Rich Prick – Tijan Page 0,71

the guy.

I twisted.

“He’s hurt,” she hissed. “He was in a fight.”

He stared at Aspen with a blank face, his hand in the air. He’d been about to hit me on the shoulder or back. His blank expression switched to nervousness.

He lowered his hand, stepping back. He saluted me with the beer in his other hand. “Sorry. Just had to come out and congratulate you. Any guy that lasts a round with Cross Shaw, only to be knocked out by one of Monroe’s bounty hunters, is legendary in my mind.” He touched his beer to his chest and took another step backward.

“Yeah, man.” Aspen took my hand as I clipped out, “But don’t touch me or her.”

I gave him another look and let Aspen tug me toward the house.

Zeke was holding court in the back section of his basement. He had a bar in the corner, and everyone had congregated around him. There were a couple pool tables, and couches in all corners of the room. The sliding doors had been pushed open, and the party spilled out around the pool.

The music was going to give me a migraine.

“Yo.” Zeke reached for a beer, but paused. He leaned over to the back of his bar and came out with a bottle of whiskey. He opened it as he made his way to us. “You got sprung, huh?”

He handed it over.

I took a drink for the impending migraine.

Zeke nodded to Aspen. “You drink? If you don’t, I could make something virgin for you.”

I paused, checking his tone and look, but there was no hidden innuendo there. Zeke was truly offering to make something non-alcoholic for Aspen.

My chest swelled.

He was rolling out the carpet for her. He’d done it at her house, but doing it here in front of everyone, he was giving her his stamp of approval. That would go a long way with everyone else.

Aspen stepped close to me, resting her head against my arm. “You know what? Give me a beer. Never been a big drinker, but maybe it’s time, huh?”

Zeke’s grin was almost blinding. “Right on.” He nodded before going back behind the bar.

I glanced down. “You sure? You don’t have to. I’m in pain. I needed something to dull it, but I’ll quit in a second so I can drive back, if you want.”

“Drive Maisie?” she said incredulously.

She was adorable.

I wanted to taste her pouty lips. I needed to taste them.

“Uh, whoa.” Her eyes went wide and darkened. She’d felt my sudden response.

I caught the back of her neck and leaned down.

Moving my mouth to her ear, I whispered, “I want you grinding on me tonight. I want to watch you as I slide inside of you, and I’m going to make you come three times for me.”

Her knees folded.

I caught her. Her hand pressed to my stomach, fisting my shirt. “Oh. Okay. Yes, please.”

Adorable. Fucking adorable.

“Seriously, guys. Keep the hot and heavy till later,” Zeke said, returning from who knows where. “Daniels is here, you know?”

That was a cold shower. It worked on Aspen too, because she jerked away from me.

I caught her right as she was about to run into Brian, who held three beers by the necks. I tugged her back, focusing on Zeke, who was handing a beer in a glass to Aspen.

“Cheers.” He held his drink up.

I clinked it with the bottle of whiskey. Aspen joined us, and as she drank, Zeke asked, “So now that I’ve been an ace host and the beverages have been distributed, what happened?”

“You tell me.” I frowned. “I woke up in the back of Monroe’s bounty hunting office. You were gone.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, watching the crowd around us.

Not me. I ignored everyone but these two.

“Your brother’s girlfriend stayed back to handle the pizzeria staff. I don’t know why. She seemed to know the girl we were talking to, but they wouldn’t let me come. Said I’d escalate the situation. Your boy had one of his goons with him, though. What happened?” His eyes slid to Aspen. “How’d you hear? I didn’t have your number, and his phone was still on him when they took him.”

Her eyes got big.

I smoothed a hand down her back, keeping her close. “Channing Monroe called her.”

“Hmmm…” She held up a finger, finishing her drink. “No. I called your phone. He picked up and asked who I was, then told me to come down if I thought I could help the situation.”

I felt a kick from that one. I’d