And still so young, with a maturity level sometimes that wasn’t the best.
But then Kai felt it. Breck’s gaze again. So potent and palpable, Kai couldn’t help glancing his way. Their eyes met. Breck froze, caught staring. He quickly donned a scowl, then threw one of his customary glares. Thing was, it didn’t look genuine this time. It looked forced. Like he didn’t really feel it and was merely reacting out of habit.
Come back, jeja, Kai willed again before he could stop himself. I promise to behave myself this time, and be nice.
Breck’s lips parted, as if he’d just heard Kai in his mind. He swallowed, then his gaze slid down the length of Kai’s torso… only to abruptly snap back to attention, as if breaking some trance.
Kai smiled a little, his foolish insides warming.
Breck shuttered his expression and quickly looked away—then proceeded to do something completely unexpected. He stopped dancing, turned, and walked back to his table, flat-out ditching his dance partner without a single word. He didn’t sit down, though. Just started gesturing to his friends. Insistently. At one point, he actually peered over his shoulder at Kai.
Kai averted his gaze just as Max growled beside him. Kai stilled in surprise and lifted a brow. The man was downright bristling.
Damn. What murdered his mood? Kai followed Max’s stare. Oh, hell. That’s what.
Sean trapped in the clutches of some over-aggressive drunk.
“Hold this,” Max bit out, shoving his whiskey glass at Kai.
Kai took the thing. “If I hold it, I drink it,” he warned, hoping to dissuade Max from leaving. Because, hello, Scott’s ornery roommate looked ready to rampage.
“Knock yourself out.” Max stalked toward the dance floor like a pissed-off grizzly.
“Shit.” Kai watched him go. “Do not get into a fight.”
If he did, then by default, Kai would have to, too. It was just how the friend thing worked. Or in this case, the friend of a friend.
He looked back at Breck. The prospect of him seeing his martial arts instructor in a bar brawl was less than appealing. Thankfully, the senior was nowhere in sight. Come to think of it, neither were his friends. A new set of club goers were now sitting happily in their booth. Their shot-glass pyramid and empty beer bottles, however, were still on the table.
Kai glanced toward the exit. They must have just left. He should be relieved, but all he felt was disappointment. Exhaling, he returned his focus to Max. His brows rose. Wow. He was already heading back, with Sean trailing after him, the young blond frowning and looking a little bit rattled.
Max took care of business fast. No brawls or anything.
Kai was impressed. Not to mention a whole lot relieved that he wasn’t going to have to—
“Whoa. Are you two fags? Guys, did you just see that? Those dudes were holding hands.”
Kai stiffened and glanced to his right. Three drunken jackoffs loomed over a couple; two young men. Kai regarded the pair, deciding they looked barely twenty-one. To the extent that they’d probably come there to celebrate their arrival into legal drinking.
The trio glared down at them.
“Well?” the biggest demanded. “Answer my question. Are you two queers?”
The pair glanced around nervously, half their aggressor’s size.
The second asshole sneered. “Don’t hear them fuckin’ denying it.”
“Because they are.” The biggest one shoved them. “Aren’t you. Admit it.”
Aaaaand Kai had seen enough. Clenching his jaw, he headed over.
The ringleader shoved them again.
They stumbled backward. “Fuck off!” one shouted. “What’s wrong with you?”
Patrons instantly circled, some adding their own insults, others demanding the bullies stop.
“What’s wrong with us?” the third guy laughed. “You’re the freaks of nature.” He shoved them back to his buddy who’d started this mess.
Bristling, Kai broke into a jog. Just a couple more yards and he’d be stopping this shit. But just as he arrived, Max tore past him and grabbed the biggest guy’s throat. With a snarl, he slammed him against a wall. Then he cranked back his elbow and punched him square in the face.
Shouts exploded. Max moved to nail him again. Kai cursed and closed in—not that a part of him didn’t want to let Max continue. That douchebag deserved whatever Max handed him. Problem was, were Max to land another blow, he’d end up handcuffed in the back of a cruiser. If, that is, said douchebag’s friends didn’t tag team him first.
Adrenaline spiking, Kai cursed under his breath. Time to bail out Scott’s hotheaded friend.
Evidently, he’d be doing the bar fight after all.
— ELEVEN —
“Hello?”
“Hey, Kai. It’s Scott.”
“Hey, man. How’s it going?”
“It’s going good.”
Kai gripped his cell phone with his shoulder as he lit some incense. “Yeah? You sure? You took off pretty fast at the club on Friday…. Then your text sounded like you were seconds away from getting into a scuffle.”
“Oh… Right… That. Yeah, it’s cool... Tad was just… being difficult. We talked yesterday, though. Worked shit out.”