Bullets & Bonfires

“Oh, stop it.” I playfully smack his arm and he leans in closer.

“I’m glad you came and found me.” His low-spoken words trigger goose bumps along my arms.

“I was worried I’d be interrupting guys’ night out or…” I drop my gaze to the side. A blush burns up my neck, landing on my cheeks.

“Never.”

Keegan and Sully return with two pitchers of beer and extra glasses. “Are we interrupting?” Keegan asks.

“Yes,” Liam answers in a bored tone.

I spot one of the girls from my support group and nudge Liam. “Can you let me out? I want to go say hello to someone.”

He actually hesitates and I wait for him to question me. Then he slides out of the booth and I hurry over to catch Emily before she leaves.

“Hey, Em.”

She turns and smiles when she sees me. “Hey, I thought I saw you over at Hot Guy Island.”

I let out a snort. “Overprotective Island maybe.”

“Is tall, dark, and staring holes in your back the guy you told me about? Your brother’s friend?”

“That’s him.”

My eyes follow Bree to the bar, where she stops to talk to a red-haired girl about her age.

“You scare Bree away already?” Keegan asks.

When I don’t respond, he and Sully resume whatever they were talking about.

Jake returns without Teller. “Where’d your buddy go?” I ask.

“He’s here somewhere,” he answers with the evasiveness I expect from Jake.

While the guys continue their discussion, my gaze strays to Bree, still talking to the redhead.

My diverted attention doesn’t go unnoticed by Jake. “So, is Bree single or not?”

Silence descends on the table while the guys wait for my answer.

“Not as far as you’re concerned.”

Keegan snorts.

“Dude, just piss a circle around her,” Jake suggests.

Hostility lights me up inside. “Fuck off.”

He’s not intimidated by my outburst. “Obviously you’re into her.”

“She’s special. She’s not one of your hit-it-and-quit-it chicks, so don’t even think about it.”

“Does she get a say?” Sully asks.

I cock my head, disappointed in my friend. “You too?”

“Nah. I hate seeing you so twisted up.”

“He’ll be fine,” Keegan says. “Can we discuss something else? I feel like I’m on an episode of Oprah listening to you three.”

Jake rolls his shoulders. “Just trying to get our boy laid.”

“Thanks for the concern.”

“It’s been what?” Sully asks. “Five or six months since you broke it off with Nurse-stick-up-her-ass?”

Guess I’ll never live down the night I brought Linda here to hang with my friends. It’d been an unpleasant night for everyone involved.

“Something like that,” I grumble, hating that my friend knows I don’t do one-night hookups.

I spot Teller coming out of the back hallway and stand. Jake follows my line of sight. “Christ, Hollister, aren’t you off the clock? You really need to hassle him now?”

“Mind your own business.”

I intercept Teller before he reaches the bar area and tap his arm, gesturing for him to follow me outside. He’s naturally suspicious of me and keeps his distance.

“What do you want?” he asks when we’re alone.

I hold up my hands, wanting him to understand this is personal. “Easy. You said if I needed anything for Bree, you’d help.”

That snags his attention and he drops his scowl. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you going to be around Sunday?”

“I can be. Why?” His gaze never stops moving, assessing everything around us while he waits for my answer.

Am I really asking this thug to look out for Bree?

“I have to work a double. I’m worried about Bree being alone so long.”

He runs his hand over the back of his neck and gives me a crooked smile. “I feel like you warned me to stay away from her last time we spoke.”

“Yeah, and then you fed me that line about her treating your sister nice and being a friend. Were you full of shit?”

His cocky act disappears and he glares at me. “No.”

“Can you come up with an excuse to drop by? Maybe mid-afternoon, early evening?”

“Am I staying for dinner or just checking on her?”

“Just checking on her,” I growl.

“Do I get more information?”

“What more do you need?”

He folds his arms over his chest. “Even with all the spackle she’s got caked on, it’s obvious someone cracked her in the face recently.” He stares me directly in the eyes. “Since I assume you didn’t do it, who did and where is he?”

“Her ex and he’s down in Empire County Jail.”

“Ahh, okay.”

“Satisfied?”

“I just like to know what I’m walking into.”

Fair enough. I still have an urge to punch him, though.

“If he’s in lock-up, what are you worried about?”

“His family. Specifically his brother. I’m having him served with a restraining order for continuing to harass her.”

“This douche have a name?”

“Chad Joseph. The brother’s name is Christopher.”

“Why you asking me?” He lifts his chin toward the bar. “Why not one of your more upstanding friends?”

“Because Bree doesn’t know them that well. It would be obvious I asked them to check on her.” I hesitate before adding. “And I don’t trust Jake around her.”

Teller snorts. “Can’t blame you there.”

“I can ask one of the other guys in my department to drive by, but I don’t want to freak her out.”

“Yeah, I hear you.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” He cocks his head, studying me for a minute. “You have any connections in Slater County?”

And this is why I didn’t want to ask for Teller’s help. Now he’ll want something in return.

“Not really. Their department’s a fucking mess. Word is that they’re under investigation for corruption.”

He nods slowly as if that wasn’t new information.

“Sunday afternoon,” he confirms.

I hold out my hand and he shakes it. “Thanks.”

Inside, Bree’s finishing her conversation and meets me at the table. Feeling territorial, I take her hand and she smiles up at me. “Emily said a group of her friends are going dancing at the Lantern and asked if we wanted to go.”

Christ, that’s the last thing I feel like doing. But I want her to feel more comfortable to go out and do things. I guess I can suck it up for one night if it makes her happy. “Do you want to?” I ask.

She glances down at her dress. “I do, but maybe another time.”

Can’t say I’m not relieved.

“Who’s the hot redhead?” Jake shouts to Bree.

She giggles and slides into the booth. “You stay away from her. She’s getting out of a bad relationship.”

The jerk has the nerve to raise his eyebrows. “You know what they say, right, Bree? The best way to get over a guy is to get under a new one.”

“No, I’ve never heard that before,” she deadpans. “That’s brilliant.” Her tone makes it clear she finds it anything but. The guys crack up. Even Jake.

Keegan leans in. “So when do you start graduate school, Bree?”

“End of August.”

“Moving back to Empire or you going to commute?”

“I…” For some reason her gaze lands on me. “I haven’t decided yet.”

I’m not sure where Keegan’s going with his questions, but given his earlier interest in my career, I sense the sneaky bastard’s up to something.

“Vince is away so much, you’d have the house to yourself most of the time,” Keegan says.

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Bree tosses her hair in a vigorous headshake. “No way. It’s bad enough I need to stay there now. I don’t want to make it permanent.”

I raise an eyebrow and give Keegan a pointed look that he ignores.

“Going to live on campus?” Keegan asks.

“I guess I could. I liked my apartment…” her voice trails off. “I really need to look for a job.”

Jake jerks his thumb toward the bar. “Oscar’s always looking for pretty girls to serve drinks.”

“No,” immediately pops out of my mouth.

All heads turn and stare at me. Mistake. Telling Bree ‘no’ is as good as laying down a challenge.

Under the table, I squeeze her hand. “You don’t want to be on your feet all night long, dealing with drunks. Can’t the school find you an internship or something?”

My explanation seems to relax her. “I’ll ask around Monday.”

While I want what’s best for her, I know if she takes a job near campus, it’s one more thing that will pull her away from me.