Page 148 of Scatter the Bones

“Friend is stretching it,” I mutter.

Polite but cautious, Margot takes his hand. “Margot.”

“I’d say it’s nice to meet you.” He holds her hand longer than necessary. “But your man just threatened to slice out my tongue and eyes a moment ago.”

Margot pulls her hand away and snuggles closer to me. “What’d you do to provoke him?”

Quill lets out a hearty laugh, hand to his chest like he’s enthralled with my woman. “Clever and beautiful. You hang onto her, Jigsaw.”

“All right.” Rooster claps a hand over Quill’s shoulder, pushing him around us. “Let’s go play darts.”

“I feel like you’re looking for a way to poke sharp instruments in me.” Quill laughs but goes without a fight. Must want to keep his tongue.

Margot tilts her face up, eyes searching mine. “Did I miss something?”

“No, just a guy who needs to learn some manners.”

She frowns. “Was he…making fun of me? Of us?”

I let out a sigh, frustration still simmering. “No. He…clocked you the minute you came in. Saw you talking to Torch.” I grit my teeth because I still haven’t addressed that issue. “He definitely wasn’t making fun of you. But he was trying to piss me off just now.”

Her brows pinch together. “Oh.”

“What’d Torch say to you?” I ask.

She rolls her eyes. “Just said hello and asked me how I was.”

“Want to cash in that rain check for your date?”

She pokes me in the stomach. “No. You can’t seriously still be jealous.”

“Not jealous.” I lean down, nose her hair out of the way, and kiss her neck. “Just want my hands”—I kiss another sensitive spot—“and mouth”—I drag my tongue over her pulse—“all over you.”

She shivers and slides her hands under my T-shirt, soft fingers stroking my sides and lower back.

“Do I need to get the water gun?” Jezzie says.

Groaning, I drag myself away from Margot.

“My goodness.” Jezzie laughs. “Let the woman breathe.” She pushes a short glass of bubbling soda with a lime wedge perched on the rim toward Margot.

“Thank you.” Margot grabs it and takes a long sip.

Shelby joins us, hugging Margot fiercely. “I’m so happy you’re here! Come on, let’s go hang with the girls.”

Margot glances at me.

As much as I want her all to myself, I want her to hang out with the ol’ ladies of my club. Have fun.

But this place is loud, crowded, and crawling with people I don’t trust. She’s just going to have to do it with me standing guard.

I nod. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Shelby loops her arm through Margot’s and leads her to the end of the bar, already chatting a mile a minute.

I follow a step behind, scanning every face, every movement, every shadow.

CHAPTER THIRTY

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