Page 32 of Needing More
Garrett reached for the box and paused as they both seemed to notice his grimy hands. Pulling back, he frowned.
"I just got done working across the street doing some electrical work," he explained.
Nodding, she paused to think. Sapphire reached down below the counter and grabbed a large plastic bag that they used for large orders and walked around the counter. Bagging up the cookies she held the handles out to him.
"Here you go," she announced happily. "Now you can get them home without messing it up."
Garrett flashed her a grin and took the bag from her.
"Make sure you get them home soon," she advised. "They need to stay room-temperature and not in a hot truck all day," she warned. For some reason, she was highly invested in the thought of this faceless girl eating these cookies. The thought of this overly grown kid special ordering cookies for the girl he loved was just so damn sweet.
Garrett inclined his head and nodded obediently. "Yes ma'am."
The door jingled once more and both she and Garrett turned to see Vic stroll through.
"Why is it every time I come here you seem to be here?" Vic drawled, his dark eyes sweeping over her before zeroing in on Garrett.
Sapphire wasn't sure if it was the bright afternoon sun streaming in through the windows behind Vic or the fact that his t-shirt seemed awfully thin but she could see the clear outline of his body beneath. The dark markings of tattoos embedded in his golden-tanned skin pressed against the thin white t-shirt material, giving her just enough to intrigue her senses. She had spent hours gloriously going over each of Hayden's and Joel's ink, and now she couldn't help but wonder what murals Vic's body possessed.
"Is this jealousy I'm sensing?"
Garrett's charged question shook her out of her straying thoughts and back to the present. Blinking, Sapphire looked between the two towering men.
Vic laughed with no real humor behind his eyes. "No. This isn't jealousy," he smiled, shaking his head. "No, jealousy on me is a bit more homicidal. Bloodshed, body disposal, you know, that sort of thing," he waved his hand matter-of-factly.
The sudden strain in the air around them seemed to suck the air from her lungs. The empty café sitting area seemed to shrink around them as Garrett smiled coldly back.
Movement outside sent a rush of oxygen rushing back to Sapphire as she breathed in relief at the sight of Joel and Hayden walking up to the door. Their conversation died immediately as they opened the door of the café and walked into the silent showdown. The tension in the space wiped the relaxed looks off both of the men's faces as they looked between Vic and Garrett.
Ignoring the new audience Garrett stared back at Vic, his cold smile sharpening as he nodded in acknowledgment. As if he too understood the rigors of killing instead of being on the receiving end of a not-so-subtle threat. "Yeah, you're right," Garrett agreed. "It wouldn't be jealousy, would it? That would be pathetic, especially since you clearly weren't invited to the party," he said motioning to Joel and Hayden.
Sapphire's body couldn't make up its mind if she should be offended by the term party or petrified in fear at the lethal aura that seemed to now ooze off Vic's towering form.
Vic's eyes darkened and he stepped forward to Garrett who also stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Frantically, Sapphire looked to Joel and Hayden for help, for any sign they would put a stop to this.
Hayden's hard gaze flicked to hers and softened just for a fraction of a second before lasering back in on the two opposing men. "I'm not sure what the fuck is going on here, but it's time for you to leave, Garrett, before whatever the fuck this is really gets out of hand," he commanded, his deep voice disturbing the charged air.
Slowly, Garrett turned to look at Hayden, and Sapphire once again could not believe that this overgrown man-boy was still in high school. He had to have been held back at least by three years, right? "Why?" Garrett drawled, a taunting smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Are you gonna back him up? You gonna back up the man that's clearly falling hard for your girl?"
Joel let out a deep groan while the pounding in Sapphire's head only grew worse under the stress.
Sapphire could see the moment Hayden's annoyance hardened into rage. With one step forward, Hayden entered into the storm of brewing aggression between the two, adding to it like fuel to a fire. Garrett's smile broadened as he faced two Heathens instead of one, while Vic turned to Hayden, putting a restraining hand on his friend's shoulder.
"It's a simple question, Hayden," Garrett continued, not seeming to care about Hayden's rising anger. "Will you or won't you have your friend's—no, he's like a brother to you, right? Will you still defend yourbrotherknowing he wants her? Yes, or no?"
Hayden didn’t look at Vic, he kept his burning gaze on Garrett as the word was forced through clenched teeth. "Yes."
As if that was all he wanted, Garrett stepped back with a loud sigh and a slight shake of his head. The tension in the room lowered almost immediately. "I swear," Garrett began. "I've always been jealous of you three," he waved his free hand toward the three men. "My dad and uncles areactuallyrelated, but they have never been as close as you three are." Turning toward the door, Garrett paused and looked over his shoulder to Vic with a knowing smile. "No thanks are necessary by the way."
No one said anything as Garrett left the café. For what felt like a full minute they all just stood in silence.
Sapphire looked up, squinting through her now pounding headache, as she spotted Finn jogging down the sidewalk and stopping to pull open the café door.
She stepped inside and cast her eyes over them before slapping her hands and rubbing them together. "Let's just say that was averyproductive lunch break."
No one said anything to her suggestive joke and Finn gave Sapphire a quizzical look. "What's wrong with y'all?"
"Nothing," Sapphire replied over brightly, anything to dispel the suffocating air in the room. "Hey, I'm making dinner early for the guys before they head to the bar. Come and join us," she suggested in what she hoped was a normal friendly tone and not the desperate plea for silent help as it was intended.
