Breaking Bro Code (The Line Up #4) - Misti Murphy Page 0,84
bar to Tarzan himself over it. “That’s it. You’re dead.”
“Let me explain.” I put my hands up in surrender as I back up.
“What’s to explain? You’ve been fucking around with my sister.”
“It’s not like that.”
“It’s always like that with you.” He grabs a fistful of my shirt and pushes me into the shelves. Bottles rattle, clink, and clatter. Jack Daniels and Grey Goose and Patron crash on the wooden floor and splatter us.
“Cal’s going to be pissed,” Pez says.
“I’ll replace it.” I grab Hud by his collar. “Listen up, you giant tween. I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t want to develop feelings for your sister. I sure as hell didn’t want to act on them. Or hurt you. I tried to stay away from her.”
“You didn’t fucking try hard enough,” he bellows. “Everyone else knows she’s off-limits, but you’re the only one who couldn’t keep his dick to himself.”
I duck as his fist crashes into the shelf next to my head. The slab of wood explodes into pieces. The Sambuca and a bottle of crème de menthe tumble to the floor. The accompanying smash makes me blink. More alcohol soaks into my pants. The pungent aroma of alcohol and mint is suffocating.
“I adore Lily,” I say. “And I’m sorry that I didn’t come to you and tell you that we’ve been seeing each other—”
“You’ve been seeing each other? How long has this been going on?” His chest heaves and his eyes bulge. “How long have you been running around with my sister behind my back?”
“A few months.”
“Hud,” she says approaching us.
“Don’t come any closer, Lil,” I warn. “The glass. It’s everywhere.”
“You’re not going to hurt him, Hud.” She climbs onto the bar and tries to reach for him.
“Damn right, I’m going to hurt him,” he yells and swings again.
His fist glances off my jaw. The impact rattles me.
He hauls back to throw another punch, but this time I duck and tackle the bastard, bringing us both down on the sodden floor. We scuffle, each trying to get the upper hand. Glass sticks in my back as he shoves me to the ground.
“Stop. Stop it. Please.” Lily is screaming. There’s another crash, this time against the bar.
Liquid waterfalls over the counter. Spatters the ground. Splashes my face.
“Fuck,” Pez hollers.
“Holy shit, Lil.” Cal’s voice breaks into my singular focus as he enters the bar. He must have been close by to make it here so quickly. “Don’t move, okay?”
She’s a wild-eyed Amazonian warrior. Her violet strands swing about her face as she crouches on the counter with a broken, empty spirit bottle in her hand. The jagged edge is pointed our way. “They’re the ones who need to stop.”
“Shit, Lily,” Hud says, dropping his grip on me. He stretches out his hand to her, speaks softly like I expect he would have when she was little. “That’s really dangerous. You want to hand that to me?”
“No.” She’s white as a sheet. Her eyes are overly bright. But she has this air of calm and steel about her that belies the craziness of that broken bottle. “Not until you let Vale go. I can’t believe you’re being so bullheaded. I’m a grown woman who can make her own decisions. I don’t need you to treat me like a child. I certainly don’t want you trying to beat up my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend?” He glances at me, questioning.
“Yeah,” I say. “I hope you can deal with that. I know it might take some time.”
“Here.” Cal wraps a hand around Lil’s wrist and gently disentangles her fingers from around the neck of the bottle. “Let me take that for you, Lil.”
“Okay.” She exhales like she’s relieved to have him take the weapon. “I wasn’t going to use it. I’m not… I just needed them to stop. I couldn’t let you two tear each other apart.”
“I know, pretty girl, you were just fighting for what you believe in. You’re so strong. You’re amazing.” Glass is lodged into my shoulder blade and it stings like a motherfucker. “But perhaps you better leave the fighting to us morons. I’d hate to see you get hurt.” I push at Hud. “Let me up.”
“How could you, man?” He’s breathing rough, but the anger is dissipating and leaving disappointment. “I asked one thing of you. Stay the fuck away from my sister. I told you in French, German, and freaking Welsh not to touch her. I don’t know how many times I’ve quoted the one damn rule in our whole