Page 61 of Carter

That was my cue to go. “Well, look, I gotta go back to work and help my friend out, okay?”

He looked back at me and nodded. “Sure.”

“Get her number!” one of his friends pushed. “Don’t be a pussy!”

“I don’t give my number to strangers,” I replied, looking at him. “That’s just one of my rules. Sorry.”

I noticed the disappointment flooding his face as he nodded once at me. “Stranger? Shit, right. Sorry for putting you on the spot like that. Of course you don’t know me…Well, anyway, I’ll just see you around then, Leah.”

“Yeah, sure.”

He smiled. “Great. Good night.”

I hesitantly smiled back, and he gently touched my arm and pulled away. I returned to work, and I felt bad because I could hear his friends laughing at him. I didn’t have it in me to turn around and look.

I was glad I didn’t give him my number. There was absolutely no chemistry there, and the thought of starting any kind of friendship with another guy made my stomach turn. It was too exhausting.

Sighing, I resumed my thoughts while cleaning up tables before I heard loud curses and turned to see what the commotion was. I blanched at the sight of Carter shoving Peter back.

“Got a problem with me?” he growled at him. “Because you’re looking at me like you do, tough guy.”

Peter’s drunk friends stood up to defend him, and Carter barely paid mind. His eyes stared fixedly at Peter as he got closer to him, standing face to face, poking him in the chest as he said something to him in a low voice. I couldn’t hear anything, but Melanie was standing behind them and her jaw had dropped.

“Man, what the fuck is your problem!” I heard Peter shout.

“You’re the fucking problem!” Carter seethed. “Don’t think I didn’t hear what you said, you little shit!”

“Then don’t fucking eavesdrop—”

Carter grabbed hold of his shirt and shook him. And then it turned ugly fast. Peter tried punching him, but Carter blocked him with his left arm and swung at him with his right, landing a punch across the face, knocking Peter back.

I heard shouts as Rome and Leo intervened immediately, untangling his fist from Peter’s shirt. Rome turned to Carter, looking angry as he shoved him out of Peter’s face, ordering him to let go. Carter continued holding his ground until Peter motioned for his friends to go.

“Pussies!” Carter hollered at them.

They hurried out of the bar and then Rome dragged Carter into the back office. Before he disappeared down the hall, Carter looked back over his shoulder. My chest tightened when I met his gaze.

He was beyond pissed.

*

“What happened?” I demanded after the customers had gone and the boys were getting ready to leave.

Carter still hadn’t emerged from the backroom, but Rome had, and he didn’t look at me once as he helped the boys out. I’d dragged Melanie into the ladies room just to get an explanation.

“Carter said he was walking to the bar to get some drinks when he heard those guys talking about you,” she explained. “They said something very crude, and when Carter approached them to repeat it, Peter asked him why it was his business. That was when I stopped to listen in. Carter didn’t like being spoken to that way, and he kicked Peter’s chair back. Peter got up and Carter started goading him. Shit went swiftly downhill after that.”

“Christ,” I cursed. “Do you know what they said about me exactly? Carter wouldn’t have just flown off the handle without good reason.”

She shrugged. “He wouldn’t tell Rome. And even if he did, Rome refused to divulge with me. Asshole.”

I glowered now as the weight of the situation settled on me. Carter could have gotten into trouble if the fight had escalated, and what if they’d damaged the bar? We couldn’t afford to make these mistakes.

I pinned Melanie with a defeated look. “You know, this would have been completely avoided if you didn’t get him to approach me, Mel.”

“I did it foryou, Leah!”

“Why?”

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