Chapter 23 #2
I glance around the courtyard, trying to compose myself, and catch a couple of girls at a nearby table staring daggers at us.
Or perhaps only at me. They’re young, early twenties, probably, dressed in the kind of revealing outfits that scream “rodeo tourist hoping to catch a cowboy.” Their glares are focused entirely on me, and I can practically see the jealousy radiating off them.
Three rodeo stars. Three gorgeous, devoted men who can’t seem to stop touching me.
Too bad for them. These ones are mine.
I turn back to my Alphas with a satisfied smile, but it freezes on my face when I see who’s approaching our table.
Tanner.
He’s out of uniform, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that’s seen better days, and he’s swaying slightly as he walks. His eyes are glassy, his movements uncoordinated.
Drunk. Great.
He stops at the edge of our table, one hand slapping down on the wood to steady himself. “June.”
“Tanner.” I keep my voice flat. “Go away.”
“I can’t.” He’s trying to sound earnest, but it comes out sloppy and pathetic. “I still love you, you know that? It fucking destroys me to see you with these… these dicks.” He gestures vaguely at Carter and Kai. “You deserve better than them. You deserve me.”
Kai’s hand tightens on my thigh. Beside him, Carter has gone perfectly still, his jaw set and his eyes hard.
I laugh. “Which is exactly what I have now—better than you. So do yourself a favor and walk away before you make this worse.”
“They’re using you.” Tanner leans in, his breath rank with alcohol. “Can’t you see that? The second the rodeo leaves town, they’re gone. You’ll be nothing to them.”
“Wrong.” Carter’s voice cuts through the noise of the restaurant, sharp as a blade. “She’ll be everything to us for the rest of our lives.”
Tanner’s attention swings to him, his lip curling. “Oh, fuck off. I know what you did. You and your little friend here”—he jabs a finger at Kai—“stole my cruiser the other night. By the river.”
“Can’t prove it,” Kai says with a shrug.
“I’ll fucking find proof. And when I do, I’m getting all of you tossed in prison. See how much she loves you then.”
“Tanner, you’re drunk,” I say. “Go home. Sleep it off. Stop embarrassing yourself.”
He reaches for me, and suddenly Kai is on his feet, moving with a speed that seems impossible for someone his size. He positions himself between me and Tanner, his broad shoulders blocking my ex from view.
“Don’t.” Kai’s voice has dropped to something low and dangerous, a growl lurking beneath the words. Every muscle in his body is coiled tight, ready to strike. “Don’t touch her. Don’t look at her. Don’t even think about her.”
The transformation is startling. Gone is the playful, reckless cowboy who jokes about everything. In his place is something primal, an Alpha protecting his Omega, and God help anyone who gets in his way.
Tanner tries to peer around him. “June—”
“She’s not yours anymore.” Kai steps forward, forcing Tanner to stumble back. His voice is quiet now, almost conversational, which somehow makes it more terrifying. “She’s our Omega now. Our pack. And you? You’re nothing but roadkill we haven’t bothered to scrape off the pavement yet.”
“Big talk from a guy who steals police vehicles. You left water everywhere. You better not have been fucking naked in my car.”
“At least I have something worth showing off naked.” Kai’s grin is all teeth. “Can’t say the same for everyone.”
Carter snorts out a laugh.
Tanner’s face goes red. “Fuck you. I’m huge. Every woman I’ve been with has cried from my size.”
I can’t help myself. “Yeah, cried with disappointment.”
The people at the surrounding tables are starting to pay attention now, conversations dying as they tune in to the drama unfolding at our corner.
Tanner sputters, looking between us. “You—I—that’s not—”
“The true measure of a man,” Carter continues, his tone philosophical, “isn’t what’s in his pants. It’s how much he can drink.”
Tanner blinks, thrown by the change in direction. “What?”
“You heard me.” Carter leans back in his seat, arms crossed, completely at ease. “Anyone can brag about size. But it takes a real man to hold his liquor.”
I see what he’s doing. Tanner has always been competitive, always needed to prove himself, and alcohol has always been his weakness. Carter is dangling bait, and Tanner, drunk, angry, humiliated, looks like he’s going to take it.
Sure enough, Tanner puffs up his chest. “I can outdrink any of you clowns.”
“Prove it.” Carter’s smile is slow and dangerous. “You and me. Shot for shot. Right here. We’ll see who the real man is.”
“Not tonight,” Tanner states.
“Why not?” Kai answers.
“Because I’m not a fucking idiot. I’ve already had a head start. Wouldn’t want anyone to say you cheated.”
“Fine, then you won’t have any problem showing up sober tomorrow.” Carter’s eyes glitter with challenge. “Unless you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared of shit.” Tanner’s chest is heaving now, his face mottled red. “Shot for shot. And when I win, you admit, publicly, that you stole my police car.”
“I can’t claim something I never did,” Carter adds.
“Fuck you.”
“Look, I’ll admit you’re the better man,” Carter states. “How’s that?”
“And when you lose,” Kai interjects, “you leave June alone. Forever. No more talking to her, no drunk confrontations or pathetic attempts to win her back. You stay away from her and from us. Deal?”
Tanner’s gaze jumps to me, something ugly passing across his face. Then he nods sharply. “Deal.”
“Excellent.” Carter raises his beer in a mock toast. “See you tomorrow, Tanner. Try not to piss yourself thinking about it.”
Tanner opens his mouth—probably to deliver some devastating comeback—but nothing comes out.
He just stands there for a moment, jaw working, before finally turning and stumbling away toward a table in the far corner where a group of his buddies are waiting.
A girl I don’t recognize drapes herself over his arm, shooting me a smug look.
You’re welcome to him, honey.
“Fucking prick,” I mutter under my breath as I sink back into my seat.
Kai slides in beside me and drapes an arm around my shoulders. “You okay?”
“I will be once he’s gone.” I glance at Carter and shake my head. “You don’t have to do this. Seriously. He’s not worth it.”
His grin stays bright, almost cheerful, which is unfair considering he is about to start a war over a man he doesn’t even respect. “Oh, I know he’s not worth it. That’s why it’s going to be fun.”
Kai snorts. “If anyone can win a drinking contest, it’s Carter. I’ve seen him put away a whole bottle of whiskey and still recite poetry.”
I laugh despite myself, despite Tanner and the tight coil of anxiety that has been living in my ribs all day. These three make it hard to stay scared. They keep dragging me back into the moment, into breath, and into something that feels survivable.
That’s when Seth returns, balancing a tray stacked with food. He sets it down in the middle of the table, and the smells hit me all at once—brisket, ribs, pulled pork, cornbread, coleslaw, beans. He slides into the seat beside Carter, scanning our faces.
“What did I miss?”
Kai, Carter, and I exchange glances, a shared silent agreement, then we all start laughing again.
Seth’s eyes narrow, already suspicious. “All right. What did you two do now?” His gaze lands on Kai and Carter, because of course it does. He knows where trouble lives.
“Nothing,” Carter says, too innocent to be believable.
“Absolutely nothing,” Kai agrees, the picture of sincerity, if sincerity had dimples and a criminal record.
I press my lips together, trying not to laugh harder, and fail.
Seth stares at them, unimpressed. “Well, you all look suspicious.”
Kai spreads his hands. “We are offended that you would accuse us.”
Carter nods solemnly. “Deeply offended.”
Seth doesn’t blink. “Because I know you both.”
Kai leans closer to me, stage-whispering, “See? He has trust issues.”
Carter whispers back, “He was born with them.”
This time it’s Seth who laughs out loud, and I love the sound so much.
It’s intoxicating and contagious. And somehow, even with Tanner sitting nearby and my nerves still buzzing under my skin, my shoulders loosen a fraction, because this is what they do.
They crowd in, feed me, and then joke until I can breathe again.