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Butch placed his hand on the top of her head. “Quiet, baby.”
Huh? She hadn’t said anything, had she? She glanced up at him.
“I can hear you worrying from here. Don’t. He’s just fooling around.”
“Hey, I am not. We are besties. In fact, as her bestie, I might have to ask you what your intentions are toward my girl.”
Before she could blink, Butch had Tanner by the arms and was hauling him out of the room. Whoa. Tanner might be smaller than Butch, but he was no lightweight by any stretch of the imagination.
Butch was strong.
When she realized what was happening, and she jumped to her feet. The room spun. Shoot, she was so tired. She really needed more sleep, but she wasn’t going to get it today. She needed to suck it up and get out there before Butch killed Tanner.
“Whoa, where are you going?” Raid asked, stepping into the doorway to stop her from leaving.
“To help Tanner.”
“Tanner? You care about Tanner?” he asked.
“Of course I do.”
“More than Butch?” he asked.
Huh? What did he mean by that?
“Of course not. I care about Butch . . . he . . . he’s . . . will you please let me out?”
He studied her for a moment. Then he shook his head. “Sorry, Lara. I can’t do that. There’s a rule on this property. All fights must be outside. And no women allowed.”
“That’s . . . that’s awfully sexist! Wait! Are you saying they’re fighting? Oh, no!”
His eyebrows rose. “What did you think they were doing?”
“I don’t know, arguing, I guess. Please, let me out. Why would they fight? They’re brothers.”
“Guessing Butch didn’t appreciate Tanner coming into your room half naked and lying on your bed like he belonged there. Can’t say I’d like him doing that to my girl, either.”
“I’m not . . . I’m not Butch’s girl,” she whispered.
You want to be, though.
“Aren’t you?” Raid asked cryptically.
Damn him. She didn’t need him putting more ideas in her head. Because tomorrow she was leaving this place with her twenty grand and never looking back.
Which would hurt her—a lot.
But she was being ridiculous. She’d known Butch less than a week.
“Just let me pass.”
“No, they’ll work out their issues and come back. Don’t worry. Butch won’t mess up Tanner’s pretty face. Too much.”
Anxiety churned in her stomach, but she moved back toward the bed. Raid remained in the doorway like some sort of jailor.
She glanced at the tray of food. Toast with jelly and a cup of coffee. She picked the coffee up, knowing she probably couldn’t stomach any food. Then she heard a door slamming, and to her shock, there was laughter.
“All right! I’ll apologize. Let me go.”
Raid looked over at her. “Told you they’d be all right.”
He moved aside, and Butch shoved Tanner into the room. Thankfully, neither of them looked bruised. Just a bit disheveled. Tanner’s pants were covered in dirt and there was a leaf in Butch’s beard.
He ran his hand down his face, dislodging the leaf.
“Are you guys all right? What happened?” she asked, setting down the coffee mug and moving toward them. She went to Butch first and, to her surprise, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in tightly against him.
“Lara has been rather concerned about you both,” Raid said, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he leaned against the doorframe. “Perhaps you could reassure her that you didn’t hurt each other.”
“You were concerned about me, darlin’?” Tanner asked. “That’s so sweet.”
Butch tensed.
“Tanner, you’re about to get your ass kicked if you keep going on like this,” Raid warned.
What was going on between them all? There was something she didn’t understand.
Tanner nodded with a sigh. “Lara, sorry I barged into your bedroom and subjected you to my gorgeous, sexy chest.”
Raid groaned and Butch scowled at Tanner.
“Uh, that’s okay. I don’t mind.”
“See?” Tanner said with a grin. “She loves my bare chest.”
“The rest of us don’t,” Raid said.
Tanner walked over and picked up a piece of toast. “Yum, I was starving.”
“That was for Lara, you asswipe,” Butch said without any real heat. There was some resignation in his voice, as though he was used to Tanner’s antics.
He was definitely full of energy.
“She doesn’t mind. We’re besties.”
She shook her head at him but couldn’t help her smile. Then her phone buzzed with a message.
“Oh, shoot! I need to get ready. I already missed the champagne breakfast, so I need to be at the hotel in like thirty minutes.” She raced to grab her coffee. “Crap! I’m in the middle of nowhere. How will I get there?” She didn’t even know how far out of Devotion they were.
“I’ll take you,” Butch told her. “Go get in the shower. And eat some of your breakfast.” He saved the other piece of toast from Tanner’s greedy fingers. She took it from him with a smile, even knowing that she wouldn’t eat it.
