Unsuitable

“Hey, Les.” Les looked well kissed. Polly looked peeved he’d been interrupted mid kiss. He was slow to unhand Les. Reece wished the bath sheet he was wearing was bigger. He wished he wasn’t here at all. “We got jumped. Audrey’s okay. A bunch of guys’ll have sore heads tomorrow.”

Polly said, “Shit, man.”

Les said, “Audrey’s really okay?”

“She’s—yeah—she’s shocked. We were having a good night and then.” He looked at Polly. “Oh fuck. I didn’t want her to have to see me like that.”

“How many?” said Polly.

“Six.”

Les’ hands flew up. She tried to tidy her hair to disguise the action. “Oh my God.” She turned to Polly, horror on her face.

He took both her hands in his. “It’s fine, Leslie. Our Reece can more than handle himself.”

“Against six guys?”

“Hell, yeah.” Polly grinned. Reece knew what he was thinking. Those old days didn’t have the same sense of revulsion for him. He hadn’t been the one meting out the violence.

Les spun back to him. “He organised fights and you fight. And you don’t have a mark on you.” She was putting this together with whatever Polly had told her about those days.

He held his hands up. But his knuckles looked better now, red, split, bruised, swollen, not normal, but nothing broken. Tomorrow he’d have bruising around his ribs and kidneys.

Les pulled her hands away from Polly. “I do not see how that’s funny. What did the police say?”

Reece flexed his hand, testing his grip. How did he explain this to Audrey so she wasn’t threatened? Best thing to do was sleep first. “My guess is the guys were dealing. They had a shit load of cash on them. Cops are going to be more interested in that. Anyway, don’t let me interrupt.” He opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk.

Polly cocked his head. He had a hand on Les’ shoulder. “You staying here tonight, mate?”

“Yeah, if that’s okay? I’m done in. I’ll get out of your way.”

He took the glass of milk and left them to it, lay in bed and couldn’t sleep. He kept going over the night from the moment in the bar where he’d wanted to save Audrey from being jostled, to the moment he accepted that thank you beer. He could’ve pulled her out of the way instead of going amongst it. They should’ve left immediately. That complimentary beer had rubbed their noses in it. The fact security had left him alone as well. But once he’d made that mi

stake, once they’d come at him, what choice did he have?

He was still awake half an hour later when he heard the front door open and close. Polly pushed the bedroom door open and leant against the jamb. “Shit happens, ‘eh.”

Reece pushed upright and braced against the wall. There was pain across his abs now. “Did Les go?”

“You frightened the horses. All she wanted to talk about was you taking on six guys.”

“Sorry, mate. I ruined everyone’s night.” He plucked at the sheet. Polly didn’t make a move to go. “So, you and Les, you’re really in to her?”

“Yep.”

“Really?”

“What?” Polly’s voice went low.

“She’s not your usual type.”

“No.” He got strident, “she’s fucking amazing.”

“Really?”

“Stop saying that pansy word.”

“She’s a great girl. She’s just—”