Page 43 of Dirty Rock

“So…” she said with a dreamy sigh. “It’s been a while.”

“Yep.”

“And you’ve done well for yourself.”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?Socrazy how life takes us on a—”

“Let me stop you right there, Charlotte,” I cut in bluntly and gestured to Ollie. “I’m here having a drink with my friend, so unless there’s something I can help you with, I’d like to get back to that. It’s been a while since I got to hang out with him, and my time is kinda precious.”

Her face fell—the old high school queen obviously not used to the harsh rejection. Charlotte was still incredibly pretty ten years on, but all I saw when I looked at her was that foul, black heart she tried to hide.

“I see.” She raised her chin. “You too big for us mere mortals now or something?”

“Not mortals. Just you.”

“There’s no need to be rude, Rhett.”

“Really?” I laughed, raising a brow. “I remember differently. Now, if you don’t mind.” I turned back to Ollie and was about to block Charlotte out completely when another voice from my past cut straight through my plans.

“Is this punk idiot giving you problems, beautiful?” Liam Montgomery asked her.

With a groan, I swung my head back around and took them in. Liam hadn’t changed a bit. He carried himself the way he always had done, with an arrogance I wanted to beat out of him with my favourite guitar. He was worth the wreckage and the expense.

“Fucked your life up yet, Ryan?” Liam asked in that ridiculously deep voice.

“It looks like you fucked yours up enough for the both of us,” I hit back, gesturing to the woman on his arm.

Charlotte gasped in disgust, and Liam’s face hardened. “You watch your mouth, arsehole,” he hissed, stepping around her to stand in front of me.

He was a big, strong man, but the guy had more issues than Charlie Sheen. “Or what?” I challenged calmly.

“Didn’t you learn from all those years of me kicking your arse?”

“I learnt your shoe size, and the fact that you hit like a girl, yeah. Didn’t you ever wonder why I never retaliated, Montgomery? It was because my mother always told me to never hit a woman. Now, what else did I miss?”

His jaw shook as he clenched his teeth together, and it made my smile grow as I stared at him, waiting.

“You’re such a dick, Rhett Ryan,” Charlotte said from behind Liam.

“Oneyouwanted to blow three minutes before your lover boy got in the way.” Lifting Ollie’s half-drunk pint to my mouth, I eyed them both with no concern in my heart. With a delicious gasp, I dropped it back to the table and rubbed my lips together. “Get the fuck outta here. You’re boring me already.”

Liam took a step forward, only for him to be stopped in his tracks as the pub’s landlord grabbed his arm and glared up at him in warning. Mr Thomas was an old boy with greying hair and braces that held his stonewash trousers in place, but he had a face you didn’t mess with, and that had been the law around Cookham for decades.

“You might want to think twice about that, son,” Mr Thomas warned him sternly. “Whether you like it or not, Rhett’s worth more to me tonight than you. I’m not too proud to admit that I need the money, and Idon’tneed the scandal. If you can’t handle that, I suggest you leave.”

Liam shook with anger, and while Mr Thomas began to move him along, I turned back to Ollie to give him my full attention.

He was staring at me with wide eyes.

“What?” I asked, taking another sip ofhisbeer.

“Who the hellareyou these days?”

With a half-hearted shrug, I dropped the pint glass back onto the table and leaned back in my chair. “This life changes you, Ol. When you step into the spotlight, you learn how to fight in ways others can’t.”

Chapter Thirteen

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