He patted Liam on his cheek as he took his regular stool. Liam couldn’t help but roll his eyes. At least he knew where he got his cheesy lines from. Chiara just laughed as she set a pint of Guinness down in front of Finn.
When Liam reached his end of the bar again, Dean was waiting for him.
“How are things going?” Dean asked.
“Good. It looks like it’s going to be a busy night,” he answered.
“That’s not what I’m asking about.”
“I know. It’s coming to an end, so not great.”
Dean patted him on the shoulder in solidarity before wandering over to join Sam and the rest of their friends.
“Problem?” Chiara asked, reaching for a bottle behind him.
“I don’t think so,” he answered. He leaned against the back where he could see her as she pretended to study the bottle she had just pulled from the wall. “Is my father behaving?”
“A perfect gentleman, as always.” Reaching up next to him to replace the bottle in favor of a different one, she managed to rub one of her breasts against his arm.
“Are you trying to torture me?” he asked.
“Is it working?” she answered. “By the way, my boss wasn’t amused by Albert draped like a stripper around the front banister pole this morning.”
Liam grinned and looked down at his shoes. That had been his best one yet. When he had his face schooled, he glanced back up at her with mock shock. She rolled her eyes.
“Hey, I think we’re being watched.” Liam had assumed when Parker and Astrid joined them, the group would have enough entertainment without having to focus on what was happening behind the bar. He should have known better. Parker was always aware of everything that went on in his business.
As Chiara hurried down the bar refilling drinks, he found both of their older brothers with matching scowls following her. Max’s attention followed his sister down the bar before returning to Liam. Shit, he would have to be more careful from now on.
Liam spent another couple of hours mixing drinks as quickly as he could as the orders poured in. He was debating about slipping into the office to change his sweat-soaked shirt when he noticed Chiara stretching her back.
Figuring she was as exhausted as he was, he motioned for her to join him at the end of the bar to discuss going on a quick break. The crowd was thinning out some, which would give them both a chance to get out from behind the bar.
“Are you giving out on me already?” he asked as she stepped up to him. Without even a second thought, he slid his hand to rest on her hip as they talked.
“I feel like I haven’t stopped pouring in hours,” she answered, leaning in so he could hear her over the bar.
“Why don’t you take your break first, baby? What do you want to eat? I’ll place an order.” Reaching out, he automatically slid the piece of hair that had worked its way loose back behind her ear before brushing his hand down her face. The gesture had become a daily habit. He was going to miss that.
It was the last logical thought he had before he heard someone growl a string of expletives. Strong hands grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him over the bar.
He found himself unceremoniously dumped on the floor in the middle of the glass and spilled beer. Liam looked up, trying to make sense of the situation. His eyes found the author of his current trouble. A very angry Max Scaletti looked back.
Before he could protest, Max grabbed another fistful of shirt, jerked him off the floor, and hauled him backward through the bar. Pandemonium broke out behind them as Parker yelled for Dean to take over the bar. Liam was tossed out the back door onto the blacktop.
He had no idea what had happened to Chiara, but he was positive with Max standing over him that she was the least of his worries right now. Max had figured out that they had become more than just co-workers.
“Max, wait,” Liam got out before Max’s fist made contact with Liam’s left eye.
He had gotten in fights most of his life, but he couldn’t remember ever being hit this hard before. Stars burst behind his eyes. He fought to stay sitting upright against the wall. He was dragged to his feet roughly as his eye started to swell shut.
“Did you fuck my sister? Yes or no,” Max growled. Liam’s first thought was to lie. Lie his ass off to avoid the beating he felt sure was coming. But he had never been that good at getting himself out of trouble.
“I wouldn’t call it fucking, exactly.” He tried to explain to her brother that being with Chiara had been like making love, hardcore porn, and sexual gymnastics all at the same time. Before he could put that out there, a fist connected to his jaw. He hit the ground again.
It was probably for the best that the end of that statement didn’t make it out of his mouth. Max would have guaranteed he ate nothing that wasn’t mixed in a blender for the next month.
“Max, let him go.” Thank God he could hear Parker. Max had already dragged him back up by his shirt again. He didn’t know how many more punches he could take without passing out. “Max, I get it. I do. But beating Liam isn’t going to solve anything.”
