“Everything…turns red. I can only see the guy I’m attacking. All of the bad things he’s done, or that I imagine he’s done, flashes before my eyes, and I just go crazy.”
“And when you’re worked up while you’re with a girl? It’s the same thing?”
“No.” He turned toward me. “Not even. I…my world is a little screwy with my dad, and…my anger issues…I just don’t want anything to happen to you. Ever.”
“Oh.”
“I’m scaring you.”
“No.”Yes. “A little.”
“That’s why…well, that’s why I’ve not been with anyone for so long. Well, one of the reasons. I’ve focused on my martial arts and my control.” He glanced to the side then back to me. “And why I’ve been seeing Jenna.”
“What?” I sat up straight. “Jenna? How long? What—”
He placed his finger on my lips. “Remember that month off from the bar? Well…it was forced. I had a meltdown at work and…Bill, that’s my boss, he told me to get my shit straight, so I did—er—I am.”
“Hunter,” I whispered.
“For you, Lina.” He grabbed my hand and kissed my new ring. “For us.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Like I said, I wasn’t with anyone since Issie. I vowed it for two reasons: Getting my shit together and until I was done running from Dad.”
“You were great with me last night.”
“It’s easy to be with you, Lina.” He curled some hair behind my ear. “For some reason it’s always been easy to be around you. You make me want to be a better man.”
Tears stung as he looked at me with his piercing violet-blue eyes. His face was so calm, so peaceful right now all I could do was stare.
“Because someday, Lina, soon, I’ll get to have you.” He nudged his finger beneath my chin. “All of you.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hunter
“It’s so weird you work in a bar, look like you do, and you don’t touch a drop of alcohol.” Drey shook his head as he downed the rest of his third bottle of beer.
“Yeah, well me and drinking don’t go well together at all.” I finished off my second Pepsi. “It’s good to be back.”
“Good to have you, man.” Drey smacked my shoulder then leaned on the bar beside me while Sam worked at getting us another round. “No one can pick out a dumbass looking for trouble like you.”
It felt good to relax with him after my first day back. Drey didn’t work for another hour, but he’d been here for my entire four-hour shift.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” I asked.
“Yeah, right. New Year’s Eve, and I’m working, thanks to you…and your date.” He rolled his eyes. “Plus, I love New Year’s Eve shifts…They’re epic. So, what are you going to do with your girl?”
“Watch the ball drop at her place, I guess.”
“You should bring her here, man.” He backhanded my chest. “It’s going to be rocking. We have Wounded Shadow playing. Can you believe that? They’re playing at our puny little bar on New Year’s Eve, man. It’s going to be legendary. I can’t believe Bill let you off.”
I was surprised, too, but then again, Bill was still leery of me being back at work after only a few weeks of counseling. He probably thought New Year’s Eve might be too much for me to handle.
I’d worked a few of them, though, and Drey was right, it was fun. As much as I loved hanging out at home or at Lina’s, heading out for a night of dancing sounded pretty good.
Wonder what she’d feel like dancing close to a slow, sexy song?