AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I'm not feeling well. Roman's going to take me home. Thanks for trying, Tyler, and nice to meet you, James."
I grab Roman by the hand and lead him away. I swear I hear him growling as we pass James. I wave as we walk past Fulton and Bishop, who, yep, are cuddling up on each other in a booth. As are Noah and Haze a few booths down.
I make the universalwe're goinggesture. Noah gives me the thumbs up, while Haze gives me an entirely X-rated hand sign. I tug Roman away before he can see and jump to any conclusions. I wouldn't want him thinking I haven't kept up my side of the deal. Because I have. I haven't breathed a word about our arrangement to any of the guys.
We approach the front of the club, and I'm starting to think we're in the clear, when a figure steps in front of us.
"Well, well, well." Bailey sneers, his gaze dropping to where my hand is threaded with Roman's. I fucking hate that he's back in town. "You're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one."
Before I can respond, Roman whips past me, and all that growly energy he was trying to suppress with James explodes as his fist curls into Bailey's shirt. "You leave Locky alone. You hear me?"
"Take. Your hands. Off me, you fucking oaf."
Roman is glaring at Bailey, his jaw clenched so tight I half expect his teeth to shatter any minute. Just when I'm pretty sure Roman's never going to release him, he does, lifting his hands in the air and backing away slowly.
"Touch me again, and I'm pressing charges." Bailey eyeballs him. "And by the look of you, I'd say you're pretty familiar with the inside of a jail cell anyway. You on probation?"
"Bailey, fuck off." It's one thing for him to make my life hell, it's another thing when he drags a good friend into it.
He turns his attention to me and gives me a pitying smile. "The criminal and the slut. You two deserve each other if you ask me."
I throw myself onto Roman in the nick of time, because he was on the verge of lunging at Bailey and doing god knows what to him.
"It's not worth it," I whisper into his ear, desperate to placate him. "He's trying to provoke you. Don't let him win."
Roman's taut muscles flex beneath me, his chest heaving angrily, but he takes a step back and waits until both my feet have hit the ground before he spits out, "You ever call him anything like that again, I will find you and fuck you up so bad they'll have no choice but to throw me into the slammer for the rest of my life. You hear me?"
The threat hangs icily in the air. For once, Bailey doesn't have a comeback. He starts to walk away, but before he disappears into the crowd of onlookers—because, hey, who doesn't love a spectacle?—he turns over his shoulder with an indignant grin and says, "Just remember, I've got footage."
To Roman's credit, he doesn't try to jump the guy again. Instead, he wraps his arm around me protectively, presses me to his side, and tells me everything is going to be okay.
10
ROMAN
I have no way of knowing if everything is going to be okay. But it wasn't just some throwaway line I said to try to make him feel better.
I meant it.
I will do whatever I can to make it okay, because by god, I will doanythingto protect Locky from that asshole of an ex.
The guy looked like such a weasel it's hard to imagine Locky and him together. Not that that's something I want to spend too much time imagining, anyway.
So I turn my thoughts to something a lot more pleasant. When we got back from the club, I ducked into the shelter and brought the litter over for some impromptu play time. Yes, I know it's late, but I figure with all the sleep deprivation these guys have given me over the last month or so, they owe me one.
And it seems to be working. We're sitting on the floor in the living room, and Locky is smiling and totally absorbed as Ross and Rachel play fight with each other.
I've been keeping a close eye on Monica, who's trying to make her way onto the coffee table—never gonna happen, her legs are way too short, but try telling her that—while Joey is officially locking me down as his bestie. He's sleeping on my lap, can you believe it? Say what you want about me, but I am a man who perseveres.
"Thank you for this," Locky says softly, looking up at me.
He got changed when we came back into a white T-shirt and sleep pants, but his hair is still greasy with gel or whatever oil slick he used on it.
"How are you feeling?" I keep my voice hushed because Joey is purring—fucking purring—as I lift him into my arms. Little dude just became my ride or die.
"Pretty awful. I feel like an ungrateful shit to my friends who were just trying to help me, and I'm horrified by the way Bailey spoke to you. I am so sorry about that."
"Youneverneed to apologize on behalf of that man."
