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I saw red, and I blacked out.
I was standing over her before I knew it, and I didn’t have an ounce of remorse. Her pretending to cry at my feet made me mad. I wasn’t even sure what I’d done, but the bouncer and bartender were charging my ass. She had the whole fake tears thing going but flashed me a smile before they got to us.
Mostly, I wouldn’t put my hands on a woman, but Lucy was a different story. She was assaulting Aspen, and I’d put her in a fucking grave if I had to.
Sebastian intercepted their bouncer while the bartender picked Lucy up.
They escorted us outside, and the bartender asked Lucy if she wanted to call the cops.
This was the last fucking thing I needed.
Levi was going to be pissed.
* * *
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Levi stood over us at the hotel after he’d convinced the cops not to book us. It wasn’t really that hard. This was our hometown.
Lucy had gone back and forth about pressing charges and finally told the cops she wouldn’t do that to Aspen as long as he asked her not to personally. I’d told him not to but he’d gone and done it anyway. She kissed him on the mouth and told him to call her tomorrow. I’d break his goddamn phone before I’d let him. I was only glad she hadn’t tried to come back to the hotel with us after creating that scene.
She was lucky all my dad’s old buddies were in the grave alongside him, or I’d be putting a hit on her ass.
“I didn’t think. It just happened.” I wasn’t going to apologize for it either. Not even if I had to go to court. It wouldn’t be the first time or the last.
Not if Lucy stayed around.
“You can’t do this kind of shit. How does this look with the accusations against Kingsley, and now you’re a woman beater? Like, do you all want to burn the band to the ground? You have such a good image of standing up for disadvantaged communities and being about pride and social justice.” A vein popped in Levi’s head, and it looked like he was about to have an aneurysm.
I stood up and got in his face, cutting him off. “Don’t you fucking tell me shit about Lucy. Let anyone say what they will about me throwing her off Aspen. I will defend myself and start talking, and I don’t give a fuck who that hurts.”
Levi was a good dude and a great manager, but he wasn’t going to talk down to me.
Aspen met my eyes, and I subtly shook my head. I’d take his secrets to my grave, and he knew that. He nodded and looked at his hands. I wanted Levi to fuck off so I could get Aspen alone and ask him if he was okay.
Not even King knew everything. Not the worst of what Aspen had gone through. He saw the night terrors and panic attacks, but Aspen never could bear to let his brother into his darkest parts. He didn’t want Kingsley to carry that burden. So we’d both always shielded his brother from the worst.
I didn’t blame him. I wasn’t sure I’d tell anyone if it was me in his shoes. But I was glad I knew. It helped me take care of him.
“It doesn’t matter what she’s done. It wasn’t Aspen standing up to her. He had a right, and even then, it still looks bad because of how most of the public views abusive relationships—”
“In this year of our lord and its wokeness, you all get on my dick about treating people right and how men can be victims, and I’m being fucking penalized for standing up for my god damn best friend when…”
I wouldn’t let myself go there. Not when I knew Aspen didn’t want anyone to know. But so help me God, I was going to hit this motherfucker before the end of the night.
"Fuck that. Men get assaulted, and she deserves what she has coming to her. I will give an interview and say that. Or fuck it, I’ll just go fucking tweet it,” I said when Levi remained silent.
Horror stretched open Levi’s eyes, and he stammered a protest, but it wasn’t him who I focused on.
“Please don’t,” Aspen said, barely audible.
I gave a slight tip of my chin. I hated her for knowing how to hurt him in ways he’d never say a word about. Another look passed between us. Silent and painful. He carried sorrow in his gaze.
“Fine. I won’t post anything,” I said when Levi still hadn’t shut up.
Poor guy was sweating like he was dreading another fucking scandal to deal with. “Good. Hopefully, it will blow over, and no one will pick it up. There aren’t pictures or videos of you two getting removed, as far as I can tell. Mostly because you were in a dive. What were you even doing there?”
I waited for Aspen to explain, but he didn’t offer one.
Levi glanced between us. “Anyone?”
