Page 67 of How To Catch A Killer … And Date His Best Friend

“Oh, no,” I mutter to myself.

The crowd cheers. If only they knew the fucker burned down my home.

“Tonight, I shall win back the affection of my one true love.”

Men wolf-whistle from the crowd, and I shake my head while reaching for the baseball bat I keep under the bar.

Maddox places the rose between his teeth, and I let out a sigh, but it’s too late, there’s nothing I can do. The wild animal otherwise known as Maddox Blake is already in motion, sprinting down the length of my bar, giving people only a moment’s notice to save their drinks before dropping to his knees and sliding like a damn Magic Mike performer until finally coming to a stop right before me, that rose still locked tightly between his teeth.

The crowd is in his corner, but I don’t care. And as he takes the rose from between his teeth and goes to hand it to me, I rear back with the baseball bat and start swinging.

“Oh fuck,” Maddox grunts, quickly ducking and narrowly missing the bat.

“YOU,” I grunt, swinging again. “BURNED.” Swing. “MY APARTMENT DOWN!”

Maddox dodges the bat like a pro, and when I try again, his hand whips up, catching the bat with ease. “I’m sorry, Savage,” he says, his heart on his sleeve, but the audacity to catch my bat mid swing only pisses me off more, and I rip it out of his hands.

“Let me beat the shit out of you.”

“You’re right,” he says with a nod. “I deserve it. Take another swing.”

I don’t hesitate, and I rear back again before letting him have it, only his stupid reflexes cut in again, catching the bat midair. “Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to catch it. It just happens. Go again. Promise, this time you can really get me.”

I go again, but his hand snaps out just inches from his head. “FUCK! Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Frustration gets the best of me, and I throw the bat aside before launching myself at him instead, giving him everything I’ve got as we tumble off the bar and onto the floor around my customers.

People start chanting, but I don’t know what for. All I’m focused on is making Maddox hurt as much as I am, but honestly, the fucker just looks like he’s enjoying every bit of my wild attack. I don’t land a single bitch slap before a strong arm wraps around my waist and hauls me off Maddox.

“You done, Savage?” Hunter questions, slamming my ass down on the bar, purposely standing between me and Maddox. I don’t know what he’s thinking, though. He knows I don’t have a problem going through him to get to his best friend.

“Not even close.”

Maddox gets to his feet and peers at me over Hunter’s shoulder. “I swear, Savage. I’m really fucking sorry. If there’s anything I could do to fix this, you know I would.”

My chest sinks, my heart crumbling into a million tiny pieces, and it only pisses me off more. I’m not somebody who cries, especially not in a place like this, surrounded by all my employees and customers, but Maddox has a way of bringing these wild emotions out of me.

“Let me take you home tonight,” Maddox says. “You can crash with me until we get you a new apartment figured out. I’ll get you everything you need. Clothes, makeup, a new phone. I’ll cover everything. I’ll deal with your insurance and your landlord. Trust me, you won’t need to do a thing. Just give me a chance to make this right.”

“In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m an eye for an eye kinda girl,” I tell him. “The only way this is right is if I get to burn down your house.”

His eyes widen. “Please don’t.”

I huff and look away. If it weren’t for Smooch, I’d probably be there right now dancing in the flames.

Maddox pushes past Hunter, deciding I’ve calmed down enough to risk getting close. His hands come down on my thighs, and I hate how much I crave his touch. “Do you still want to kill me?”

I look him dead in the eye. “Yes.”

“Fuck.”

I let out a sigh. “Relax. If I actually wanted you dead, you’d already be a hit coming up on Hunter’s phone.”

He grins, thinking I’m making a joke, but as I stare him down, he slowly inches his stare toward Hunter. “Wait. You think she’s serious.”

Hunter just nods. “Yeah, man,” he says, both of the guys now looking back at me as if discovering something about me they never knew existed. “I really fucking do.”

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