Page 71 of Honey Undone
“Jensen, this is Boone,” Adeline said, her mood shifting from menace to friendly in a matter of seconds. “Thing two, Boonie-baby to Kaia,” she laughed and the guy rolled his eyes. “Or as Sunday affectionately calls himBobo. What’s up Bright’s ass tonight, the bar is packed he should be happy.”
“He’s pissed, I told him I’d wear the thing two shirt today but I couldn’t find it so now he’s walking around on a mission to make everyone's night horrible,” Boone laughed, the lines around his blue eyes crinkling as he leaned on the bar beside us. He was covered in as many tattoos as I was but gave off a giant teddy bear kind of vibe in comparison to his rabid grizzly bear brother.
“They’re twins,” Adeline explained.
Boone stood up to his full height and for the first time in a long time I felt small. He was somehow bigger and wider than his brother, his wingspan alone, must have been seven feet. The Hollow shirt he was wearing was too short on his torso that it might as well have been cropped but he didn’t seem to care as he stretched out and grabbed two beers from behind the bar. He handed me one, cracking the other and holding it out to Adeline.
“Slow.” He warned and she just shook her head at him. “Fraternal, and yes, I’m taller if you were wondering.” Boone smiled and showed me a perfect set of teeth. “If you see Sunny, make sure she finishes the bottle before she shows herface. It's better if there’s no evidence.” He patted her on the head and started off through the crowd. The back of his shirt said the same thing as Sunday’s and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey Boonie,” Adeline’s mood shifted quickly as she followed his path and waited until he faced her again. “Kaia is outside with Christian,” she said. I watched his face fall as he looked over at the front door, he didn’t say anything but I could tell from his body language he felt the same way as Adeline.
“Go have fun, say hi to Zane for me,” Boone said, running a heavily decorated hand through his dark hair. “It was nice to meet you,” he nodded to me and disappeared.
“I’m scared to ask why he had the look of murder in his eyes, that’s a big dude to piss off,” I asked her and lifted the beer to my lips.
“History,” Adeline said, her smile returning to her face. “He’s usually the only one that can keep them from fighting too badly, she listens when he talks.”
“So why don’t we like Christian and why isn’t Kaia dating Smokey the bear?” I asked her and she giggled, leaning forward to capture my lips in a small, very welcomed kiss.
“Christian is a jerk, but he’s Kaia’s jerk and we respect that,” she said, tucking into between my legs as I leaned against a stool and wrapped my arm around her waist.
“Did Boone get that memo?” I pointed to the broad glass windows, each huge pane framed in black and just beyond was a clear view of Boone towering over Christian as he walked backward on the sidewalk, Kaia nowhere in sight.
“Fuck,” Adeline said, quick to move and I was quick to follow.
“I fucking warned you,” Boone’s voice boomed. “What did I say?”
“Go to hell Boone!” Christian said but he had nothing to stand on and he was running out of sidewalk. His back slammed into the black fenced in patio that ran along the left side of the bar.
“Go get Brighton!” I heard Adeline call out to Judd behind the bar as she looked around for Kaia. “Do you see her?” she asked me and I shook my head. “Boone!” She called out but he was too focused on his target.
“The last time I saw you, she was crying and I told you if you ever made her cry again I’d giveyousomething to cry about!” Boone was back in his face andChristian had nowhere to go. “You either get the fuck in a cab and fuck off or I’ll follow through on that threat right here and now,” he said, somehow looking even larger than before.
“Whatever, I didn’t want to be here tonight anyway,” Christian said, starting to move around Boone toward the street. “You’re pathetic you know that,” he added as he called for a taxi mindlessly, “always playing second fiddle, she’ll never see you like that and you’re an embarrassment.”
The laugh that came from Boone’s chest was deep and baffled at the insult.
“You’re a very small-minded individual,” he said, stepping forward he lunged and Christian missed the curb stumbling out between the two parked cars. “I could blow on you and you’d walk yourself into traffic,” Boone snapped, “but she would kill me so I’ll be the bigger man.”
“Ha, ha,” Christian snarled. “Just keep your fucking massive head out of our relationship, it’s not my fault she chose my dick over yours.”
Boone’s face went cold.
“Hey,” I stepped in between their bodies just praying that Boone had sense enough not to swing on me but ready to take the blow if he did. “Listen man, tonight isn’t your night and instead of running your mouth how about you go home with a full set of teeth so that you can live to shit talk another day?” I said to Christian who seemed less than impressed by my antics.
Boone, on the other hand, laughed from behind me.
“Fuck you too,” Christian flipped me off, moving toward the taxi and climbing inside without another word.
“You’re not going to hit me are you?” I turned back to see Boone watching the cab pull away from the curb. I flinched when he stepped forward and threw his arm around my shoulder.
“I’m going to get you a drink for being a brave little soldier like that, most people wouldn’t dare step between me and him,” he declared. “Baddy Addy, I fucking love this one.”
Bright was standing in the doorway with a scowl on his face as we reentered, stopping his brother with his hand. “Thank you for taking it outside,” he said to him and looked over at me.
“He was already outside, I can’t take too much credit,” Boone smiled and pushed through the doorway, taking me with him. Adeline was standing just inside with a red-faced Kaia who was putting on a brave face. Boone loosened his grip around my shoulders as Adeline swooped in to show me love, tugging me away just as Boone paused.
He lifted Kaia’s face to him with a single finger, the motion oddly intimate but no one around them seemed to even take notice as he whispered “What do I always tell you?”
