Page 101 of Bourbon & Blood

I think Maya was just as sick to death as I was about good people being treated poorly by bad people who just never seemed to face any consequences for their fucked-up actions. Like the man just now, that had stood in the middle of a packed fucking bar, treating his girlfriend like that in front of God and everybody,knowingthat no one was going to stop him.

Well not to-fucking-day, bro.

I felt a gentle hand on my elbow and I turned, La Croix looking down at me confused.

“You wanna tell me just what the hellthatwas all about?” he demanded.

I looked back at the tableau in front of us. The girl was now rapidly explaining to the bouncer that the man still on the ground, clutching his family jewels, had indeed just beenassaulting her,and that I was just trying to help. The bouncers, thankfully, seemed to be listening, but La Croix? He deserved an explanation.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I just… I justreacted.”

He sat me down and kneeled in front of me, looking up at me.

“Why didn’t you get my attention?” he asked, and I eyed the big, tall guy on the floor, the bouncers trying to help him up and get him out of the bar. I shook my head.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt?” I asked, and I quailed a bit, knowing just how stupid that sounded.

His eyebrows shot up and he searched my face, his mouth flattening into a grim line. Finally, his expression turned completely mystified, and he said, “I need to get you home. You aren’t thinkin’ straight. In fact, I’d even hazard t’ say you’re absolutely out of your goddamn mind.”

I sputtered a laugh, like it caught me so off guard that’d if I’d had a mouthful of liquid, I would have spit it all over him.

He threw down more than enough to cover our meals and a healthy tip onto the table and took my hand.

“C’mon, cher, before the bacon gets here.”

I followed him out, one of the bouncers calling after us, but we were gone, striding up the sidewalk in the direction of the bike.

We pulled into the gate outside the club a short ride later and I hopped off the bike. La Croix backed it in with the line of other bikes and cut the engine, his dark eyes fixed on me like a predator looks at its prey and I felt my heart sink just a little, worried he was mad at me.

He got off the imposing machine and stalked toward me in a way that scared me enough that my body started backpedaling before my mind caught up to me enough to say,that’s crazy! He promised to never hurt you!

I fetched up hard against the fence and he came right up against me, pinning me to it, the chain link rattling, his knee coming up between my thighs and holding me as much as the rest of my body, my toes barely touching the ground.

He grabbed me by the chin, his grip firm, but gentle, and his mouth covered mine.

The relief swept through me so complete when he kissed me, I sagged against the fence and him, kissing him back with the same fierce energy he kissed me with.

“That was hot,” he growled against my mouth. “But don’t you ever do it again.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered breathlessly.

“Just what were you thinking?” he demanded, his big hand palming my waist, his forehead pressed to mine.

I closed my eyes and confessed.

“I was thinking I am sofucking sickof men doing whatever they want. Of bad people doingwhatever the hell they choose,out in front of Goddess and everyone; knowing there won’t be any consequences for their being shitty!”

“All you had to do was get my attention!” he snarled, but I realized he wasn’t mad. Not at all. I’d scared him. I’d scared the hell out of him. “You’remine, Alina. You point and I fucking pull the trigger! Do you understand me?” he asked, and he was the most intense I’d ever seen him.

“Yes,” I whispered, and he shook me a little. “Yes!” I cried a little louder, and he pulled me to him, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

“I swear to God, you’re losin’ it, babe,” he said, and I nodded against his shoulder.

“I feel like I’m losing it,” I told him and he sighed.

Clearly, it was not my finest hour.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked, and I looked up at him.

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