Bad to Be Worthy (Bad to Be Good #2) - Andrew Grey Page 0,7

climbed out of the tent. “What do you want?” he asked as the guy strode over as though he owned the world and everyone in it.

“I want what I told you to get for me,” he growled, grabbing Tucker’s shirt.

“I didn’t find anything,” Tucker said. “There was nothing there.” He looked into this guy’s rage-filled eyes and wondered how much of a beating he was going to get before the guy realized Tucker was telling the truth. “I did what you asked and found nothing.” He tried to keep his voice level even as he was dragged up onto his toes.

The punch to the gut knocked all the wind out of him, and he crumpled to the ground, coughing and trying to breathe. “Tell me where it is, or I’ll tear this place apart to find it.”

“I don’t know,” Tucker croaked. “Maybe out to sea.” He braced himself for more pain, maybe a kick or worse, but it didn’t happen.

Tucker lifted his gaze as the man fell backward, pulled to the ground without a word. At first Tucker thought the other people around had taken action, but instead a single man centered in his gaze.

“That’s enough. You get the hell out of here or I’ll snap your neck like a twig.” He never raised his voice, but menace filled his soft tone. “I could kill you if I wanted, and I’m sure I would be doing the world a favor.”

“Do you know who you’re messing with?” the man growled as he tried to get back on his feet.

“Don’t care. You need to leave folks alone.” Tucker’s savior pulled the other man to his feet. A glint of steel caught Tucker’s eye, but his savior reacted quickly, grabbing the wrist and forcing the knife to the ground. “Coward.” He shoved the other man hard, and he stumbled back the way he came, with Tucker’s hero pushing and hounding him until he ended up in the muddy area at the end of the camp. “Now get out of here and stay away from these people.” He waited as the mud monster hobbled off.

Tucker had managed to get to his feet, but his belly hurt like hell. At least the pain was lessening and he could breathe once again. He was grateful that he hadn’t gotten sick, but his stomach was definitely unhappy.

“Are you okay?” the guy asked as he drew closer, and Tucker recognized him from the restaurant tonight. “Did he hurt you badly?”

“I’m okay,” Tucker said softly. “What are you doing here?” Was this guy following him too? Hell, was he waving some sort of sign that he wanted to be followed?

“I was heading home and saw him skulking behind you. I followed because after what I heard at the restaurant, I figured he would pull something like this.” He turned toward where the guy had gone. “He won’t return for now.”

“Are you sure about that?” Tucker asked. The guy was definitely persistent. He was starting to figure out why, and he hoped to hell the guy would leave him alone. Maybe it was a good thing that they were planning to leave in the morning. He could disappear and then figure out what he was going to do.

“Oh yeah. He won’t be back right away.” He held Tucker’s gaze, and a warmth spread through him. When he wasn’t fighting Tucker’s battles, this guy was hot as hell. Not that this moment was the time for those types of thoughts, but it was hard not to think about it when a pair of intense dark eyes looked into his.

“And if he is, we won’t be here anyway,” he said softly. “I’m Tucker, by the way, and thank you for helping us.”

“Gerome.” He smiled and glanced around. “You’re leaving?”

Tucker nodded. “We were planning to pack up in the morning. There are some rumors floating around, and we don’t want to get caught up in anything. So my friend and her son and I were leaving anyway. Maybe we should have just packed up and gone already.”

Gerome nodded. “What did Muscles want, anyway?”

“Something that was supposed to have washed up on the beach. I was looking for it and never found it. He must have thought I took it and was pissed. But I never did, and if it was so important, then he should have gone looking for it himself.”

Gerome hummed and glanced around once again. “I’m going to suggest that you all pack up now and put your stuff in whatever