Chapter Nineteen #2
Beth ended up sitting with her parents, Zach, Toni, Lindsey, Maverick, and Stephanie.
A few regulars were notably absent, Screw being the one whose presence she missed the most. He never failed to have her cracking up with wild stories from his misspent youth.
The only cloud on an otherwise sunny experience was Saint ending up on the opposite side of the room.
It had to be that way, of course. She couldn’t exactly demand he sit at her table without garnering a few unanswerable questions.
Well, she could answer them, but she wasn’t in the mood for a fireworks show right then. So she spent the meal chatting with her loved ones, embracing the mushy feelings of being home with family, enjoying delicious food, and trying not to glance over at Saint every two seconds.
One of those things didn’t happen as planned.
Once the group had consumed every ounce of food—these guys had some serious appetites—Beth stood to help start the cleanup. Before she had a chance to grab a platter, the door flew open, and Screw blew in like a hurricane.
“Beth!” he screamed, whipping his head around as he searched for her. His hair, longer than she’d ever seen it, was pulled back in a man bun, but whisps flew around his face as though he’d been messing with it. His eyes had a wild, panicked gleam. “Where the fuck is Beth?”
She stepped forward. “I’m right here. What’s wrong?”
“Oh my God, there you are.”
Screw darted toward her.
Saint shot up, gaze sharp, and muscles primed to dive between them if he found Screw a threat, which was absurd. She gave him a firm headshake.
When he reached her, Screw grabbed her shoulders—Saint must have loved that—and sighed as though a hundred-pound anvil sat on his chest. “You won’t believe what they did to her. It’s so bad. Beth, it’s horrible.”
She blinked at the insane man before her. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He huffed. “I’m talking about what they did to my baby. It’s goddamn criminal.”
“Jazz had a baby?” No, that couldn’t be right. The throuple of Screw, Gumby, and Jazz had decided to remain kid-free, last she heard.
“What? No. Fuck no. I’m talking about… you know what, fuck it.” He bent forward and gently drove his shoulder into Beth’s stomach as he wrapped a hand around the back of her thighs. She yelped as she folded in half and was hoisted off the ground in a fireman’s carry.
“Screw!” she shouted as laughter bubbled out of her. “What is wrong with you?”
“You just have to see it,” he said as he marched toward the door with her hanging down his back like a sack of potatoes.
Beth laughed until her stomach cramped, and tears dripped down her forehead. But then she caught a glimpse of Saint’s thunderous expression.
Yikes. That was one unhappy man. Screw’s days might be numbered, and he didn’t even know it.
Could it be jealousy? A thrill ran through her at the idea, which was probably not what she should be feeling, but the thought of him, possessive and feral, turned her on like nothing else.
Jason’s jealousy had been a cage, suffocating, punishing, and designed to control, but Saint’s felt like a claim, like being wanted so fiercely it bordered on desperation.
He’d never hurt her or take his frustration out on her, and that gave her the freedom and safety to enjoy the intensity with which he wanted her.
Screw ripped the door open and stormed outside. Hot air and sunshine chased away the air-conditioned chill within five seconds.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Gumby’s voice rang out from somewhere nearby.
“Screw! Put her down. Oh my God, you’re making way too big a deal of this.” Jazz had laughter in her voice.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” A sharp yip had her trying to peer around the side of Screw. “Did you get another dog?”
“She’s a foster. We picked her up last night,” Jazz said as Screw finally set her down.
She grabbed his arm for stability until the world stopped wobbling, then set her gaze on the small white terrier practically bouncing around Gumby’s feet.
Beth crouched down, and the dog bounded toward her. “Oh my gosh,” she gushed as she held her arms out. “What a cut! Holy shit, what the hell happened to her?”
“See,” Screw said to Gumby. “I told you it’s fucking criminal.”
The dog wriggled all around as Beth stroked her horribly cut hair. The poor girl looked like someone hacked at her fur with a machete while blindfolded. The uneven tufts stuck out in all directions. “What happened?”
Screw threw his hands in the air and practically shouted, “She was butchered. That’s what happened.”
“Okay, baby.” Jazz walked over to him and rubbed his back as she kissed his cheek.
Her eyes sparkled with laughter, but she wisely appeased her husband.
Well, one of her husbands. The other rolled his eyes.
“This is Mary Lou. We picked her up from the shelter last night. She was filthy, so Screw took her to the Barking Beautician this morning…”
“And that evil woman destroyed her,” Screw said with a growl.
Beth cringed. This didn’t bode well for her interview later today. Did she really want to work for someone who did such shoddy work?
“Pretty sure she did it on purpose too,” Screw muttered.
Beth blinked up at him. “Really?” Being shitty at her job was one thing, but if the woman were malicious, Beth would cancel the interview in a heartbeat. “Why do you think that?”
The dog rolled to its back, soaking up belly rubs with an adorable wiggle.
“Because when I walked in, she started preaching to me about the family unit and how disgusting it was for me to be with a man and a woman. She got pissed when I told her to shove her opinions up her ass.
Her jaw dropped. Well, that sealed the deal. No way could she work with or for someone who thought that way. Screw, Jazz, and Gumby had one of her favorite relationships on the planet. The three were so over the top in love with each other, even after a decade and a half of being together.
Now what the hell was she supposed to do for work?
“Can you fix her?” Screw asked, sounding near desperate.
“Yes. She won’t be perfect, but I can even her out. It’ll be too short, but at least it will grow in properly, and she won’t look like a gremlin anymore.”
“Thank fuck,” Screw said. He seemed to lose fifty pounds of tension as he put his arm around Jazz’s shoulder and tucked her into his side.
The dog scampered back over to Gumby, so Beth stood. “I’m glad you came by. I was supposed to interview there today.”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry, Beth.” Jazz looked gorgeous in a hunter green V-cut tank top and white denim shorts.
A litany of scars covered her arms and chest from a past trauma.
Back in the day, Jazz would wear full-length sleeves no matter the temperature or time of year.
Having two men worship her for the goddess she was helped her overcome any insecurities she had regarding her appearance, and now she wore whatever the fuck she wanted, and she looked fantastic.
“No. God, don’t apologize. I’d much rather know she’s an evil bitch now.”
“Tell you what,” Screw said. “You should open your own salon. Put that monster out of business. There’s a need for it. She has a terrible reputation, but is the only game in town. She’s only been open a few weeks too. Before that, we had to drive almost an hour for a good groomer.”
“Yeah, I’d love to have my own place.” She shrugged. “Maybe someday. I don’t have the capital for that right now.” Her parents had offered to help, of course, but she wanted to do it without their assistance.
“Huh.” Screw rubbed at the stubble on his chin.
A grin broke out across Gumby’s face. “Uh-oh, you’ve got him thinking, Beth.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been talking about investing in a local business for months, but hasn’t found one that speaks to him,” Jazz said with a smile. “You might have just given him the perfect idea.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Wait, really?”
“Want to talk about going into business together, Beth?”
“For real?” Holy shit. Was he serious? Could this possibly be real? She’d kill to own a salon and to be in business with one of her favorite people.
Hell yes.
He nodded. “Yeah, I think this would be perfect. Let’s get together this week and talk details.”
Fuck the details. Where did she sign?
She squealed and threw herself at Screw, who managed to unwind his arm from Jazz in time to catch her. “Thank you!” she whispered as she hugged him tightly.
He squeezed her until she worried she’d pop. “I’m as excited as you are.”
Over his shoulder, she caught sight of Saint leaning against the clubhouse with his arms folded over his chest and a scowl on his face. He watched her every move with hawk-like intensity.
“I’ll come by this afternoon to fix up Miss Mary Lou, that work?” she asked as she released him.
“Perfect.” Screw hugged her one last time. “Love you, kiddo.”
Saint’s eye twitched.
Rolling her eyes, Beth moved to hug Jazz next. “Long time since I’ve been a kiddo.”
That had Jazz laughing. “You could be fifty, and he’ll still call you that,” she said as she and Beth embraced. “Better tell your guard dog to be careful,” she whispered in Beth’s ear. “He’s shit at masking his feelings.”
“I don’t… I mean…”
“I fully approve,” Jazz whispered. “And I’m here if you need me.”
She nearly cried right there on the spot. What had she done to deserve such incredible women in her life?
As they drew back from the hug, Jazz winked. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
She bid goodbye to Mary Lou and Gumby as well. The trio took off. Screw stuck Mary Lou in a doggie backpack for the bike trip while Jazz climbed on behind Gumby.
As soon as they left, she turned and walked toward Saint, whose irked expression hadn’t changed. “He’s like an uncle,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I know.”
“And yet you have a problem with him hugging me?”
“I have a problem with anyone touching you who isn’t me.”
His gruff voice sent a shiver down her spine. “I probably shouldn’t like that so much, but I do. It makes me want to get back in bed with you so you can show me just how much you hated him hugging me.”
“Fuck.” His eyes flared with instant lust. After a glance left and right, he grabbed the back of her neck and yanked her in for a bruising kiss that weakened her knees instantly.
It ended before it started, but was no less brutally core-shaking.
“You’ll make an incredible business owner,” he whispered as she tried to find her footing.
“Oh, thank you.” Excitement surged. “I can’t believe Screw wants to open a grooming salon with me.”
Saint tilted his head, studying her. “I can. You’re fucking amazing. I’ll follow you to his place later so you can fix that rat dog.”
“Hey! Be nice. She’s a sweetie.”
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Then afterward, maybe we can go back to my place, and I’ll show you what happens when you let another man touch you, platonic or not.”
Her knees wobbled. Her thighs clenched.
He kissed the side of her head, then strode away as though he hadn’t lit a fire between her legs.
They had to talk.
Really talk about what the hell they were doing, but for now, she preferred to bask in the glow of all the good fortune finally coming her way.