Chalk’s game ended as he sank the eight ball into a corner pocket. The man he was playing against, who I hadn’t realized was so tall and broad, slammed his pool cue down on the table so hard I was surprised it didn’t snap. “You hustled me, you asshole,” he spat at Chalk, who was pocketing the cash they’d laid out. “I want my money back.”
“That’s not how it works,” Chalk said, looking unconcerned by the man’s anger.
The people nearby turned to look, their attention drawn by the commotion.
I was still halfway across the room as the stranger advanced on Chalk, the menacing look on his face a sure sign of his intentions. I wasn’t too worried about Chalk. The guy was big, but Chalk was easily his equal and could generally handle himself. It was Harper’s nearness to the impending altercation that made me move quickly through the mass of people. She still sat on her stool, sitting five feet behind where Chalk stood. If a fight started, she was right in the line of fire and the look of fear on her face brought forth a protective instinct I didn’t know even existed inside of me.
“I’ll show you how it works,” the man snarled, grabbing a hold of the front of Chalk’s shirt with one hand. Pulling back his other arm, he made a fist.
Before he got the chance to bring it down into Chalk’s face, I reached the pair. Grabbing onto the man’s wrist, I could feel my heartbeat in my temples as adrenaline surged through me. I was ready to fight if I had to, but I hoped it didn’t come to that. “Is there a problem here?” I asked, my voice resembling a low growl.
The man turned to look at me with outrage clear on his face, but before he responded his eyes flickered over my shoulder. When he looked back into my eyes, I saw a bitter resignation cross his face. He released Chalk, giving him a slight shove backward.
Harper tensed, bracing herself, but Chalk caught himself before stumbling into her.
“No,” he said, pulling his wrist free of my grip and stepping back. “I was just leaving.”
I turned around as the man walked off, shoving his way through the people who were watching the interaction, and I saw why he’d decided not to stick around and fight. Three Rebel Saints – Hawk, Smoke, and Maverick – all stood nearby, ready to step in if needed.
“Thanks, guys,” Chalk said, straightening his shirt. The neck now looked stretched out.
“Watch your back better next time,” I told him, not happy that Harper had almost been so close to a fight and would have almost definitely gotten hurt.
Chalk glanced over at her, and when he turned back around, there was a contrite look on his face. “Sorry, man.”
This cooled me down some.
Chalk headed over to the others.
I went over to Harper, running my fingers down her bare arm as she looked up at me.
The look in her eyes wasn’t readable at first, but then a slow smile spread across her lips. “I feel like you’re always swooping in to save the day,” she said.
Her voice sounded slightly deeper than usual to me. The sound of it triggered something in my body and warm longing that had me thinking about finally taking her to bed the way I’d wanted to ever since we met. “I’m happy to keep doing that for you,” I said, and it felt like I was making a promise I wasn’t sure I could keep.
“How about dancing with me?” she asked, glancing at the stage, where the band was reassembling for their second set.
“I don’t know…” I wasn’t much of a public dancer. I’d never admitted it to anyone else, but I’d always been too self-conscious for it. But the way Harper was looking at me now, with so much hope and a hint of lust, was a hell of a confidence booster. “Okay,” I said, not sure if I would end up making a fool of myself and somewhat wishing that I’d drank a little more.
I held out my hand, and she took it. This time, she was the one pulling me through the crowd as she led me to the dance floor, right into the middle of it. Soon, we were surrounded by people as the band picked their instruments up again.
The music flowed and Harper moved her graceful body, shaking her hips and raising her hands above her head with her eyes closed. Even with all the people pressed in around us, I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
We danced. I found that I didn’t care what my fellow Rebel Saints would have to say about it. I didn’t care about anything tonight except Harper.