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Then she saw her car and went rigid with anger. “What the hell?” Jerking out of his hold, she stomped forward, looking around for the person who’d spray-paintedSTAY AWAY, BITCHin bright red across her windshield. “How am I supposed to drive home, let alone get that off?” She glared at Brett, as if he were responsible.
“A more important question is who wants you to quit frequenting Casey’s?”
Brett pulled his cell out and sent a text while Allie searched for that answer and came up with only one plausible answer.Ricky.And here she thought he’d finally given up on them getting back together.
“You’ve thought of someone. You can tell me when I take you home. I’ll have this cleaned for you” – he waved a hand toward the damage – “and your car returned to you.”
Allie stiffened, not caring for his take-charge manner even though she appreciated his support. “Thanks, but I can call a cab and have Triple A tow it for me. I should get some use out of the money I pay them every year.”
Fisting his hands on his hips, he regarded her with a thoughtful expression, his head cocked, as if he didn’t know what to make of her. Again. “Now, when you can use a little help and I’m offering, you want nothing to do with me?”
“Just because I’m a flirt doesn’t mean I’m some helpless bimbo,” she retorted, wanting to make that clear.
Reed and Eric, the club bouncer, joined them before Brett commented, their faces reflecting concern and anger over the vandalism.
“I glanced at the surveillance camera and, whoever this was, they knew enough to keep their face hidden,” Eric said. “I couldn’t even tell if it was male or female.”
Reed ran a finger over the lettering. “It’s had time to dry and will be a bitch to remove.”
“Which we’ll take care of since it happened on our property.”
Brett’s look dared Allie to argue, but she was too tired and disappointed in the evening’s end to continue this tonight. As for Ricky, if it was him, he was her problem, and she would handle him herself. She never thought he would take his determination to get back with her this far, following her out here and marring her beloved car. He knew the blood, sweat, and tears she had put into restoring the VW, and hoped he wouldn’t try to get to her by hurting her this way. But, if not him, then who?
“Fine, just make sure whoever you take it to is careful.” And since she wouldn’t mind a little extra time with Brett, she caved on the ride home, too. No sense in letting her pride deprive her of a little extra fun. “I’ll take you up on your offer of a ride home also. Maybe you can give me a better way to end the evening than on this sour note.”
Reed smirked, and Eric gave them a curious look. Brett released a long-suffering sigh and took her hand again. “I should have realized you would take advantage of my good nature,” he drawled.
“Yep. You have no one to blame except yourself,” she told him, gloating as he led her to a large truck that was too high for her to get into without a boost.
He opened the door then hoisted her onto the seat, her hands going to his shoulders, the warmth of his rough palms seeping into her bare skin where he held her. Staring at her with their noses close to touching, he kept his hands on her waist as she whispered, “You can release me now.”
Brett nodded and closed the door, not saying anything until he slid behind the wheel and the truck was rolling onto the highway. “Are you going to tell me who you think vandalized your car?”
His seemingly protective concern titillated Allie, but she didn’t need a defender. She could handle her ex and leave Brett to deal with his own. The last thing he would want to take on would be her problem with an ex-boyfriend.
“I doubt it was him now that I’ve thought about it. I’m sure it was a random act of mischief.” Allie would talk to Ricky, threaten a restraining order again, and that would be the end of it, just like the last time he’d forced her to issue that ultimatum.
“I don’t like that it happened on our property, and it sounded personal.”
So, he was concerned about his reputation, not her.Ouch.That deflated her ego. “An unknown person telling me to stay away from Casey’s or you? Either would mean it had more to do with you than me. It’s your establishment, as you pointed out.”
“Just tell me if it happens again so I’ll know for sure. Where do you live?”
She took his abrupt tone to mean he didn’t care for her pointing out that factual tidbit. Good. “It won’t.” Let him make of that assurance what he wanted. She was tired, upset about her car, and now ready to call it a night. “Beaver Trail Apartments, first right past the city limits sign coming up.”
