Page 76 of The Bad Girl and the Baby

Angie bit her lip. “You’re right. We just want what’s best for you.”

“Well, you’ll be pleased to know—so does Darcy.”

“You care about her.”

It wasn’t a question. And he ran a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

Gary slapped him on the shoulder. “It’s for the best.”

Of course it was for the best. Like everything else. “Can we drop the subject and have a fucking drink now?”

“Yeah.” They both picked up their drinks and raised them. “Congratulations on the new position,” Gary said.

“Thanks.”

They talked of other things then, not really the job, because that was not something he was allowed to talk about. They kept the subjects neutral, and he felt a little like he was walking on the edge of a precipice. But the alcohol was doing its job and there was a nice buzz in his brain. All the same, he felt restless. As though his skin was too tight, his muscles tense.

A couple was arguing at a corner table, intruding on his nice buzz, and he turned to look at them. There was a big man with long hair pulled into a ponytail and tattoos down his arm. The woman sitting across from him was tiny and blond and pretty. Fear flashed in her eyes as the man reached out and grasped her wrist. She cried out in pain and tried to pull free.

Bastard.

Matt was on his feet before he could think better of it. He swayed a little—clearly, he wasn’t used to this amount of alcohol. But he steadied himself and then crossed the room, coming to a halt in front of the couple. The big guy still held her way too tightly.

“Let her go.”

They both went immediately still, then the man glanced up. Ugly bastard. “This is none of your business. Fuck off.”

Matt turned his attention to the woman. Her eyes were bright with tears, a flush across her cheeks. “Say the word and I’ll get him off you.”

The man snorted in disbelief, and she forced a smile. “I’m all right. Really.” The grip on her fragile wrist tightened, and she winced. “There’s not a problem. You should go.”

He sensed Gary come up beside him, Angie on his other side. “What’s the problem?” Gary asked.

He waved a hand at the man. “He needs to get his fucking hands off her. Right now.”

How many times had Darcy’s sister been in this position? How many times had Steven used his superior strength to browbeat her into submission? And people would have watched and done nothing. Because people didn’t like to interfere. It was none of their business. To hell with that.

Two more men approached the table. Friends of the asshole, judging by their tattoos and matching ponytails. Good. He doubted one was going to be enough.

“What’s going on?”

“This guy is pushing his nose in where it’s not wanted.”

“You want us to make him disappear?”

“Try it,” Matt murmured, and in that moment, it was exactly what he wanted. He wanted to release the rage churning inside him. Wanted a legitimate enemy that he could let go his frustrations on. He straightened and squared his shoulders.

“Please, just go,” the woman said, her eyes pleading and embarrassed at the same time. He’d always wondered why anyone would put up with being abused. But he’d done some reading on the subject since he’d found out about Steven. It was a complex issue and often as much about the abused as the abuser. Darcy had told him that Emma had been in an emotional state when she’d met Steven. Their parents had just died, and she’d been looking for support. Steven had used that against her. “You’ll just make things worse,” she finished.

“Yeah,” the man said. “Listen to her. You’ll just make things worse.”

Actually, he was going to make sure that the man wasn’t in any condition to make things worse for anyone. Angie rested a hand on his arm and tugged. When he didn’t budge, her grip tightened. “Drop it, Matt. You can’t afford to get into a fight.”

“I’m just supposed to let this asshole walk away? Do what the fuck he likes?” He was too late to help Darcy’s sister, but this time, he wasn’t looking the other way. He was never looking the other way again. He’d done that far too much with Steven. He should have seen what was going on. He recognized then the guilt that had been eating him from inside since he’d learned the truth about Steven and Emma. He shook himself free of Angie’s grasp. “Stay out of this.” He turned to Gary. “You, too.”

“This is a really bad idea, mate.”

“Well, I’ve had a few of them lately.” He turned back to the man. “Let her go.”

---