I ground my teeth. "Technically, yes."
"And I also hear you’re what they were fighting over. Is that true?"
"Where are you going with this?" I was getting irritated now. "Are you going to fire me or what? I've got customers out there."
"Fire you?" Hank shook his salt and pepper head, laughing lightly to himself. "Donnie would love that, I'm sure. He's all worked up about whatever happened between you two, but I'm staying out of it."
"Then why did you pull me in here?"
Hank sighed, leaning back in his chair and fixing me with an appraising look. I let some of my hair fall in front of my bruised eye, though I knew he could still see it. Having everyone look at me piteously was taking some getting used to and I couldn't wait for the day my face was healed. After that, I'd never let it get beat up again if I could help it.
"I'm glad you broke up with him," Hank said after a moment. "I know, I know, I said I was staying out of it and I am, but for what's it's worth I would be on your side if I were taking one. That being said..." His mouth slid into an almost apologetic smile. "I can't have any drama in my bar. Not more than the usual, I mean. I know it would be near impossible to avoid Donnie in this place, and I don't expect you to do that, but I do expect you to keep things wrapped up. If there's another big scene like we had up in here last night, I'm gonna have to fire you."
"Your honesty is appreciated," I replied. "Don't suppose there's any way you could have a similar chat with your nephew?"
Hank let out a barking laugh. "It wouldn't matter if I sat him down for a goddamn presentation with a quiz at the end and everything. That boy will do what he wants, and it's not my business or responsibility to set him right. Family is family."
I sucked in a breath, trying not to blow my fuse when Hank was offering me a clear olive branch. This was nearly the best-case scenario for how this situation could've played out, but I was still profoundly frustrated. Donnie got everything he wanted and nobody ever told him no. Not even his uncle, who low key despised the little prick. It didn't matter that I was the one sporting bruises down to my soul thanks to him or that he wouldn't have felt an ounce of guilt if he had gone too far and killed Jack last night. Everybody let Donnie get away with it because it was easier than trying anything else.
"Fine," I said. At least I got to keep my job. "If he's even a little rude to me though, I'm just going to walk away. If I don't remove myself from the situation I could snap and I don't want to cause a scene in your bar."
He shrugged. "Don't care. Walking away is fine, it's the staying and yellin' I want to avoid."
I wanted to add that he didn't mind yelling when it was his other customers or that we had a reputation as being a fairly wild and rowdy bar. I suspected Hank had been contacted by Donnie's parents and was given strict instructions not to let their son make a fool out of them. If so, I wished I could tell them it was too late.
"You better be getting back to work," Hank announced, slapping his leg and sitting upright. "Go make me lots of money."
I left his office, irritation sizzling just below the surface. None of this was fair. He should be warning his nephew to stay out of the bar, not telling me that my ass was on the line if something should happen. I was the victim here. Now that I'd finally accepted that fact, it was extra frustrating to be treated any other way. Not that I wanted to be victimized or anything, but I wouldn't have minded a little bit of respect.
I headed straight back to the bar, but the hulking man in one of the side booths caught my attention. He wasn't just any hulking man—he was my hulking man. I changed course and headed straight for him.
Jack had showered since I saw him last and his hair was still damp. He'd shaved too, and looked so fresh that I could almost look past the cuts and bruises to the Armani model underneath. Not that I needed to look past his rough edges to see just how freaking sexy he was. He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday and I felt bad. It was my fault he was here without any other clothes or possessions, and I made a mental note to run out in the morning to pick him up a couple new shirts to show him how much it meant to me.
"Hey handsome," I greeted, resting my hand on my hip. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."
Jack smiled. "I was hungry," he said. "And I knew for a fact I'd find something delicious here."
"Only the best."
"Don't I know it." He added a flirty wink at the end and heat seared my core.
I was about one saucy comment away from crawling up onto his lap and kissing that smile right off his face, but that was surely another kind of scene Hank was hoping to avoid.
Instead, I opted for something a little less steamy. "Have you ordered yet? Who's helping you?"
"Uh, no. And nobody yet." He shrugged. "I don't think I'm very popular around here."
I shot a glance over my shoulder just in time to catch Gerry, the server who was supposed to be working this section, look away. She was standing by the bar, chatting with one of the regulars, a bussing tray balanced on her hip. If she was too busy to take Jack's order I would eat my hat.
"My apologies for the shitty service," I replied. "First drink's on the house. You must be pretty hungry, too."
He caught my eye and grinned. "Ravenous."
Now how the hell was I supposed to get anything done with him making my brain turn to goo with just one word like that? It wasn't fair.
"I'll get you a menu."
Before I could turn around, Jack called, "No need. I know what I want."
I cocked a quizzical brow. "From the menu?"
The look in his eyes could be considered nothing less than smoldering. I swallowed hard and wondered if anybody would notice if I pulled up a stool behind the bar for the rest of the night. Never mind getting anything done—how the hell was I supposed to stay standing when he looked at me like that?
"Just a burger and fries," he said. "For now."
"Righty-roo."
I turned away from Jack just in time for him to miss the flash of scarlet on my face, a side effect from saying something as stupid as "righty-roo". I couldn't help myself. Was it normal for someone to react to another person this much? We'd barely talked and now I was too hot and bothered to dive straight back into work. I dropped off his order at the kitchen, intending to hang out there for a second while I had a nice cold drink of water, and ran into Gerry on the way.
"What the hell's the matter with you?" I asked.
The willowy brunette grabbed her order from the window, her fluorescent pink nails standing out against the white porcelain. She had the gall to look offended.
"What are you talking about?"
"You left a customer sitting out there without even so much as a menu for god knows how long. I ended up having to take his order."
Gerry thrust her nose in the air. "I don't have to serve nobody I don't want to if I'm worried about my health and wellbeing. That guy's no good."
I rolled my eyes. "Worried about your health and wellbeing? That's a crock of shit."
"Don't you swear at me like that," she snapped. "I heard about what happened between that guy and Donnie. Poor thing. The last thing I want is to encourage him to keep coming here. If you've got a problem, take it up with Hank."
It took me a second to realize that Donnie was the "poor thing" in this equation. At least, according to Gerry.
She tossed her hair over her shoulder—hair that should have been tied up—and waltzed out of the kitchen. I glared at her sourly, wishing I could take this to Hank without him throwing me out of his office.
This small-town life was killing me. It might take five years or it might take fifty, but eventually stagnating in this backwater, with its petty drama and blatant nepotism, was going to be the end of me.
Chapter 18
Jack
I wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand, feeling another drop of it wind down my back as I stood up. It was a hot day and I was tired, but fuck if a little hard work didn't feel good. I'd been
working for Neil for a week now and still found myself enjoying every day, even if it was backbreaking labor in sweltering heat.
"Lookin' good," said a voice from beside me.
I glanced over to see Neil gazing down approvingly at the eight-foot section of wall I was working on. I didn't want to preen too much, but I was proud of myself too. Neil discovered almost right away that I had a knack for carpentry, something I hadn't even realized myself. Though I'd spent most of the week doing the kind of grunt work that gets pawned off on unskilled laborers like me, he'd been peppering me with carpentry projects to test my skills and teach me some new ones. All week, Neil had been setting me up to do the framing that day by myself. It was the best day of work so far.
Maybe it was just because I knew I got to go back to my crappy motel room "home" after this, where Melissa would be waiting for me. That never failed to put me in a good mood. It was Friday, too, so I had a whole weekend of fucking and resting ahead of me. A man couldn't ask for much more in this life.
"Thanks boss." I licked my lip. It was salty with sweat.
"The other guys are heading out for the day," Neil continued. "You seemed kinda lost in your own world so I figured I'd come and let you know."
I laughed. I was completely caught up in what I was doing.
"Friday afternoon already?" I joked.
Neil clapped me on the back. "I think you're gonna get on just fine around here, kid. Just fine. I've got beer in the office if you wanna grab a brew before you go."
"Can't tonight." I stripped off my gloves and ran my hand through my hair, which stood up in every direction. "Rain check?"
Now that I knew I was only a quick drive from Melissa, I couldn't wait a second longer to get to her. I wasn't all that interested in hanging with the other guys, either. I made small talk with them during the day, but I didn't intend for it to go any further than that. I had no plans to hang around here long-term and I didn't trust anybody in this town as far as I could throw them, minus Neil and Melissa. And Naomi too, I supposed, though I'd only seen her once briefly since she took care of me in the parking lot that one night.
"Sure thing." Neil smacked me on the back again. He was one of those physically affectionate guys who didn't think he was physically affectionate. He would probably run screaming in the other direction if somebody came at him for a hug, but he was down for a firm handshake or back smack any day of the week. It was endearing.
Melissa had loaned me her car for the day, since she didn’t have to work until later that night. Just as I unlocked it, my phone rang. Roddy’s name flashed on my call ID and I frowned but answered.
“Hey Jack,” Roddy said with obvious false cheer. “How are you doing? Heard that last fight of yours was a game changer.”
I snorted. “If by ‘game changer’ you mean I got jumped afterward and got the shit kicked out of me, then yes, it really changed the game.” I slid into the car and stuck my keys in the transmission, hoping to wrap the call up quick.
“Shit man, I’m sorry to hear that. I just meant that apparently you were on fire. Clarence said Angry Angus didn’t even know what hit him.”
“Yeah, well his friends sure did. How can I help you, Roddy?”
“Straight to the point, I like it.”
He was always trying to cozy up to me, the same way a snake does to a mouse it’s not ready to eat yet. Except Roddy was slimier, like an eel.
“I’ve got a fight for you,” he continued. “This one should present a little bit more of a challenge, but it’s a little more money too.”
I nearly asked him how much more money, but my thoughts drifted back to the beautiful woman waiting for me, and I knew Melissa wouldn’t like it. Besides, I was taking things in a different direction now.
“I’m not your guy.” I turned the key and the AC started blasting out at me, warm from a long day of sitting in the sun. “I’m not doing fights anymore.”
“Jack Paxton not doing fights anymore?” he said incredulously. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Not kidding. I’m done with that shit.”
I could almost hear him crunching the numbers in his head, trying to figure out how much money he stood to lose if he wasn’t able to replace me. And there would be no replacing me. People paid big bucks to watch me scrap, and many of my fights over the years had been the result of people asking for me by name.
“I can get you a bit more money,” he said hopefully. “Not much, since I still gotta turn a profit and all, but there’s a little bit more there if it’ll entice my favorite fighter.”
I had to cringe at that one. The AC was blowing out cold air now and I luxuriated in it for a moment while Roddy continued to try to sell me something I didn’t want.
"Swear to god, man, this one's in the bag for you. I'm willing to throw in a little bonus for a lose though if things turn that way. That's just how much I care."
Alright. I'd had enough.
"Not interested, Roddy. Don't call again."
I hung up while he whined down the line at me, begging me to reconsider and to not "be like that". Then I pulled out onto the road and started driving.
It surprised me that I wasn't more interested in Roddy's offer. I hadn't thought much about fighting since my last, but it was never something that occupied much of my thoughts. I always rose to the challenge when Roddy called, though. Always. It had become almost a knee jerk reaction since I needed the money more than I needed anything else. It wasn't a question before.
Now I had Melissa, and I had good, stable work. There was more to lose, even though, in this case, there was more to gain than usual. I wasn't going to do anything to fuck up what Melissa and I had. It was fledgling, but it was right.
I couldn't get to the hotel fast enough. I was buzzing by the time I pulled up in front, the same way I was every time I got to come home to her beautiful, smiling face. I'd never lived with a girlfriend before, if that was what Melissa was to me, but so far I saw the appeal.
I slid my key into the lock and heard shuffling from the other side of the door. With a curious smile, I entered.
And got jumped.
Rather than having the shit kicked out of me, however, I soon found a soft pair of lips on my own, and a lithe body wrapped around my torso. I grabbed Melissa's firm ass to hold her up and returned the kiss with enthusiasm, still laughing with surprise.
"Miss me?" I asked, lips feathering over hers.
She pecked me on the lips again and pulled back, grinning. "Oh, baby—you have no idea."
The gravelly tone of her words sent a flood of heat straight to my cock. I growled and turned her around, pressing her back against the flat of the door and grinding my hardness against her.
"I think I might have some idea," I murmured.
Melissa reached between us, stroking me while rubbing against herself too. My legs turned rubbery, and I let her down, ready to drag the little vixen to the bed by her hair and have my wicked way with her. Melissa had other ideas.
The second her feet hit the ground, Melissa ducked around me. I turned to see her on her knees before me, and my brain fucking exploded. Her mouth stretched into a devious grin and she stripped her shirt off while I watched, revealing a dramatic lacy black bra underneath that hugged the curves of her tits perfectly. My cock was now at full attention.
"I went out this morning and did a little shopping," Melissa said, running her hands up my thighs.
Her fingers brushed over my zipper, and my legs shook. I had to lean back against the door for support.
"You look good enough to eat," I replied.
She unzipped me and dragged my jeans down my legs, following suit with my boxers. Her wide-eyed admiration of my cock did not go unnoticed, and a white flame licked at the pit of my belly.
"I could say the same for you," Melissa drawled.
I about fucking lost it.
"Don't tease me, sweetheart," I warned. "I want you way too fucking bad right now."
"Don't tease you?
" She cupped my balls in one hand and began to massage them. I saw stars. "Why would I do something like that?"
I growled and grabbed a fist of her hair, angling her face to look up at me. God, she looked good from that angle. That mischievous smile still dominated her lips, and it killed me. She killed me.
"Why don't you tell me what you want," she drawled. "Tell me how I can serve you after a long, hard day of work."
Fucking hell. Fucking. Hell.
I couldn't take it anymore. Melissa wanted me to tell her what I wanted? I would do her one better. I would show her.
I grabbed my cock in one hand and guided it into her waiting mouth, pulling her head closer to my groin as her lips enveloped my shaft.
Melissa went to work without hesitation, gobbling my meat down nearly to the root, all the while keeping her eyes on mine. Her mouth was so hot, so wet. So fucking good. She moaned, sending vibrations of pleasure all the way to my balls and making me squeeze my eyes closed. When I opened them again, she was mashing her tits together, putting on one hell of a show for me as she bobbed faster and faster.
"Ah fuck," I groaned. "Your mouth is so fucking hot."
Her lips still managed to curve into a smile, even with her mouth stuffed. I'd never had a hotter blowjob in my life, and I'd had my fair share. There was something so raw and sexual about the moment, yet it still carried that trademark intimacy that came standard with everything we did together.
"Fuck, sweetheart, I'm gonna cum." I groaned and gritted my teeth, stroking the back of her head.
Melissa moaned again and went deeper still. The pleasure built inside of me like a dam, and I let more of my weight rest against the door in preparation for it to break because, fuck, it was going to be a good one.
Melissa added more suction and looked up at me with those big, sexy blue eyes, and I broke.
My whole body throbbed with wild pleasure, pulsing in time with my cock as I spilled in her mouth. I had to lean my head back and moan. My skin tingled everywhere, like tiny sparks dancing on my skin.
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