She glared at Crash. Her eyes dropped to the full glass in her hand, and then back at Crash. “I’d throw it in your face, but that would only prove you right, wouldn’t it?”
The guys hooted even louder at her comment, and Crash smiled back at her. “Yeah, babe. It would.”
Cole put his arm around her from behind, and putting his mouth close to her ear, he whispered loud eno
ugh for Crash to hear. “Don’t let him get to you, sweetheart, he’s just trying to rile you up because he secretly likes your smart mouth.”
Crash smirked. “Right.”
Cole chuckled and moved away, lighting a cigarette. “Get me a beer, bartender,” he said with a grin at Crash.
“Coming right up, dickhead,” Crash responded and moved off to get one.
Suddenly, Shannon felt another body press up against her back. A man with short brown hair and brown eyes was staring down at her. “Sugar, he don’ treat you right, you come see ol’ Cajun. I’ll treat you right,” he whispered in her ear, his deep Louisiana accent thick, his eyes looking over the bar at Crash.
Crash snapped, “Leave her be, Cajun or you and me are gonna have a problem.”
“So she’s what’s been takin’ up all your time, eh, Crash?” He looked from Crash back down to Shannon. “He’s one sorry-ass coon, him. How ‘bout you ’n me go get us some dinner, sugar. I show you a good time.”
Before Crash could respond, Shannon handled Cajun herself, “I’m sure that would be just lovely, but you see I’m afraid I’ll have to turn down your dinner invitation as I’m allergic to corndog batter.”
The guys around the bar burst out laughing. Wolf almost spit his beer out, choking out, “Goddamn, Crash, she’s a hoot.”
Crash moved around the bar and shoved Cajun away. “I think the lady just declined your dinner invitation, motherfucker.”
Cajun raised his hands, grinning. “S’okay. I’ll be around to pick up the pieces when you get done fuckin’ her over, son.”
The next thing Shannon knew, Cajun was out cold on the floor from Crash’s powerful punch to his jaw.
The guys again roared with laughter and hoots and hollers.
“Ooh, hoo. Damn, brother. That son-of-a-bitch went down like a sack of bricks,” Green declared, staring down at the body sprawled out on the floor.
“He’s out like a light,” Red Dog observed, peering down at Cajun from his barstool.
Shannon noticed nobody made a move to help Cajun to his feet.
Crash flexed his hand and picked up his beer. Taking a long pull, his eyes met Shannon’s over the bottle. Hers were wide with shock. “Crash, you didn’t have to do that.”
He lowered the bottle, his eyes drilling into hers. “Yeah, I did, Shannon. Nobody talks to you like that. They gotta learn. I just set the example.”
She looked around the bar. The guys playing pool had paused to take in the show. A few moments later, they all resumed what they were doing.
Angel, Crystal and Mack came in from outside. Crystal looked down at Cajun out cold on the floor, and then, her hands landing on her hips, she looked up at Mack and said, “I’m not cleaning that up.”
The guys burst out laughing.
Angel sat between Cole and Shannon, and Shannon leaned over to ask her where the restroom was.
Angel grinned at her, “Believe me, darlin’, you don’t want to use it.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty disgusting,” Crystal confirmed.
“Come on, you can use the one in Cole’s room. It’s clean,” Angel offered. She turned to Cole.
“It’s unlocked, baby.” He pulled her in for a kiss, and then let her go.
Shannon got up and followed Angel, who led her up the metal staircase on the other side of the room. As they walked up it, Shannon looked down at the common room below and noticed a lot of male eyes on her.