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Well, she was easy until she was anything but.
When I heard from a mutual friend she would be here tonight to celebrate her friend Hannah's birthday, I hadn't thought much of it until the plan to take Nikki out had hatched. Never, not once, did I think she would get violent. The hostess, the same one I had stopped by to talk to earlier and make sure we had a seat at the same table as Lacey, rushes over.
"Are you okay?" she questions Nikki, dabbing her with some napkins, not that it does any good.
Nikki, though, doesn't even look fazed. She only spares me a second before answering the hostess, but I can hear the laughter in her voice. Laughter? Fucking hell, does this woman ever do what I expect?
That's about when it all goes tits up.
Lacey's salad hits Nikki in the chest, the ginger dressing and lettuce sticking to her. I stand the second I see her move, my chair tumbling to the ground just in time to stop Lacey from reaching Nikki. No doubt, we've got the whole damn room's attention at this point. Lacey is going nuts trying to get past me. I catch her hand, maybe arm, right in the jaw, but it just pisses me off more.
"Shut your fucking mouth, woman," I demand, my voice hard and unforgiving. Lacey, though, ignores me and somehow gets an empty plate in her hand, swinging it quicker than I can stop it and dropping it on Nikki's head. I've never wanted to hurt a woman more. "You touch her one more fucking time, and I'm not going to hold her back when she's had enough." Do I know if Nikki is the kind of woman to defend herself? Not really, but I have a feeling I'm not wrong.
"You really need a muzzle."
When Nikki's snarky remark hits my ears, I fight back a grin. That's my girl. Fuck, my girl?
"He's mine," Lacey snarls at Nikki.
Maneuvering my hold on Lacey, I turn her so that her back is to me and both of her wrists are in my grasp. She tries to kick me but just ends up kicking her own leg.
"Mon colibri, get your purse," I say over my shoulder. "And do me a favor and call the police after you take some cash out of my wallet to cover the inconveniences."
Lacey only gets more animated after that request. I ignore her, apologize to the staff surrounding us, and feel Nikki's hand reach into my back pocket for my wallet. I don't wait for her to put it back; instead, I lead Lacey out of the restaurant. If Nikki isn't right behind me, she won't be far. I don't like leaving the damage control to her, but right now, all I want is this piece of trash away from her.
When we step outside, I give a little shove and release Lacey. She doesn't stumble but turns and tries to get in my face. I place one hand on her chest to keep her from getting too close. Unfortunately for me, she was able to get one of her nails into the skin on my neck first.
"Has this bullshit been hiding inside since I met you? Because I gotta say, Lacey, had I known you were this fucking crazy, I would have scraped you off long before I finally did."
"You fucking love me, you asshole."
"You're even more unstable if you think that's true."
"Yeah?" she screams. "Then why is your ring on my finger?" She holds out her hand, and I'm stunned silent for a second when I see she's still wearing that damn ring.
"Probably because he was nice enough to let you keep it. Maybe he thought you could buy a new personality with the money you got from pawning it."
Nikki steps up to my side, pushing my wallet back into my pants. Well, saved by the fucking bell.
"You ... you bitch!"
"You know, someone once told me you can win more fights with intelligence instead of resorting to animalistic tendencies and words that belong in the garbage." She steps a little closer to Lacey and turns her head as I
feel her gaze on me. I look down only when I know I have Lacey contained. "Of course, those garbage words are pretty amazing when they're coming from you and you're saying them while you're between my legs, honey bunch."
"You call the cops?" I ask, ignoring another of her stupid pet names. Fuck if I'll admit, they're growing on me. Just like all the other quirky things that are one hundred percent Nicole Clark.
She nods.
"I'm sorry our night ended this way," I tell her, not wanting her to think I wanted this to happen. I figured we would show up and Lacey would get the point and see that I was actually not wasting away for her.
She waves me off, shrugging and smiling at Lacey. "Don't be. You're not the one in charge of her rabies shots."
"Fuck, you're cute."
"You know, you don't need to hold her back from me," she tells me, still looking at Lacey, who is red in the face from the yelling we're both ignoring. I glance up at the restaurant quickly and see we've brought an audience out here with us. Looks like we're more entertaining than the chefs tonight. How did I not see this coming? "Drop your hand, Shane."
"Fuck that," I answer immediately with a frown, not understanding why she would want this bitch free.
"Release her, Shane. Now."
"Not a chance in hell I'm letting her near you, cherie."
"You never called me that!" Lacey screams.
"Shut the fuck up," I grunt toward her.
"Shane, I'm asking you one more time. Be a good boy and let her go, and I promise I'll let you do whatever you want later for a reward."
I let my hand fall instantly but move to pull Nikki into my arms at the same second Lacey charges, turning so that she hits air and not Nik. Never once did I think that the woman I was trying to protect would be able to move quicker than I could, though. By the time I finish our spin, Nikki's out of my arms and face to face with the woman I stupidly thought I could spend the rest of my life with.
"Touch me. I dare you," she taunts Lacey.
I reach out to take Nikki back in my arms, but again, she evades me.
"I'll do more than touch you," Lacey yells, spit flying from her mouth.
I can feel the animal inside me pacing in agitation while I lose complete control of the situation. Lacey swings, Nikki ducks, and in a move straight out of a kung fu movie, Nikki has Lacey on her back in the grass with one tiny little foot right on Lacey's chest.
