Page 287 of The Defiant Curse

The two men headed away.

“People love that place, huh?” Elizabeth asked.

Graham nodded.

“Yeah, they do. Before it was bought, no one could afford the renovations. The town had to either sell it or find the money. Callen and Chris dumped a whole bunch of money into it.”

She was curious.

“I know I’m going to regret this, but how much is a ‘whole bunch’?” she asked.

When he told her, she stared at him.

“Yep. I was right. I regret it.”

Ethan just laughed.

“I mean, to put it into context, Elizabeth, that was what Callen got for his last film, and Chris is worth about one hundred times that.”

She didn’t want to be reminded.

When their drinks were put down, the waitress put a drink in front of Graham.

“I didn’t order this.”

She pointed.

“The two men over there sent it over.”

When they looked, the two men were making obscene gestures at Graham.

It was clear they’d been privy to the gossip or his number on the bathroom stall wall. That was exactly why he’d gotten a new number.

“I’m sorry,” Graham said, going red.

When Michael went to get up, Elizabeth put her hand on his arm.

“Nope. You don’t send a big Marine to handle this. You send someone else.”

Mainly, a mother.

Oh, and she was a mean mother when need be.

He protested.

“I’m not going to let them talk shit about my husband,” he said. “Finn, get ready to arrest me. I won’t even put up a fucking fight,” he said, cracking his knuckles as the two men were laughing up a storm.

“Nope,” she said again. “To truly humiliate them, you send a mom,” she said, pushing her chair back. “Finn, I will put up a fight because I like being a fucking spectacle,” she said, as she stood up. “Ethan, get ready to bail my ass out.”

Finn stared.

“Why do I think this is about to be bad? I don’t think she was kidding.”

Gabby just laughed.

“Oh, because it’s about to be bad—for them.”

They all watched as she went over to the table. As she did, the men said one thing.