AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The guy next to him started sniggering.
“Thanks, Grandad.” Ethan rolled his eyes. “If I wanted your opinion, I’d ask.”
“Don’t run your mouth talking about women like you own them, and I won’t ram my opinion down your fucking throat.”
“Whatever.” Ethan waved his hand.
“You gonna let him talk to you like that?” his friend asked.
“Nah. I’m just gonna ignore him and fuck her.” His words were slurring even more. How many drinks in was he?
Michael walked toward him, his blood ice cold. Before he could think through what he was doing, his fingers curled around Ethan’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Ethan’s voice had lifted an octave.
“Keep away from her,” Michael growled. “In fact, keep away from all women until you know how to treat them.”
“You should hit him,” Ethan’s friend told him. “He can’t talk to you like that.”
“Whatever.” Michael released his hold on Ethan’s shoulder. This was stupid. He needed to walk away. So that’s what he did. Turned on his heel and walked back toward the bathroom, where he should have gone all along.
Footsteps echoed behind him. Followed by a guttural roar. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Ethan’s face almost in his, saw Ethan’s hand swing back, his fingers fisted.
And Michael stepped to the left.
Before he could realize what was happening, Ethan ran straight into the wall, the impact sending him to the floor, his arms flailing. He let out a high-pitched cry as his friend ran over toward them.
“My nose,” Ethan shouted, squirming on the concrete floor. “He’s broken my fucking nose.”
“I didn’t touch you,” Michael said.
“You’re bleeding, man,” Ethan’s friend said. “Oh shit, you’re bleeding bad.”
“Let me help you up,” Michael said, reaching for Ethan. But the younger man started squealing like a damn pig, as though afraid he was going to hurt him. His friend was pawing at Michael’s shoulder like he was trying to pull him away.
“What the heck is going on?” Mason asked. “I heard you all the way in the bar.” He looked at Ethan, bleeding on the floor. Then up at Michael, his eyes clouding with confusion.
“He fell.”
“It was your fault,” Ethan groaned. His voice sounded thick. Like he had a cold. “It hurts so bad.”
“Did you hit him?” Mason asked. And Michael hated the way his brother was looking at him.
“No.”
“He made him fall,” the other friend said. “I saw it.”
Michael ignored them and looked at Ethan. “Let me at least clean you up,” he said. “See what the damage is.”
“Don’t let him touch me.” Ethan rolled onto his knees. His hands were in front of his face, warding Michael off. “Don’t let him hurt me.”
“Mason, can you check him over?” Michael asked, his voice low.
His brother shot him a wary glance. “Sure.”
“Thank you.”
And as he turned to walk back into the bar, to ask the bartender for a first aid kit, he heard Ethan whimpering like a child.
