Page 7 of Operation K-9 Brothers
Chapter Three
“Here and there.”Jack stepped next to Nichole.“He bothering you?”
The man’s gaze swung to him.“Who the hell are you?”
“Depends on her answer.Either someone you don’t need to worry about or your worst nightmare.”He’d always wanted to say that, the worst nightmare part, and he had trouble keeping a straight face.
She glared at the man.“He’s not bothering me because he’s leaving.”
Deny it all she wanted, but it was obvious the man was bothering her, and Jack didn’t like that one bit.But until he knew the problem, the last thing he needed to do was overstep, making the situation bigger than it was.
Toward the end of their phone conversation, she’d sounded agitated, and he’d heard a man talking to her.It didn’t take a rocket scientist to decipher her “What are you doing here?”and the tension in her voice to figure out the dude was upsetting her.It wasn’t any of his business, but he hadn’t been able to stay away.
Jack eyed the lean man, not impressed.He supposed the tears in the knees of the jeans was a thing these days, but he thought it was pretty stupid to pay good money for damaged goods.And the guy’s combat boots?No way they’d ever set their soles on desert sand.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the lady said you were leaving.”Jack raised a brow when the man didn’t move.
“I need to talk to Nichole...alone.”
“Not happening unless that’s what she wants.”He shifted his gaze to Nichole.“Is that what you want, darlin’?”Okay, he was laying it on a bit thick, but the dude was rubbing him wrong.
“No, sweet cheeks, he has nothing to say that I want to hear.”
Sweet cheeks?He couldn’t hold back his snort, then tried to cover it up with a cough.Nichole’s elbow in his ribs said he hadn’t done a good job of that.Damn, he liked this girl.Rambo was trying to climb up his legs, so he picked up the puppy, holding him in his good arm while he draped the other one over Nichole’s shoulders, creating a picture of a happy little family.“You heard the lady.Now scram.”
“This doesn’t concern you, Neanderthal.It’s between me and Nichole.”
Jack sighed.He’d hoped the guy would respect Nichole’s wishes.That wasn’t happening, unfortunately.He didn’t know what the problem between them was and didn’t care.His parents had taught him that women were to be respected and treated equally.Maybe he needed to teach this man that lesson.
“What’s his name?”he asked Nichole.
“Trevor.”
He set Rambo down, and then handed Nichole the leash.Stepping into Trevor’s space, he bumped his chest against the man’s.Whatever he wanted from Nichole was making the dude desperate.Desperate men tended to get stupid.No man was going to get stupid around Nichole on his watch.If that meant he was a Neanderthal, so be it.She might give him hell for interfering later, but he could take it.
“Here’s the thing, Trevor.She doesn’t want to talk to you, so I’ll give you three seconds to walk away.”
“Or what?You’re going to beat the shit out of me, then pound on your chest and say, ‘Me Tarzan’?Go ahead, make my day.”
Jack couldn’t help it, he laughed.“You’re a funny dude.But your three seconds are up, and I’m going to do this.”He put his hand on the back of Trevor’s neck, spread his fingers, dug his thumb and index finger into his neck’s pressure points, and walked Trevor and his never-seen-combat combat boots through the mall and out the door.
“Take my well-intentioned advice, Trevor.Leave Nichole alone.”He dropped his hand from the man’s neck.“Do we understand each other?”
“You’re a beast, a...a bully.”
“Yep, that’s me.”He turned his back on the man and headed inside.As he returned to Nichole, it occurred to him that she might not appreciate his little stunt.He was forming his apology as he reached her.
“Thank you,” she quietly said.“You got him out of here without making a scene.”
Okay, no apology necessary.That was good.He hadn’t blown it with her right out of the gate.He tipped an imaginary hat.“I aim to please, ma’am.”
“I thought you were going to get in a fight with him.Thank you for not doing that.”
“I’m averse to beating up anyone weaker than me.You want to clue me in on what that was about?If it’s none of my business, feel free to tell me to butt out.”What he wanted to know was if Trevor was or had been her boyfriend.
“It’s a business thing.I’ll tell you over pizza.”She glanced up at him.“We’re still on for that, right?Unless you think I’m too much trouble.”
He grinned.“I’m thinking you just might be my kind of trouble, Nichole Masters.”
