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He approached me, stopping inches away. “Fine.” He cupped my chin, his grip tight, but not painful. “We stay in town, but not here. I won’t have you being shot at.” He let me go and reached for the doorknob. “I need to deal with Deck. He’s not keeping me away from you any longer.”
“Connor,” I blurted before he had a chance to leave. It was better this came from me than Deck, although either way, Connor was going to freak being set up. “They weren’t shooting at me.”
His eyes darted to mine. “How do you know that? Does Deck know who the fuck it was?”
“Well, that’s not it exactly.”
His brows dropped. “Not it exactly?”
“I didn’t know this was their plan. They just told me. I guess they were afraid if I knew about it, I might find a way to tell you.” The pulse in his throat throbbed and his jaw tightened. Yeah, he was pissed. “Deck shot the house.”
He was quiet, but the air was heavy as he contemplated. “They shot up the house to draw me out. They scared you with fuckin’ bullets just to get to me.”
He was mad. Really mad. I hadn’t seen him this mad as the lines around his lips accentuated, his eyes dangerously dark, and his body tight.
He pulled me away from the door, yanked it open and stalked out.
Oh, shit. This was not good.
I followed until I saw Deck waiting in the kitchen.
Connor didn’t waste time as he approached him. My eyes widened when I saw his right hand curl into a fist. He stopped in front of Deck, the tension pulsating off him.
I held my breath. I had no idea who would win in a fight between them, but Deck was definitely the calmer one. Too calm.
They stared at one another for a second and then Connor’s arm drew back. I gasped at the same time as he plowed his fist into Deck’s cheek.
Deck had been prepared for it and barely moved.
“Connor!” I managed one step toward him, before something grabbed my arm and tugged me back. I glanced at the fingers curled around my arm to then meet Vic’s eyes. “He’ll hurt him.”
“Doubt it,” Vic calmly replied. “They need to hash this out and you need to stay clear of it.”
My head snapped back to Deck and Connor who now had him by the shirt up against the wall. “Fight me, asshole.”
“Not fighting you, Connor.”
“Fuck.” Connor shoved him in the chest then let him go. He ran his hand through his hair and took a few steps away and smashed his fist into the side of the fridge.
Deck rubbed his jaw.
I wanted so badly to go to Connor, but I was scared, too. He was furious and I was freaking out. Not a good combination. As if sensing my apprehension, Vic leaned into me and said, “Deck can look after himself and Connor doesn’t have his gun.”
I glanced at the back of his jeans and there was no bulge beneath his T-shirt. He’d been in a hurry.
Connor’s hands clenched at his sides, but he made no move to hit Deck again. “You used my girl to get to me. You fuckin’ scared her to get to me.”
Tyler and Ernie appeared beside me and Vic.
“Guess he knows now?” Tyler said.
I nodded.
“What the fuck? We don’t work that way.” Connor paced back and forth the width of the kitchen. “Jesus Christ. How could you do that to her?”
Deck appeared rather relaxed for just having been punched by his best friend. “You know why. Don’t need to explain shit to you. This has to end. What you’re doing with Alina. To me. Your family and friends. It stops today.”
Connor stopped pacing and faced him. “Jesus Christ, why can’t you leave me the fuck alone?”
“You know why,” Deck answered calmly. “We don’t leave a man behind—Ever.”
Tears swam. This was why I trusted these men. Why I easily trusted Connor when we met. There was nothing stronger than their loyalty to one another and it was what men like this did. They stood by one another and fought for one another. And they weren’t the type of men to sit back and do nothing.
Connor didn’t comment.
Deck continued, “Every man gets home to his family, O’Neill. You’re not there yet. You hearing me?”
“Yeah, I’m fuckin’ hearing you.”
“Let’s give them some space,” Vic suggested. Tyler and Ernie headed down the hall and Vic waited for me. I stole one last glance at Connor, turned and left.DECK SET THIS up to get me here.
Fuck, I wanted to do a lot more than punch him. The hell I went through when I heard the police scanner go off while I’d been in the shower. I swear my heart burst through my ribs and I nearly ran out of my hotel room naked in order to get here. My head detonated with shards of fear at the thought of Alina lying on the floor, blood pooling around her.
