“Fine,” I said. “Come with me across the street to the bar, and you can tell me what’s going on.”
“I don’t think so,” Colin interjected. “She’s with me tonight.”
Jonah stepped forward again. “Look, man, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you’re not getting what you want this way.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.” Jonah raised his arm.
“Not you too, Joe.” Ryan caught Joe’s arm in a clench. “Look, man,” my younger brother said to Colin. “Do yourself a favor and get the fuck out of here. Now.”
“I don’t think so. You assholes don’t own this town.”
Ryan let out a chuckle. “As a matter fact, we do own quite a bit of stuff in this town. Now granted, you’re standing on public sidewalk. So I’m not going to make you move.”
“Like you could.”
Ryan chuckled again, shaking his head. “I could. And the three of us together? We’d knock you into the next century. But that’s not really the point, is it? I’m not going to do that. No matter how much you taunt Talon. No matter how much I would love to pummel your sorry ass.”
“So now you’re so civilized.”
“No, dickhead. My brothers and I are not civilized. Far from it. We are hard-working men. We don’t sit on our asses in three-piece suits all day. We work the land. Trust me, we’re way tougher than you are.”
“Please. You probably use slave labor to work your land.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Ryan rubbed his forehead. He was finally starting to lose his cool. “You really are asking to have your ass kicked.”
“Colin,” Jade said. “Just leave. Please.”
“Fine. I’ll see you in court on Monday.”
Jade turned her head. “Excuse me? We had a deal.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You said if I went to dinner with you—”
“What?” I said, my head spinning. “You had some deal to go to dinner with him?”
“Talon, I was trying to do what was best. For you.”
“Having you anywhere near him is not what’s best for me, blue eyes.”
“Blue eyes.” Colin rolled his eyes. “God.”
I turned to Colin, trying perilously to keep from shoving my fist in his face. “Look, you don’t come near her again. I don’t care what kind of deal you had with her. I don’t care if you show up at court on Monday. What are you going to try to do? Pay off the judge?”
“I don’t have to tell you what my plans are.”
“Fine. Don’t. Show up. I don’t care. But you leave her alone,” I said through clenched teeth. “Don’t you come near her again.”
For a split second, I saw a real fear in his eyes. Good.
“He’s right, Colin,” Jade said. “I don’t want anything to do with you. Just leave me alone.”
“You heard the lady,” Ryan said. “Come on, Jade. We’ll take you home.”
“That’s not necessary. You guys know I only live down the block.”