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“A brat?” I snort-laughed. “A brat, Thomas?” I stood and threw my glass at his head, deliberately missing so it shattered against the wall. “Yeah? And what are you going to do about it, old man?”
Thomas smiled back. “Happy to remind you who taught you to hand out a good ass-whipping.”
Hell, yes. This was what I needed. Killing those bikers didn’t do shit to satisfy my bloodlust.
“I’m happy to let you try,” I told him as I removed my cufflinks and rolled up my sleeves.
Thomas did the same, slowly removing his vest like this was another one of our lessons. Shoulders squared with a slight hunch, fists protecting his face. “Let’s see what you got. Brat.”
I lunged forward, sneaking a jab between his arms. It landed on his nose. “Too slow, old man.”
The old fucker put his right fist forward and landed a body hit and a hook to my jaw with his left. “Who you calling old?” He flashed a confident smile that just pissed me off.
“The only old man in the fucking room,” I growled and landed two hammer fists to his jaw. Thomas stumbled back but only a step before he recovered and came back at me. “Yeah, come and get some more.”
He ducked my next jab and landed two in my gut and one in my side, smiling the whole fucking time.
Time to stop fucking around, son. Colm’s voice came to me in that moment, and all I could see was red. Anger and hurt and disgust rose to the surface, and I had the perfect fucking target in front of me. I landed a hook to the jaw, an uppercut to his chin, and another hook to his side.
Thomas spat and pushed me backward, not hard enough to fall, just enough to let me know he wasn’t fucking around anymore either.
“You wanna fight me, Jasper? Fine. Let’s do it.” He got back in fighter’s stance and backed me up until I was against the wall and landed blow after blow to my face, my stomach, and side. My ribs.
No way was I letting his fucker beat me.
“No!” I pushed him into the table, and a few chairs toppled over and lifted my foot to stomp him.
Thomas rolled away, fast for his age, and was on his feet again quickly.
I was on his ass as soon as he was on his feet, three blows to the gut. One to the back and two more to the ribs.
“Fuck,” Thomas growled and showed his gratitude by landing a spinning elbow right on my mouth, splitting my lip open.
I spit the blood out, angry and sore but not ready to quit. Never would I fucking quit a fight. “Sucker punch.”
“Not a sucker punch when my back is turned, you little shit.”
That satisfied fucking smile on his face only pissed me off more, if that was even fucking possible. I let loose another jab that barely grazed his jaw, but the next one landed perfectly. Good.
His head snapped back, and he reset quickly before he stepped in and landed two consecutive leg kicks. I stepped in to land another punch, and that earned me another fucking kick to the other leg.
“Fuck!” My roar of pain echoed in the dining room.
“Done?”
“Not even fucking close,” I growled and stepped in for a combo. Jab. Hook. Jab.
“Jasper,” he scolded.
“You can stop this at any time,” I told him, breathless and panting.
Something flashed in his eyes, and Thomas nodded before he stepped with his right leg, but I was ready for him this time and blocked that left jab. He kicked me with the right leg before he punched me twice in the mouth. One final leg sweep, and I was on my back, staring up at Thomas’ angry, anguished face.
“I just did,” he growled. “Unless you want me to knock you out?”
I spat out more blood and glared up at him. “Fuck you.”
“Yeah, fuck you too, Jasper.” He extended a helping hand to me, and I smacked it away, but Thomas was a stubborn bastard, and he kept his hand there, daring me to not accept it, to prove I was the little shit he accused me of being.
I accepted his hand and got to my feet, gripping his hand hard for a long moment. We stared at each other, the moment tense and almost awkward, but I had to let him know who the fuck was in charge.
“Think you broke my fucking calf.”
“I could have if I wanted to.” Thomas made his way to the bar, pouring two glasses of whiskey and handing me one.
“Yeah, thanks.” Even though I got my ass beat, that fight was just what I needed to get my head on straight, to satisfy my need to fuck some shit up. Some more shit, my mind taunted.
“Look, Jasper.” Thomas took a sip and sighed. “I’m not an Ashby. I damn well know that. You love to remind me of that, just like your father did. The thing is, I know I’ll never be, and I’m fine with that, but I love your mother and even her adult children. This house full of people? The only fucking family I have.”
