Page 91 of Rival
I swear to God, let him come after me. I’ll knock him out this time.
“Again, none of your goddamn business.” It takes everything in me to contain my rage. Who the hell are these guys to think I need to explainanythingto them?
I’m surprised he gets in my face after I already knocked his ass down once. “It’s my business because I’m the reason that shit was coming to an end.I’mthe one who had to convince her not to be so hard on herself when she was feeling guilty over it!” He sneers down his nose at me, and I really fucking hate that he has extra inches in height over me. I’m six-foot-one, for Christ’ssake. “How the hell are you gonna just use her as a fuck buddy?Her?That woman deserved more than a tumble in the barn!”
My fingers curl into a fist and I’m ready to throw it again when Griffin barks out a laugh, only it’s filled with disbelief. “You gotta be kiddin’ me. You actually did it!You, Mason Cooper, enemy numero uno to the Hughes’ clan, was actually bangin’—”
Lunging forward, I fist his shirt to shut him up. “If you don’t wanna end up on the floor like that asshole, I suggest you keep your fuckin’ mouth shut. Just sit there, look pretty, and drink your drinks.”
“I just find it pretty strange… wait.” Griffin sits up straight and narrows his eyes on me. “When the hell did you start fuckin’ her? Like the actual date?”
Throwing my hands out, not giving a shit who’s listening to us at this point, I start yelling. “How the fuck is itanyone’sbusiness what I’ve got goin’ on with Edith?” These two fuckheads are ruining my evening to celebrate. Instantly, I regret my next thought as it pours from my mouth. “I just wanted a fuckin’ drink to toast my kid!”
“Yourkid?” Griffin shouts back, surging back to his feet. “How the hell do you figure? It could very well be mine!”
Jaxon is laughing manically as he shoves himself between Griffin and me to wave down the bartender. I slam in elbow in his side, but he’s too fucking drunk to react outside of a grunt. “I really need another goddamn drink, man. You still got my kids?” He pauses, then laughs even harder. “Keys!Fuck me, I meant keys.”
I’m too busy battling my need to go for Griffin’s throat and swirling disappointment that maybe I’m not the father of her baby to give a shit about Jaxon’s slip of the tongue.
Did she say I was?Fuck, I can’t remember a thing after she announced her pregnancy.
Griffin is gaping at how insane Jaxon is acting right now, but it makes sense when Jaxon turns around and jabs his finger into Griffin’s chest.
“I can only assumeyou’rethe fucker who took her virginity, then walked away the next morning with the fantastic advice that she ought to just forget it happened. Do I have that right?”
Both Griffin and I start hollering at the same time. “How the fuck do you know all of this?” Turning to Griffin, I snap, “And you walked away from her afterthat?”
“Who the fuck are you to her?” he shouts at Jaxon, then to me, he bites out, “And that’s not what happened!”
Instead of holding up one finger, Jaxon holds up three, forcing us to wait on his dramatic ass. After he takes his time to down his entire drink, he sets the glass on the counter, then continues to wave those three fingers in our faces.
“I’m daddy number three.”
Jaxon
There comes a time when a man learns a valuable lesson in life, which is to always think before he speaks.Especiallywhen surrounded by intoxicated assholes trying to piss on the ground and mark territory over a woman we’ve all been involved with in some way or another.
I forgot that lesson.
All of us pay no mind to the bartender shouting for us to take it outside as those two pricks fight each other for the chance to take me out first. Thankfully, they slowed themselves down, so when a balled fist swings for me, I manage to avoid it.
Shoving myself away from the bar, I deliver a solid gut punch to Griffin since he was the first one to swingthistime. Grinningas I let him fall sideways, I turn to the other asshole and charge. Mason is fucking ready for me, too.
Feet planted wide, he hunkers down and drives his shoulder into my gut as I wrap my arms around him. We both fall to the floor hard. Normally, I wouldn’t have difficulty in this sort of scenario. Considering I’ve lost count of the number of whiskey glasses I’ve downed, it’s embarrassing how quickly Mason flips me to my back.
With a hand pinning my shoulder to the sticky floor, his arm rears back and he gets his second solid punch in for the night. Then a third and fourth. Maybe I’m looking for punishment after losing my shit on Edith because I welcome every hit like they’re cleansing me from my sins.
Leaning down, Mason is enraged as he screams, “If youthinkthere’s a chance that kid could be yours, then where the hell have you been for the last twelve hours?”
Another blow is heading toward me, but Griffin interrupts, yanking him away so the two of them can tussle. Sitting up, I spit the metallic tasting blood from my mouth and take a moment to catch my bearings.
My head is spinning from the alcohol and punches. I eye the two of them, debating if I should throw myself back in the mix, but honestly, I need a minute. Edith’s fearful eyes slam into my memory and I grip my hair, squeezing my eyes shut as I tug at the strands in an attempt to drive that vision from my memory.
“I don’t want any fucking part of that kid, especially if it’s got Hughes’ blood in its veins.”
I groan when I hear my words echoing in my ears. Something is sitting heavy in my stomach and I don’t think it’s the whiskey making itself known. This feels like deep-seated remorse. My sister’s smiling face makes an appearance and I groan louder when I can practically hear Clayborn’s laughter ringing through my ears.
When a chair collides with the floor and shatters right next to the three of us, we all pause and turn to the bartender who’s now leaning over the bar top, glaring down with a snarl.
