for Checkmate.”
“What?” Will tries to look over his shoulder, but without actually taking his eyes off his adversaries. “Rush!”
“Can you shut up?” Romeo growls. “Fuck, Conner.”
“What? They’re calling you a cop. I’m setting them straight before shit escalates and someone gets hurt.”
“Not a cop?” Ripley questions with a grin. “But security. So… a rent-a-cop with grand aspirations?”
“Side gig,” Romeo counters easily. “Gotta make money somehow. I’ve been good to you, Rip. I’ve worked hard.”
“Wait, you’re working for him… proudly?” I exclaim. “What the hell is wrong with the men in this town? Wannabe gangsters, illegal bullshit, hurting people to make a dollar. Does Sophia know you’re moonlighting like this?” I step further out of his shield and let my crazy fly.
I’m not a stupid woman, but I’ve already shoved my foot so far into my mouth, I’m going to suffocate. So now I choose: shut up, or blow it up?
“Soph trusts you to uphold the law! You’re not a cop, but you sure as hell should still be on the right side of the law!”
“Conner!” Romeo snaps when Ripley produces a tiny gun from a holster by his back. “Shut it!”
“You were at the courthouse today,” I shout. “Working with the police, working to help the police. And, what, on your lunchbreak, you sell pills to elementary students?”
“Olivia!” William roars. “Shut the fuck up!”
“No,” I shout right back. “You shut the fuck up, William Quinn. I thought we had something, I thought you were a good person.” I let my tears fall; why the hell not? “I was going to marry you! Everyone says that your infatuation is surface-level and dumb. You don’t know her, William. You only like her hips. But you do know me, don’t you? And I know you. We spent years talking about golden retrievers and the color yellow. We talked about butt stuff, and having kids.”
“Olivia!”
“But then you stopped writing me. So the wedding I was planning was completely ruined. The dress I was designing, the blue heels I selected for my something blue. I had a venue picked out, and I was going to choose the beef, since I know you love a perfectly cooked steak. But I can’t marry you if you’re not even gonna be there, you jackass!”
“Wait.” William forgets he’s supposed to stand between me and the wannabe thugs, and instead turns around. “You would have married me? For real?”
“Yes! And with your tanned skin, maybe our children wouldn’t be so fucking pale. But you’d rather help Troy and these wannabes make a few dollars. For what? To feel like a big man?” I throw my hands in the air, wave them around and draw far too much attention from the four men carrying guns. “My daddy is a cop, Will! He busts people like you, which means he’s not gonna give you his blessing to marry me. And ya know what?” I take a step closer to a slack-jawed Ripley. “I really want him to approve. My father is important to me, you sausage!”
“Sausage?” Troy questions on a murmur.
“Oz Franks annoys the shit out of me,” I exclaim. “But I love him with all of my heart. Which means he’s gonna need to approve of my husband. He’ll need to walk me down the aisle. He’ll need to hand me over without wanting to kill you.” I pass close by the counter and grab one of the mugs from William’s set of two, and fisting it like it’s full, I continue my show.
“Do you know what he said to Brenten today?” I spin to Pryor and give him the crazy eyes. “Do you know what my cop father said to my other boyfriend today?” I wave my hands and show them how crazy a Conner woman can be. “Something about tearing his spine out and eating it for breakfast. And I know it sounds weird and somewhat embellished, but he was so serious when he spoke.”
“Olivia!” Will roars when I come a little too close to Pryor and now find myself Will’s shield. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“He didn’t approve of Brenten!” I snap. “He hated that sumbitch, but I hoped that if you could just find a regular job down at the steel mill or something, he would approve of you. If I told him I loved you, he would come around, right?”
I watch from the corner of my eyes as Romeo inches closer to Ripley. William is clueless, caught up in my spiel and wondering how I