Page 16 of Candy Coated Curves

But right now, all I care about is finding my kitten.

By the time I get there, the restaurant itself is pretty packed too, so I have to wade through tables of people before I can get to the outside space.

“Oh there he is now. That old guy she claims is her boyfriend,” a voice says from next to me.

I turn and sure enough there’s Pete, and he’s sitting at a table with similarly dressed guys about his age. Fraternity brothers, I’m guessing.

“Come here a minute,” he calls to me, his words slurred, a clear indication that he’s obviously drunk.

“I don’t have anything to say to you. And it sounds like you’ve had enough to drink.”

“You’re not my fucking father, you fat bastard,” he hisses at me.

“Pete,” one of the guys says. But the other two just laugh at his antics.

I brace my fingertips on the table and lean closer. “I don’t know what this obsession is about with my girl, but you need to back the fuck off.”

“Points, my man,” one of the other guys says. “It’s about points.”

“I don’t know what that means,” I say, shaking my head.

“Most universities have competitions like this these days. Some are run through fraternities, like ours, but not all of them,” he continues.

“What kind of competitions?” I ask.

“Chicks and fucking,” Pete says. “Each of them are worth a certain number of points depending on the circumstances.”

I’m going to rip this motherfucker’s throat out with my bare hands. I’m pretty sure I’m snarling at this point.

“A virgin over the age of twenty is like the holy grail,” the other guy says.

“And she’s not even ugly. Even if she’s on the fat side.”

Now I’m going to have to kill all of them.

I lean even closer so I’m right in Pete’s face. “Let me make this very clear to you. I popped her fucking cherry, so she should be worthless to you and your stupid competition now.”

There’s a gasp behind me and I turn to see Roni standing there looking at me, her face pale and full of hurt.

Fuck.

“Kitten,” I say. But she’s already turned around and is running away from me. I growl and turn back to face the guys one more time. “I suggest you bastards get the fuck out of town before I decide to not be merciful and rip your heads off.”

As I’m walking away I hear Wade Guidry, a former Navy SEAL, tell the guys their tab has been closed and they need to leave immediately.

I love this town. And I’ll thank Wade later. Right now, I’ve got to find my girl because I don’t know what she thinks she heard, but she’s definitely wrong.

Thankfully, I don’t have to go far to find her. Kelli Guidry, Wade’s wife has her wrapped in a big hug right outside the restaurant.

I can hear Roni’s sobs from here and they filet me right open.

“Kitten, no,” I say.

She stiffens at the sound of my voice and it’s like a knee to my balls.

“Kelli, thanks, I’ve got this.”

She nods and gives me a little wink. “Wade is taking the riffraff out back with the trash.”

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