Page 87 of Ashes of the Past
His words sound like both a plea and order. My eyes go to his, his brown eyes boring into mine with a silent plea to not engage with her anymore. He gestures for me to look around,and I notice about twenty people have congregated with their phones, watching it all unfold.
The last thing I need as a small business owner is to be filmed hitting a woman or getting my ass kicked; I’m not sure how this will play out. As crazy as she is right now, she’s probably been in at least one fight.
“You get in the truck, too,” I say with a sigh. “I just want to go home and fall asleep together.”
Okay, so maybe I was being a little petty with that response.
Jack’s eyes close, and he sighs.
I’m not proud of the words that came out—they just kind of did. She doesn’t have to know that we’re not a couple yet, but Jesus, I can’t let her continue verbally assaulting Olivia, Jack, and me without getting in a verbal slap.
Her gaze snaps to mine, murderous and blazing with humiliation. “Are you kidding me?”
“Just go home, Savannah. There’s nothing in Hick’s Creek for you,” Jack says flatly.
“You’re here. I’m not leaving without you.”
“I’ve moved on.”
She’s glaring at me now as if I was the reason for the demise of our marriage. She’s throwing invisible accusatory daggers at me, and I’m not sure what’s about to happen next, but I’m on the defensive. I’m ready if she tries to fight.
Please don’t try to fight.
I can hear the sirens and see the flashing red and blue lights in the distance, and I can only hope that she hears them, too, and decides to leave. She smirks, then throws a glance back at Jack.
“You’re such a pussy. Did you really call the police?”
“I feel like no one has ever slapped you in the mouth before,” I say with a sigh, surprising myself.
“I’ll end you,” she cackles as she rolls her eyes.
She takes a step forward, eyeing me up carefully. It’s almost like she’s daring me to be the one to swing first or take a step toward her. She may have charged at me earlier, she may have even been throwing things, but as I look back at her, I realize that she only did those things knowing that Jack wouldn’t hurt her and that he wouldn’t allow her to hurt me.
But she could definitely play the victim and cause a scene if she caused enough chaos, and Jack or I reacted.
Damn, chaos demon in the flesh. She and Clay would be perfect for each other.
As the thought makes me giggle internally, I hear a noise and look up. Savannah is charging at me again.
Oh, shit. What do I do now?
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jack
Savannah charges at Brynn again, her wild eyes locked onto her like a predator that’s lost all sense of reason. I feel my stomach drop. Damn it. This night was supposed to end with a drive home, maybe another stolen kiss if I was lucky. Instead, it’s turned into a full-blown shit show in front of half the damn town.
My body tenses, irritation burning through my veins. This is humiliating. People are watching, whispering, enjoying the spectacle of Savannah unraveling in public. She’s always been dramatic, but this? This is a new low. My jaw clenches as I step forward, ready to pull Brynn out of harm’s way, but before I can move, the flashing blue and red lights of a sheriff’s car flood the parking lot.
The moment Savannah sees the car, her focus shifts. She hesitates mid-charge, her eyes darting toward the approaching deputies. That split-second distraction is all Brynn needs—she steps smoothly to the side, and Savannah, in all her rage anddesperation, misses her target completely. Instead, she stumbles straight into the arms of a sheriff’s deputy.
There’s a beat of silence before Savannah, in true Savannah fashion, immediately changes tactics. She plasters on a sultry smile, flipping her hair over her shoulder like she didn’t just make a complete fool of herself. “Oh, officer,” she practically purrs, placing a hand on his chest. “I’m so sorry. This is all just a big misunderstanding.”
The deputy—a guy I recognize but don’t know well—doesn’t look the least bit impressed. He carefully removes Savannah’s hand from his chest, his expression bored. “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to step back.”
She pouts. “I want to press charges.”
“For what, exactly?” the deputy asks.
