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His friend stepped between us, digging out a wad of cash and shoving it into my hand. “Here. For your trouble and the drinks, miss.”
I kept my eyes on Tall Guy, not acknowledging the money. “I’d leave if I were you. Before this gets ugly—Leiper’s Fork kind of ugly.”
Tall Guy stepped closer, hovering over his friend’s shoulder. “What are you going to do, cunt? Cream some more on my finger?” He popped his index finger into his mouth and sucked. “Tastes pretty stale. Like it’s been recycled by rednecks a few hundred times.”
Suddenly, I found myself eyeing the shards of glass on the floor. How hard would it be to pick one up and stab this son of a Bisquick in the eye?
Joe appeared, sliding an arm between me and these guys like a roadblock. “Gentlemen, the police station is one block over. Which means you have ten seconds to leave. And the sheriff? He don’t swing like a girl. Neither do I.”
Gee. Thanks, I thought. Because going by the blood on Tall Guy’s face, I swung like a champ.
“I’ll see you again real soon, Trailerparkpussy.” Tall Guy turned and headed for the door, his moronic posse of Cromags trailing behind him.
I snarled and watched the guys walk out, half of them stumbling over themselves as they left. Tall Guy, though, he stopped and locked eyes on me, a promise in his glare. This wasn’t over.
Joe scooped up the bills from the floor and began counting. “At least they paid.”
I was still frozen with balled fists, my eyes fixed to the front door. Part of me hoped Tall Guy would come back in so I could watch Sheriff Idiot arrest him. The other part didn’t want to see him ever again.
Suddenly, a cold gust of air slammed into the side of my head.
I pressed my palm to the spot and winced. “Baby jumping Jesus.”
“You okay?” Deedee came up.
I couldn’t move. The sensation was like having a shard of cold steel spiked into my skull.
“I’m going to go get the plate numbers for the sheriff,” said Joe to Deedee. “You stay with Masie.”
“Masie, you don’t look so good.” Deedee tugged at my arm. “What did those boys do to you?”
I pried open my eyes, my gaze pulling toward a shadowy figure in the corner of the bar. A man with a predatory gaze sat staring. I couldn’t make out all the details of his face, but I could tell he had long dark hair, thick black lashes, and pale eyes.
We locked gazes for a moment, and then he looked away, as if completely disinterested in me or the commotion.
“Let’s get you some water. You can chill in Jimmie’s office.” Deedee led me by the arm through the kitchen into the back, but my mind was still out front with thoughts of that man.
CHAPTER FOUR
Just after one a.m., the sheriff waltzed in. Joe had insisted on staying, but I made him leave ten minutes early to get ready for his big “date.” After the altercation, most of the patrons went home anyway. Something about those nasty boys left behind a bad vibe, so I was about to close up early. No use in Joe sticking around.
“Hey, Masie,” said the sheriff, taking a seat at the bar and removing his brown cowboy hat. “We combed through town and put out an APB on those men. Nothing’s turned up, so I’m gonna assume they went on their way.”
I raised my brows, drying the clean glasses from the back and stowing them neatly under the counter. “Good riddance.”
“Don’t you worry, Masie. I doubt he’ll press charges.”
I stopped drying. “Press charges?Heassaultedmefirst.”
“Either way, Joe could only give us a partial plate, but if we hear anything, I’ll let you know. I gotta jail cell with his name on it.”
“Jail is too good for men like that.” Who the heck went around poking strangers in their precious oyster and then called them the c-word?
“Just wanted you to know there’s no sign of ’em.” He leaned back in his chair, like he owned the place.
I didn’t even have to look up to know that Thomas was drooling over my boobs. “You’re married. And I’m not interested.”
“Don’t mean I can’t look.” He offered a flirty smile.
