Chapter 2
DEVON
Sliding our latest brew across the bar, I smile at the guy who ordered it. “Here you go. Let me know what you think.”
Lifting the glass in a cheers motion, he says, “Will do,” with the grin of man who’s had a few already.
My gaze tracks him to his table and the group of regulars surrounding it.
Each has a different beer, all from the selection of brews my brothers and I have been working on for months.
Happy with their obvious enjoyment of our blends, I scan the rest of the room to make sure everyone’s drinks are full.
We’re down a waitress, and Belle has been run off her feet most of the afternoon. Good thing two more wait staff and another bartender are due to start within the hour.
I’m the only one of my brothers here today. Carter and Garrett are at a wedding with their girlfriends, Livi and Lexi. Not that being here alone is a problem. Now that we have a decent amount of staff on our roster, there are times when none of us are here.
But Saturdays are always busy, and this one is no different. I’m expecting more patrons to arrive as the afternoon moves into evening, and I’ll have to remind everyone to keep an eye on the numbers. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve pushed our capacity limit.
As that thought goes through my head the door bursts open, and a woman strides in. Her purposeful steps, the set of her face, tells anyone looking not to get in her way. She’s on a mission.
Glancing at my watch, I frown before returning my eyes to our newest arrival.
This particular customer shouldn’t be here. Not at this time. And she’s definitely not dressed in what she should be wearing today.
Oh, her sky-high heels with their thin straps and sparkles are right. But the wide legged purple pants and the formfitting multi-colored blouse are not.
Elizabeth catches my gaze with hers and makes a beeline for the stool on the other side of the bar from where I’m standing.
Neither of us speaks until she’s settled.
Me because I can’t decide what question swirling in my head needs to be asked first. When she breaks the silence, it isn’t what I expect to hear.
“A shot of top shelf tequila.”
The frown that hasn’t left my face since I laid eyes on her deepens. “You don’t drink tequila.”
“I do today.” The smile she shoots me is strained—forced—more of a grimace, and I want to pull her into my arms and tell her I’ll fix whatever fucked up her day.
“One shot of tequila coming up.”
I keep an eye on her while I grab the Calle 23 bottle off the shelf and a glass from under the counter. Without a word, I prep her request and place the shot in front of her, keeping the bottle in my hand.
“Thanks.”
Her delicate thumb and index finger grip the shot by the base and she picks it up as she leans forward. Her pink lips wrap around the top of the whole glass and letting go, she tips her head back and swallows the clear liquid in one gulp.
My dick twitches in my pants. It’s a sexy move. One I would never expect from this cultured woman.
Not that my dick doesn’t normally twitch around Elizabeth.
Ever since Carter’s girlfriend Livi introduced her two best friends, I’ve had a thing for Elizabeth. She makes me feel like a teenager with a crush. Like a man without control.
It’s not a feeling I like.
Placing her empty glass back on the bar, she pushes it toward me, her gaze meeting mine. “Thank you.”
I hold up the bottle in question.
With a shake of her head, she leans her elbows on the bar and says, “My usual, thanks.”
All right, it’s a one-shot day. Honestly, I’m surprised. She shouldn’t be here. Right about now she should be walking down the aisle toward the pompous prick who doesn’t deserve her. My gaze moves to her left hand to find her fingers bare.
I have so many questions. But I shove them back and give her what she asked for.
Placing her gin and tonic with a splash of lime in front of her, I stay close while tidying up.
Rick has the bar covered and I know Jay will be in soon to take over from me.
Except my plan to leave them to it is now squashed.
I won’t be walking out of this bar before Elizabeth.
Whatever went on today—her wedding day—wasn’t good, but my phone has remained suspiciously quiet in my back pocket. I’m itching to text my brothers. They have to know why this woman is in our bar.
“Do you know how to castrate?”
Her question makes me jolt, the glass in my hand slipping. Luckily it was close to the shelf and didn’t drop far enough to break. Focusing back on her, I contemplate what to say.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter if I don’t know how to do it. It’s not like I’m going for a clean, comfortable removal.”
“Eh…” I grab a tall glass and fill it with coke. Putting it beside her gin and tonic, I make sure our gazes are locked before I speak. “Who are we castrating?”
“Two men, who, now that I think about it, probably don’t have balls anyway,” she mutters.
My brain is stuck on the first part. “Two men?”
With a sigh she lowers her chin to the surface of the bar and looks up at me with wet eyes. “I overheard my fiancé getting his dick sucked by the best man.”
Her words run on repeat in my head. I hear them. I understand them. But I’ll be fucked if they make sense. “Your fiancé had a woman as his best man?” That right there seems like a red flag.
Lips trembling in a small smile, she whispers, “No. Darryl is very much a man.”
Bending over, I rest my forearms on the bar and bring our faces inches apart. “Peter”—just saying the guy’s name has my gut clenching and my hands wanting to fist—“and Darryl were getting it on? Before the wedding?”
She nods and a single tear rolls down her cheek. “Know what upsets me the most?”
I shake my head.
“I knew he wasn’t in love with me. I’m not in love with him. But I need to get married. Need to have a husband so my grandfather will hand over control of the company to me and my brother.”
“A marriage of convenience? Does it matter that he likes a guy sucking his dick if that’s what you were doing?”
“That’s not what we were doing.” She frowns. “At least that’s not what we agreed to. He’s been wooing me for over a year, proposed at the Sapphire Ball six months ago—”
“You got engaged the same night as Carter and Livi?” I didn’t know that. And I have to wonder why I didn’t. From what I know of her fiancé—ex—he’d be all over a big flashy proposal in front of as many people as possible and then rubbing it in everyone’s faces that she was engaged to him.
“I couldn’t say no.”
The look on her face tells me more than her words do. She couldn’t say no because of where he chose to do the asking. “I would never propose to a woman like that.”
“I need to think about a way to get back at him. Castration seems like a good start but I’m not sure if I want to touch him. I haven’t before and—”
“Wait. You haven’t touched his dick?”
“No.” She shudders, her face screwing up. “We were waiting until…”
That fucker. I take a deep breath and shove back the rage rising in my chest. “Okay. Let’s brainstorm. He made you cry. What would make him cry?”
The smile that curves her lips is the first happy one she’s given me since she walked in and sat down. “Take away his standing.”
“His standing?”
“Yes. His place. In our social circle. He’s from money, although from what I overheard, maybe that’s no longer there. His family is old money, been a mainstay for generations.”
“Okay. So what? Embarrass him? Strip his reputation?”
“That.” She straightens, a spark of light in her eyes. “His reputation. He loved telling everyone he was engaged to a Foxworth.”
“Well, he’s not engaged to one anymore.”
“No. But I’m sure he’s spinning it to look as though I’m at fault.”
“You didn’t confront him?”
“No.” Her forehead wrinkles and the smile disappears. “I let Olivia and Alexandria take care of it. I didn’t even tell my brother who was supposed to walk me down the aisle.”
I tap the bar as I stand straight. “Let me check in with Carter and Garrett. Once we know how Livi and Lexi handle things, we can make a plan.”
“A plan?”
“Yes. Destroy Peter’s reputation.”
“Could Garrett maybe mess up his car?”
I grin. “That’s a start.”