One of the two guys was stocking a fridge under the bar. Even bent over, I could tell he was tall and lean with the kind of hair that reminded me of Cash, who took too damn long to fix it in the mornings. Maybe. Then the other guy caught my attention. He was shorter, lean in the chest and hips, but he had a slight beer belly going on.
He said something to the two business men in front of him before pouring one of them another glass of draft. From where we were sitting, he seemed cordial, but there was just something about him. Cockiness.
Then he turned his head and eye-fucked the blonde for nearly a full minute before looking our way. When he spotted us, he started heading our way.
In my gut, I knew this was Wade, just like I knew that he had been running his eyes over my girl. That he had been talking about her pussy. That he had fucking gotten close enough to her and could have hurt her.
Gray felt me tensing. “That him?” He snorted. “Santana could take that little dork on by herself. The girl seems shy at first, but she was keeping up with Kin’s sassy mouth in the end. I feel like me being here is overkill.”
I shrugged, not taking my eyes off the bartender who was coming toward us. “Doesn’t matter if she could take him or not. He’s not getting away with talking to her that way. Or getting in her face. Next time, he could hit her.” I turned toward him. “What if it were Kassa?”
His jaw instantly went tight. “Well, let’s get this shit over with. I promised my little caterpillar I’d be back by two.”
I rolled my eyes at his nickname for Kassa. Whether he realized it or not, he was whipped more than any other committed man. The dumbass just wouldn’t let himself see it.
The guy I assumed was Wade put down two napkins in front of us. “What can I get you guys?”
I glanced at his name tag, saw that he really was the guy we were looking for, and then moved so fast that even Gray was caught off guard.
Reaching across the top of the bar, I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him halfway across the bar. “You can stay the fuck away from my girl; that’s what you can fucking get me.”
“What?” Wade was pale as death now.
“Hey! You can’t—”
I thought I heard the other bartender call out, but Gray was over his surprise. He put a hand up to keep the guy from interfering. “You don’t want in this, dude. This has nothing to do with you. But I can make you a part of it really damn fast.”
The other patrons were watching us nervously, but with open curiosity. I saw none of it. The red haze that had fallen over my eyes the night before when Santana had told me what happened blinded me now. All I saw was the way this fucker gulped with fear.
“It’s not fun having someone get in your face, is it, Wade?”
“I don’t even know you,” he tried to reason. “I don’t know what you want, man, but—”
“But nothing!” I yelled in his face. “Santana told me all about last night.”
Realization flashed in his eyes, and his fear increased times ten. “Sh-She did? B-B-But …”
His inability to put two words together without stuttering didn’t amuse me. That he was trying to make an excuse pissed me off even more.
“Stop talking.” I moved my face closer. “Stay the fuck away from my girl, or I will make sure you never breathe again. Feel me?” He started to nod, and I shook him, making him almost whimper. “Answer me, pussy.”
“Y-Y-Yes. I promise. Sh-Sh-She—”
“I better not ever hear about you talking about her pussy, or doing anything that makes her feel threatened. Because if you do, they will be scraping your ass off the fucking floor.”
Sweat started to bead on Wade’s forehead, and as the red haze started to die down a little, I saw his eyes start to fill with tears.
Releasing my hold on him, I pushed him back. “Don’t make me come back here, Wade. Because next time, you won’t get a warning.”
I turned away from him, my hands fisted at my sides, as I fought the urg
e to grab him again and punch him in the face.
Gray squeezed my shoulder. “You cool?” I gave him a jerky nod. “Good, because I think the hostess chick is calling the cops.”
I shrugged, straightening my shirt. “Let her. I’m done here.”
When we started for the exit, Gray started to snicker. “Dude, I think he was about to piss himself.”