Fury ripped through Bear like a forest fire. He stood, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides. “That’s none of your fucking business.” His growl rattled dust off the rafters. He was the younger of the two and didn’t doubt that if it came to blows Grimes would give Bear a fight, but that didn’t matter to him. He wouldn’t allow anyone to speak about Aasia as if she was…what? Just a fuck? A conquest?
Sharp stood and came around the table, offering a wall between Bear and Grimes. “We need to reel it back in. This is getting out of hand.”
Bear noticed that Sharp’s eyes were on him. “Why are you looking at me? I didn’t start this shit.” Bear’s chest rose and fell with each breath.
“I’m talking to both of you,” Sharp swiped his gaze from each of the men.
Grimes chuckled, a harsh grating sound, his gaze burning into Bear. “Why are we dancing around the truth? We both know Bear gets sidetracked with every skirt he meets. This is no different. Who’ll be taken down this time? Maybe Aasia?”
Bear shot across the short distance as quick as a whippersnapper, the heavy thudding of his boots echoing like a shot through the dim space. Before he could reach Grimes, Sharp lunged forward and several other cowboys had jumped out of their chairs to aid in keeping Bear and Grimes separated. Sharp had his hands pressed against Bear’s chest while Hawkeye and Echo had their grip on Grimes’ shoulders.
Sin was standing near, buddy-slapping Bear on the back. “Take a breather, dude.”
“This isn’t happening,” Sharp said. “We’re all still a team and we’re still going to act like it.”
“You know what I think the problem is here,” Bear gritted through his clenched teeth. “I think you’re upset that Aasia wants me and not you.” He looked Grimes up and down in disgust. “Now I see rejection has caused you to be butt-hurt.”
“What the fuck?” Grimes’ eyes narrowed.
“Don’t act like we haven’t seen it. You tried but she shut you down.” Bear’s logical side warned him to tread carefully but his anger got the best of him.
“That’s far from the truth.” Grimes’ body was tense, his chest still puffed waiting for a possible fight.
“Really? Because if I remember correctly, I’ve heard you say not once, but a few times that you wished she’d break up with Bentley.” The air crackled with their mutual hatred and disrespect for one another. “You can’t handle that she wants nothing to do with you.”
Grimes took a short step but met Hawkeye’s chest like an iron wall.
“Whoa, whoa…,” the men said in unison.
“Step back,” Hawkeye said firmly.
Grimes squinted but listened and fell back. “I think we’ve all had about enough of you doing anything you want and not caring where the shrapnel might fall.” He tore a hand through his hair.
“If there’s one more word said I’m going to send you boys into a locked room and let you stay there until you work it out. Got it?” Sharp said, anger turning his features red. He’d become a father and had mellowed, but he still had a streak that no one wanted to mess with. “I’m still the leader here and I make the decisions. I decide what’s best for this team. Bear, you stay. The rest of you, you’ve got things to do.”
The air thickened and the quiet room filled with the sounds of grunts, scraping of chairs on the planked rough floorboards, and the scuffling of boots.
Sharp looked straight at Grimes who was hesitating. “Go! You and I will talk later.”
His shoulders slumped, Grimes headed for the barndoor. Before he reached the outside, he barked in Bear’s direction, “This ain’t over. Mark my words.”
Bear chuckled.
Just as soon as he and Sharp were alone, they faced each other.
“What the hell?” Sharp jerked off his Stetson and gave it a toss down onto the table.
Bear gritted his teeth. “You tell me?”
Sharp scraped his hands down his face, looking tired. Recently, they’d placed his father in a nursing home and Sharp had seemed preoccupied lately. “Why the hell are you two going at each other like first graders fighting over the football?”
With an indifferent shrug, Bear said, “You should be asking him.”
“But I’m asking you.” A muscle twitched in Sharp’s tight jaw.
“I’ll take a stab. He blames me for the ambush, at least Echo getting shot. No one feels worse than I do about not being there, having his back. He was new and he was my responsibility. I take accountability, but this is different.”
“What’s this about Aasia? What am I missing?”
