough.

I lift my palms. “Come on, motherfucker,” I say. “Hit me.”

He cocks his head, eyes flashing. I move aside as his fist comes right at me, but not quick enough. He catches me in the corner of the jaw, and I reel, shocked. Goddamn, this asshole can punch. I shake my head once to clear it and then go for him, swinging and hitting him in the shoulder.

He stumbles, tripping over the table. We both fall like a sack of bricks, me straddling him. I take the opportunity to put him in a chokehold and flip him onto his stomach. For a second, I have him. Then, he uses brute strength to buck me off and strikes me hard in the face. Stunned, I spit, blood spraying across the floor.

We both roll, crashing into the rubble, fighting like dogs to get the upper hand.

We get some hefty hits in. There’s something wet and metallic on my thigh, but it doesn’t hurt. Or, at least, I can’t tell through the bruises that Aiden’s beating into my body.

The blood takes everything up a notch. I whirl, and we’re both on our feet again. This time, when my fist hits his jaw, he feels it. He hits the wall, gasping. From the corner of my eye, something swings. I duck, scrambling back. Ryland is a foot away. My blood surges, my lips pulling back to bare my bloody teeth.

I’m not worried about Ryland—he’s a pussy. I expel air through my clenched teeth, spraying him with blood. Shocked, he reels back.

I go after him, swinging and hitting, beating him back relentlessly until he falls against a table. It splinters. His leg swings, taking me out.

I fall over him and don’t waste any time beating him to shit while I’ve got him pinned. His face is bloody when I finally see Aiden coming at me from behind.

Aiden swings. I’m on my feet, ducking, hitting him in the chest with both arms, throwing him back. He stumbles. I swing, hitting him in the face. One, twice, three times. His head jerks, wobbling.

A gun clicks.

“Get the fuck out,” Jack says, voice hard.

Everybody freezes. Jack is on our side of the bar now, his shotgun pointed at Aiden and his handgun trained on Ryland. The chaos of a second ago vanishes, replaced by utter silence.

“Get. Out.”

Jack’s dark eyes flash. Painfully, Aiden pushes off the wall. Ryland doesn’t stick around. He scrambles like an animal through the smashed furniture and blood before getting his footing and bolting. The door swings, a gust of cold air stinging my skin.

Aiden and I lock eyes. His chest heaves. Neither of us move.

Finally, he spits blood, wiping his face with his palm. “If you thought I was coming for you before, I will fucking wipe the floor with you when this is done.”

God, if it didn’t put Freya in danger, I’d tell him what I’m doing with his stepdaughter. I’d love to see the look on his face. But I keep my mouth shut. He strides past me, back straight, shoulders back. I have to admit, I underestimated the toughness of Aiden Hatfield. Most bullies are weak, crumbling the minute someone their own size appears. But to his credit, Aiden didn’t back down. I believe he’s going to come back swinging.

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