Page 88 of More Than Nothing
Tyson Dax was squaring up to a guy built like a barn. Anyone else might have considered backing down but Dax, fueled by alcohol, was hampered by a hair-trigger temper and no sense at all. Whatever the cause of the argument, it was never going to end well.
Roman moved the second Elenie chose to step between the two of them. She was apologizing on Tyson’s behalf, her hands on his chest, when her stepbrother threw the first punch over her head. The Man-Barn lunged forward, barreling into Dax and Elenie, and the trio disappeared into a writhing heap on the floor. Glasses and beer bottles smashed. Tyson’s date screamed. Perry put his handsto his mouth and whooped, careful to keep the pool table between him and any flying fists.
Taking a double handful of sweatshirt, Roman heaved at the top body on the pile. Dougie, close behind him, grabbed the Man-Barn’s right arm moments before it landed another punch. Elenie, sandwiched in the middle, protected her head with her hands and a cold fury burned in Roman’s lungs. They dragged the larger man off her and she rolled to one side as soon as his huge weight was lifted away. With Tyson flat on his back but still swinging wildly, Roman didn’t have time to check on her.
A glance to his right told him Milo and Luke had waded in to help Dougie push the Man-Barn back up against the nearest wall. Roman dodged a blow that missed his chin but jarred his shoulder as he grappled with Tyson on the floor. He flipped Dax over onto his stomach in an attempt to subdue him. Flailing furiously, Tyson’s hand fell on the jagged neck of a broken bottle. He grabbed it, lunging backward at anything he could reach. Roman placed a none-too-gentle knee on Tyson’s back.
“Calm the fuck down!” he grated, pinning Elenie’s stepbrother against the floor in a mess of beer and glass.
Dax bucked and swore, lost in a red mist that showed no signs of lifting. As Roman put a little more pressure on Tyson’s kidneys, he heard Dougie call the station for backup.
Chapter 41
Elenie
Her chest heaving, hands and clothes sticky with spilled drink, Elenie leaned against the wall. Feeling cold air where she shouldn’t, she realized the sleeve of her shirt had ripped at the shoulder and groaned at the loss of another item of clothing. Blood dripped from a shallow cut on the palm of her hand. She’d obviously found some of the broken glass when she’d crawled out from under the pile of bodies. It smarted a little but the bleeding was already slowing.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Elenie watched Craig slide through the crowd and out the door. Not once did he look for her. And not once did it cross her mind that he would. She stood up slowly, wincing, and moved backward, away from where Tyson continued to twist and fight on the floor in Roman’s grip. The huge guy he’d squared up to seemed to have calmed down and was talking to Dougie.
A gentle hand caught hold of her elbow. “You OK?” Thea asked.
Elenie nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Want to get out of here?”
“More than I’d like to kick Ty in the balls.”
Thea grinned. “Let’s go.”
They left quickly and quietly, with Thea leaning in to whisper a few words in Caitlyn’s ear. She gave them both a thumbs up, rolled her eyes, and went calmly back to sipping her drink. Pulling out of the parking lot in Thea’s Prius, they passed a patrol car, lights flashing.
“The cavalry has arrived,” Elenie murmured, leaning back against the headrest. She turned to look at Thea out of the corner of her eye. “You getting sick of rescuing me yet?”
Thea’s small, lopsided grin reminded Elenie of Roman’s half-smile. “Are you kidding? We haven’t had this much action around here since my brother was a teenager.”
Elenie’s dry laugh hurt her freshly bruised ribs. “God damn, Ty. That neanderthal had to pick on someone the size of the Willis Tower, didn’t he?”
Thea frowned. “Want to come back to ours? Cait will play taxi driver for the others when they’re ready.”
“Would you mind dropping me at Roman’s? I have his spare key. If you think that’d be OK?” Suddenly unsure, she cursed herself. “Actually, that’s probably a stupid idea. Anywhere is fine with me. I can walk home from here.”
Thea’s lips quirked. “He’s spent all evening watching you like a starving man eyeing up a cheesecake and thinking none of us noticed. I’ve never had the chance to see my brother taken out at the knees by a woman before. I’m pretty sure he’ll be happy to come home and find you there.”
Elenie gripped her folded arms, so desperate to see Roman, to touch him and have him hold her, that it was impossible to focus on anything else. After Thea had dropped her off and driven away, she dragged herself upstairs, soothing the aches and pains in her bruised body under the warm waterfall of Roman’s shower. Elenie let the torrent run over her head and closed her eyes. Inside herchest, her heart drummed an unsteady beat, crying, “Come home, come home,” over and over.
It was wonderful to wash away the stickiness but, once she’d toweled herself dry, she eyed the sodden heap of clothing on the bathroom floor and realized her mistake. Even her underwear was soaked with booze. Feeling like a cross between a sneak thief and every female lead in a Hallmark movie, she tentatively opened Roman’s wardrobe. His scent hit her and her insides clenched.
For Christ’s sake, Elenie. Get a grip.
She pulled a soft denim shirt from its hanger. It hung huge on her shoulders, but she loved the way it felt against her skin—as if Roman himself was wrapped around her. Elenie indulged in a tiny twirl and laughed. She was officially a lost cause. All giddy over a borrowed shirt from the local police chief.
If Frank could see her now.
Padding down the stairs, she threw her clothes into the washing machine. She didn’t switch it on; she had a feeling Roman’s clothes would be just as filthy as her own. Elenie made herself a warm milk and curled up on the couch. The fuzzy edges of sleep were just beginning to drag at her vision when she heard a key turn in the lock. The front door opened and closed and there were two soft thumps as Roman kicked off his shoes. When he appeared in the doorway, a warm, wonderful smile lifted his lips as he took in her outfit.
“It appears I have been burgled.” Rumpled and dirty, jeans patchy and stained, he still took her breath away. Elenie stood, suddenly nervous.
