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I’d had enough. I was almost halfway through my second whiskey and was more stressed than before I’d entered the bar. I stood up swiftly, thinking bitterly that these fools could have done me a favor and shown up an hour later, so they could have gotten chased out by a shotgun instead.
I stood, scraping the bar stool loudly on the wooden floor. The two thugs turned to face me with mean expressions on their faces. Too drunk, they didn’t seem worried that I was the same height as the bigger one, much more heavily muscled, and looked twice as mean.
That was their first mistake.
“You got a problem as well?” the smaller one said. “Looks like everyone in here needs a lesson in fucking manners.”
I held my hands up defensively, palms facing them. “Listen,” I said, in a low menacing voice, “‘cause I’m only gonna say this once.” I paused, noting the silence in the bar and the fact that everyone’s attention was on me. “I suggest you fuck off now, before I teach you a lesson in manners.”
They stood stupefied for a second, their expressions quickly changing from shock to anger in the space of a few seconds. And then they both took a step towards me, their arms raised.
That was their second and final mistake.
I covered the distance to the pair in an instant. Adrenaline slowing my perception of time, it seemed like he was moving like someone under water.
The smaller guy was quicker and had reacted to my advance first, swinging a frightened and savage right hook at my jaw. I tensed my left arm, strong palm facing outwards, and stepped into the punch, deflecting his fist harmlessly past my head. I then brought my right fist up to his jaw in an explosive uppercut, my massive biceps and ripped abdomen giving the punch extraordinary power and sending him flying backwards, landing with a crunch.
An instant later, I turned to face the big guy. But I easily weaved under his first right jab, rising to send a left cross into his temple. He grunted and punched at me viciously with his left, bringing his fist hooking towards my temple. I rocked back on my feet, his fist missing my face by a few inches as his momentum took him slightly off balance.
I stepped into his guard, pushing his over-extended right arm into his chest. At the same time, I brutally headbutted him square on his nose. It broke with an audible crack. I then hooked my right leg behind his left, stepping past him and sending him the rest of the way to the floor. He landed heavily with a grunt of pain.
“Shoulda listened when I told you to fuck off,” I said, my voice distorted from my partially transformed mouth-shape.
The whole exchange had taken a matter of seconds. I looked at the pair on the floor as they slowly picked themselves up. I didn’t expect any more trouble from these two and figured their pride would most likely stop them from going crying to the cops, especially when they’d been the one to start the trouble. Or at least I hoped that would be the case…
I’d been a nasty bastard in the past, but only to people who deserved it, either by threatening me, someone I cared about, or someone I was protecting. I didn’t consider myself a hero though, as I knew the only real way to stay safe was to avoid trouble whenever possible.
Regardless, I hated lowlife small-time wannabe hard men who picked on people for no reason.
I surveyed the eyes fixated on me from around the bar. I had been in the army for a few years in my younger days. My strength, savagery, skill with weapons, and fighting prowess had lead me into the Rangers, which I’d deserted after a period of spiraling self-destruction into corruption and illicit gambling rackets after the breakdown of my first and only marriage.
I turned to face Drake, stunned to see him grinning broadly at me.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” I said after a second. “Just don’t like fools causing trouble where it ain’t needed. ‘Specially fools that gang up on a couple of old guys who ain’t causing no trouble.”
Drake nodded, still grinning. “That’s all right,” he said. He leaned over the bar to tap me on the shoulder, and then pointed a finger at the old guy. “Thing is,” he continued, “if they’d picked on him ten years ago, they wouldn’t be walking outta here.”
The old guy winked at me. “Navy SEAL,” he said.
“Rangers,” I replied, nodding
I took a seat two stools down from the old guy. A large whiskey appeared in front of me. “Drink’s on the house today, buddy,” Drake said.
I raised the glass and took a grateful swig. Then I heard the door slam shut behind me, our uninvited guests leaving with their tails between their legs. Most of us had already forgotten they were there.
“So.” The old guys had turned on their stools to look at me. “Rangers, huh? Bet you got some stories.”
I grinned broadly. “Of course. I got tons. If you think you can handle them.” I winked.
Chapter Six
Alexandra
I awoke early, slightly groggy. Olivia and Lucy had ended up staying at my house. We figured there wasn’t much point in them going back home for one day, just to return the next day. Plus, we were having fun.
We’d ended up getting through quite a few bottles of champagne as we lounged around my dad’s mansion, spending time by the pool, Jacuzzi, and sauna while discussing the upcoming trip. I liked my luxuries and home comforts, but Lucy, and especially Olivia, were on a whole different level entirely. They had both called their respective homes’ housekeepers and had their suitcases delivered to my house the first day they’d arrived. Even the small cases they’d brought for the two-day stay had been the size of what a normal person would take for a week-long vacation. I suspected they hadn’t even packed the cases themselves or bought their own clothes.
I rolled over twice to reach the edge of my bed, brushing my unkempt hair back so I could check the time. It was eleven o’clock. I sighed.
