Page 43 of On The Rocks

Donny caught my eye and jerked at me to join his convo with Carbine. I made my way toward the far end of the bar where my brother had been restocking the fridges but was now elbows to countertop, shooting the shit.

“Carbine wants to know if Maeve’s single,” Donovan announced, acting like butter wouldn’t melt before taking a swig of Bud.

My chest felt like it would explode. “No. She’s not!”

“Shame,” Carbine muttered, eyeing my wife’s juicy ass as she walked the men to the door.

“Attention on me, dickwad,” I snapped. “Put your beady little wandering eyes back inside your head. Anyone would think you’d never seen a woman before.”

“You don’t get many like that around here,” he grumbled. “The girls in town, like Lucy and Saskia, are okay for a good time but not for a long time. Maeve’s what I call interesting; she’d keep my attention for more than five minutes.”

My hands clenched into fists, and I squared my chest toward him. “Except, she’s not gonna ‘cause like I said, she’s very taken and very off-limits.”

A strangled laugh came from Donovan’s throat.

Glaring at Carbine, I tamped down the urge to smash my fist into his smug face for looking at my wife like he wanted to bend her over one of the tables, pull her jeans down, and ram his dick inside her. So much for Maeve being invisible. It looked like I’d have to protect her virtue from all these man whores in town.

“What did you want me for, anyway?” the asshole asked. “Cash said you needed to ask me somethin’. That’s why I headed over.”

My stare drifted over to Maeve, who was in the process of locking the door behind Atlas and Bowie. “They were lovely,” she cried. “Atlas is asweetheart,and Bowie’sso nice!” She whirled around. “How’s everything been?”

“Quiet,” I admitted. “Especially without you.”

Silence fell over the room.

“Well, okaaay,” Maeve murmured awkwardly, jerking her thumb toward the kitchen where the stairs were situated. “I better take my bags upstairs.” She threw a huge smile in Donovan and Carbine’s direction before turning and disappearing through the door to the back.

Carbine’s stare followed her before sliding toward me. “What’s goin’ on there?”

I heaved a sigh and scraped a frustrated hand down my face, muttering, “Nothin’.”

“He’s the reason Maeve’s taken,” Donovan informed him, smirking knowingly. “They got married a few days ago.”

Carbine’s eyes rounded. “No fuckin’ way. But you’re the original fuckboy.”

“Nah,” I replied, nodding toward Donovan. “He’s the fuckboy. I’m the commitmentphobe.”

“Not anymore,” he said under his breath. “Wait, how the hell is the town not buzzing with the news? This is the biggest thing to happen in Hambleton since, well—sorry—but since your dad’s funeral service.”

I ignored his little quip, uncaring and unbothered, all except for the need to get him the fuck outta my bar and stop him eyeing up my wife’s ass.

Folding my arms across my chest, I looked him dead in the face. “Your band.”

Carbine’s forehead wrinkled. “What about it?”

“I’ve heard you play, and you’re good. That guitarist you hired has really elevated your sound. Your style’s developingnicely. Want you to start a residency here, one Saturday every month. I’ll pay you a grand per gig and all the beer you can drink. That’s two hundred green each.”

“You’ll probably get laid into the bargain too,” Donovan called from his knees as he peered into the fridge. “All the girls like dudes in bands.”

“Is that all you think about?” I snapped.

Donny shrugged, taking a bottle from the crate. “If it walks like a slut...”

I sighed.

“We’ve been asked to play for that new MC, the Kings of Anarchy, up in Rock Springs,” Carbine announced. “Their prez and VP saw us play over in Mapletree last month and want us to headline the opening of their new bar. They’ve offered us three grand.”

“Can’t you do both?” Donovan asked.

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