Page 81 of All We Need

He doesn’t notice me standing behind him, a good four inches taller, chest heaving.Alyspies me and subtly shakes her head.Istay quiet but don’t back away.

She’s got this, but like heck is she leaving my sight.

Aly coolly retrieves her lipstick from her purse and applies a fresh layer of killer red.Iunderstand why she’s good at what she does.Brilliant, actually.It’salso the reason she floored me the moment she got on my radar.

Nothing fazes her.Anunflappable force of nature.Icould spend an eternity watching her rule the world.

But not today.

BecauseIwant this piece of shit gone.

“Kyle.”Shesounds bored. “You’renot the first, and certainly won’t be the last, man to try to intimidate me.Idon’t thinkI’mbetter than these people”—she gestures to everyone around the table—“or you.”Shecaps the tube of lipstick and finally looks at him. “BecauseIdon’t think about you at all.Sothanks for stopping by, butIthink it’s time you left.”

Her expression is flat, apart from her eyes.Theyglitter in warning; one he doesn’t heed.

Scoffing, he stumbles forward, his hand landing roughly on her shoulder. “You’dbe a lot prettier if you smiled more.Toobad you’re a fucking stuck-up little bitch who needs to be put in her place.”

Someone gasps.Mybrothers andDexrise from their seats.AndIdo somethingI’venever done in my life.

TappingKyleon the shoulder,Ilook him dead in the eyes.

My knuckles crack.

His nose crunches.

And he crumples to the floor.

“Her smiles are for me, asshole.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

alessandra

“Stop looking at me like that,”Isnap.

Booth’s puppy dog expression intensifies. “Don’tshout at me.I’minjured.”Hehisses when the ice pack shifts across his swollen knuckles.

“Because you punched somebody!”

I blinked, andKylewas on his ass, clutching his nose asBoothstared at his clenched fist in shock.Heisn’t a violent man and a sliver of regret laced his features when blood gushed fromKyle’snose.Beforehe could kick up a fuss,DexandPatrickhauledKyleout ofShirley’sandGrahamdrove everyone else home.

I’ve been pacing the length ofBooth’sboathouse since then.

“Aly, sit down.You’remaking me dizzy,”Boothsays softly from the sofa.

My hands fly up in the air. “Youpunchedhim,Booth.Youcould get arrested.”

He laughs but clamps his mouth shut whenIscowl at him. “Sorry, it’s not funny.Well…it is.Thesheriff went to school with my parents.Plus,Kyleis a dick who deserved it.”

He’s not wrong.Iwon’t tell him that, though.Forone,Ican’t work out whyI’mmad.

“I had it handled.”

“Oh,I’msure.Kyleshould thank me.IfIleft him to you, he’d need a lifetime of therapy.”

His grin widens at my sneer. “Comehere.”Hecrooks a finger at me and my stomach dips at his heated gaze.

My pacing stops in front of him. “That’snot a good idea.Imight hurt you.”

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