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The man at her side darts forward and shoves me back, breaking my hold on his wife’s hand.
I automatically step back, but he’s quick and already sweeping my feet out from under me.
I start to fall. But I’m quick, too, and I snag his collar, dragging him down with me.
Only I’m not quick enough to dodge the punch he aims at my jaw.
His wife, who started laughing after I saiddaddy, jumps forward and starts tugging on Nero’s shoulder, trying to stop him from beating on me.
And since I’m not going to accidentally hit a woman, especially not Nero’s woman, I force myself to stop fighting back.
Nero stares down at me with his devilish black eyes, but he also relaxes. “If you ever hurt my wife, I’ll skin you.”
I lift a brow. “Is that all? If you ever hurt my wife, I’ll dangle you over a hungry bear. Let him rip off pieces to eat until no number of tourniquets or amount of adrenaline would wake you back up.”
Nero makes an impressed face. “Decent idea.”
Payton reaches out a hand and tugs on Nero’s dark hair. “Can you two talk torture techniques standing up, please?”
Nero presses his fists into my chest, putting his full weight onto me while he pushes himself up.
I flex against his heaviness so he doesn’t crush me, but to get him back, I kick the heel of his foot as he steps over my legs, making him trip.
Nero spins around, ready to fucking pummel me again, but King puts his arm out between us. “You’re even now,” he says to Nero, then lowers his hand to help me up.
I lift my head to see Val hugging Aspen, both of them wiping their eyes, then take King’s offered hand.
Back on my feet, I follow King when he tips his head toward the kitchen.
Nero steps up close behind me. “I kinda like you, Dom.”
I smirk at him over my shoulder. “Feeling’s kinda mutual.”
He slaps a hand, hard, in the center of my back. “It’d be a shame to have to kill you.”
He moves to step around me, so I get him with a backhand to the gut. “Feeling’s still mutual.”
King rolls his eyes at us before pulling open the fridge, and I feel my mouth pull into a grin.
I said my piece, and while I’m not happy about seeing Valentine cry, I think this will give her some closure for that chapter of her life. And she needs that so she can start looking forward to our future.
King turns back around with three beer bottles in hand. It’s not one I know, but I’m not picky. Before I remove the cap, I press the cool glass to my jawline, where Nero’s hit connected.
Nero eyes me. “You deserved that.”
I remember the rabid look on his face before he shoved me and smirk. “Worth it.”
He huffs and snags the beer King holds out for him.
King stares at me as he lifts his own bottle to his cheek, where I first hit him. “It was a cheap shot,” he tells me, like there’s any excuse for letting yourself get caught off guard.
“Maybe. But Val said some shit on the way over here that reminded me I owed you a punch to the fucking face.” I flex my fingers, releasing the stiffness. “And if you make me think about it too much, I’ll want to do it again.”
King watches me for a long moment, then drops his eyes to the ink on my neck. “She really tell you all that? Or did you dig it up?”
I lower the bottle from my jaw. “She told me. We talk. A lot.”
He nods once. “I’m glad she did. I’m surprised. But I’m glad.” King leans back against the counter. “I know I owe her more than one shitty apology, but I’ll take care of it.”
