Page 16 of Receiving His Mercy
“I’m acting strange? I’m saving you from this guy!” He pointed at River.
“Saving her? What the fuck did you think I was going to do to her?” River stepped toward him, but Travis didn’t back down.
The other man looked slightly confused. He was probably used to intimidating people with his size.
“Travis, I don’t know what is going on, but you’re making a scene.” Caren looked ill as she glanced around. “I think you should just go.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you. I’m certainly not leaving you with him.”
“What the heck do you think he’s going to do with all of these people watching on?”
“It’s not here where he’ll do it. He’ll probably offer to drive you home. Or will follow you if you refuse. Then when you’re unlocking your door, he’ll pounce on you, force you inside, knock you to the floor and?”
“Okay, okay, I think you’ve painted enough of a picture for me and everyone else in the restaurant.” She stood and turned to River. “I’m so sorry about this. Travis is my friend’s cousin. He seems to think he has some sort of say in what I do or maybe he’s just missing his cousin and taking out his protective needs on me. Either way, I’m sorry this happened and could I call you later?”
River puffed up his chest. “Not sure I should leave you with him. He seems a bit unhinged.”
“I’m not fucking unhinged,” Travis said. “And I can take better care of her than you can.”
“Is everything all right here?” The maître d’ approached, looking concerned. His gaze moved over River’s bulky muscles, then onto Caren’s bright attire, finally settling on Travis. He seemed to decide that he was the most sane of the three of them because he addressed his questions to him. “Is there something I can do to help?”
“No, thank you,” Caren said. “We were just leaving if you could bring me the check, please?”
“Of course,” the older man said stiffly before walking away. He still snuck them some wary looks.
“He should pay the bill,” Travis pointed at River. What kind of man let the woman pay?
Never going to happen in his world.
And he didn’t care who thought that was too caveman.
River frowned.
“No, that’s fine,” Caren said. “River, I’ll message you, okay?”
“You sure, Caren? I could take you home,” River suggested.
“Yeah? Why would she let you do that? What are you wanting to do to her once you get her there?” Travis demanded.
All right so a part of him understood that maybe he was acting a bit crazy.
But he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
There was something about this woman that drove him insane. And it wasn’t about some lingering anger at her over the way she’d treated his cousin when they were younger. He was letting that go. She’d been a child.
But the woman she’d turned into . . . that was a different story. Something about her was driving him crazy and making him do things that he never would have in the past.
Like make a scene in a restaurant.
“Nothing!” River exclaimed. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“He’s obviously losing his mind.” Caren stepped between them, glaring at Travis. “And he needs to take a time out.”
“A time out? I’m not a toddler.”
“Then stop acting like one,” she told him.
“Oh, you’re going to pay for that, Goldie,” he promised.
