2. Daire

TWO

daire

THERE WASN’T A chance in hell I was letting that motherfucker get away with touching Gavin.

From the second I saw the tears on his face that he’d tried to convince me weren’t there, my blood was boiling. It was instinctual, the need to protect him, and I didn’t understand why rage hit me harder when it had to do with Gavin, but I didn’t question it.

Especially not when I saw the evidence of Joey’s hand on his arm.

Heading up to the roof to cool off and have a smoke was the excuse I made to Gavin, telling him exactly what he wanted to hear, because he wouldn’t like what was really about to happen.

I may have promised not to kill his piece-of-shit ex, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t make him wish he was dead.

Up on the roof, I made a few calls, not giving a damn how late it was. Wherever Joey was, that was where I would be.

It didn’t take long before one of the bartenders at a club we frequented texted back, letting me know he’d seen Joey and a few others heading to an after-hours spot nearby.

How convenient—it was within walking distance of the Towers. Add in an audience, and my adrenaline was pumping. I was ready to get my hands on him.

Shoving my phone in my pocket, I headed to the elevator and then keyed in the code for the lobby.

Hopefully Gavin had listened and was already in bed, but if not… Well, that wasn’t going to stop me. Batting those innocent eyes at me only went so far, and I was past the point of reason now.

The second I stepped out of the Towers and back into the cold, I lit up a cigarette, not that I expected anything to tamp down my temper. I took in a deep inhale and blew it out as I headed south.

For months now I’d had to sit back and watch the disrespectful way Joey treated Gavin, and fight back the urge to put that piece of shit in his place. From the way he’d casually point out some random he’d like to fuck, or not bother to show up to a party because it was “too far” for him to travel, or that Gavin spent too much time with our group and not enough with Joey’s dick squad.

Shit, the list went on and on, but I’d behaved myself because, for some unknown reason, Gavin had gotten a hard-on for this prick.

Tonight, that all changed.

The second I’d seen those marks, the minute Gavin confirmed what I already knew—that Joey had dared to touch him—my temper had been set to blow. There was no holding it back, no reining it in, and with each step I took I could feel the rage bubbling up inside of me.

I rounded the end of the block and spotted the twenty-four-hour alcohol soak-up spot with its lights still on and plenty of patrons inside, proving, as always, that this was the city that didn’t sleep.

Shouldn’t be too hard to find Joey’s ugly mug in the crowd inside.

I flicked my cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with my booted heel, then pulled open the door and headed inside. It didn’t matter that the sun would be up in a few hours—the place was still brimming with life as people scarfed down pancakes and bacon and threw back black coffees or Bloody Marys, anything to soak up or prolong the buzz.

I scanned the booths, my eyes drifting over anyone who didn’t match Joey’s description, until they skidded to a stop on the four guys at the far corner table. They were laughing and joking around with one another, being obnoxious as fuck for as early as it was—which, as it turned out, would work perfectly for what I had in mind.

Joey’s back was to me. I could see his big, boxy head sitting on top of that thick neck of his as he stuffed his face with pancakes, and as I made my way up the aisle, I noted his other minions were so engrossed in their meals that they were completely oblivious to the wave of rage rushing their way.

It wasn’t until I tapped Joey’s shoulder, he turned in his seat, and my fist met his face that it clicked they were fucked—and by then, it was too late.

Joey cursed loudly as his fork went flying out of his hand and landed with a clang on the ground. He surged to his feet with a hand to his cheek, his eyes narrowing on me.

“Hurts more when you don’t see it comin’, doesn’t it?” I snarled.

Joey spat some blood onto the ground, and I was disappointed not to see a tooth.

“The fuck is your problem, asshole?”

“You think we wouldn’t see? That you could touch him and get away with it?”

He had the nerve to roll his eyes. “Ah, okay, so Gavin came and cried to you like a little bitch. Should’ve known he couldn’t keep our shit private.”

“You piece of shit.” I grabbed him by his fancy-ass shirt and jerked him in close, and this time he didn’t look so smug. In fact, I could’ve sworn I saw a flash of fear, and it made the savage beast inside me purr. The only thing that would make it better was if he pissed his pants.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see his friends all getting to their feet to help Joey out, but if they thought their odds were good at four to one, they’d soon find themselves shit out of luck.

“Take your hands off him,” I heard his friend Carl say.

“Like the way you took your hands off Gavin?” I said, my voice low and deadly. When Joey didn’t say anything, I tightened my hold on him and lifted him up so his toes barely brushed the floor.

“Stop.” He grabbed at my wrists and struggled against me, but I had him in a death lock. He wasn’t going anywhere unless I wanted him to.

“Is that what he said? Stop?” Fury blinded me, my jaw clenched so tight it was like it was wired shut. I couldn’t look at his face for another second without rearing my arm back to land another punch, this one aimed directly at his eye. Instead of the scream of pain I expected, the blow knocked the breath out of him, and I let go to let him drop onto the floor.

Someone rushed me from the side, but before Carl could get close, I shoved him so hard in the chest that he stumbled back and fell on his ass.

I refocused on Joey, who was on all fours and struggling to get up, but I wouldn’t let that happen. “How does it feel to be fucked with, huh?” I moved forward to kick him while he was down, but two security guards stepped between me and Joey, forcing me away from him.

“All right, break it up,” one of them said, giving Joey the space to finally get to his feet. The man pointed at me. “You need to leave.”

“I’m not the one pushing his boyfriend around like a coward,” I said. “Trust me, he deserves more.”

“Ex-boyfriend.” Joey spat more blood onto the floor. “Which I’m sure you’re happy about⁠—”

“I don’t give two shits about whatever’s goin’ on here,” the security guard interrupted. “Shut it down or I’ll call the cops on both of you.”

A good look at Joey’s face told me he was gonna have a nice shiner tomorrow, but even that wasn’t enough.

Unfortunately, it would have to be for now. Though it was tempting to say fuck it and spend the night in jail.

“Yeah, get lost,” Joey said, feeling braver with a couple of big guys standing in front of him. “Run home to Gavin and let him cry on your shoulder.”

His words hit their mark, and I lunged again, forcing the guards to hold me back, but they forgot that Joey was behind them. He balled his fist, and I knew where this was going. And for some fucked-up reason, I wanted it. I wanted him to hit me, just to give me an excuse to break his goddamn nose.

Sure enough, with their backs turned, Joey reared back, and I smirked and stayed right where I was, welcoming the weak-ass punch when it landed. Because two seconds later I shoved the guards out of the way and hit Joey’s nose with such force that there was a satisfying crack when my fist made contact. Music to my fucking ears.

Blood spattered one of the security guards, who groaned, “What the hell, man,” and again, Joey hit his knees, holding both hands over his face.

I backed away, not even breathing hard as I watched the chaos unfold. Joey’s friends clambered over each other for napkins, thrusting them at Carl to deal with. When he had a handful, he rushed over and tried to help stop the blood pouring out of Joey’s nose.

The blood-spattered security guard looked at me and pointed at the door, and I held my hands up as I headed for the exit. But I was unable to resist looking at the aftermath over my shoulder.

“Can’t even blame him for that one. Dumbass.” The security guard shook his head at Joey and walked back to his station, like nothing had happened.

I felt the stares from the other diners, at least until I stepped back out into the cold, quiet night. My adrenaline was still pumping, but most of my rage had gone into that last punch. It would have to be enough. I’d already broken my promise to Gavin by going after him, but then again, I hadn’t killed him, had I? So maybe it didn’t count.

Heading back north, I stretched my fingers, barely even feeling the effects from the blows, and then pulled out my pack of cigarettes. As I lit one up, I tried to tell myself I’d done enough, that the punishment equaled what he’d done to Gavin, but there was no way it would. It wasn’t just anyone that had put his hands on him, but his boyfriend. Someone he trusted. Cared about. Someone he never thought would hurt him.

That motherfucker…

The turmoil that twisted my gut was enough to make me lose my shit again, but I forced myself to keep on walking.

Joey was done. It was over. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to mess with Gavin again, and that needed to be enough. Putting him six feet under would only upset Gavin, so hopefully he’d see my “restraint” when he found out. Unless Joey decided to skip classes while his face healed, Gavin would see the damage sooner than later, but I wasn’t handing over that information. I’d just tell him I’d kept my promise—half of it, anyway—and if Joey’s pathetic punch showed up on my face, I’d tell him I ran into a cabinet door.

That shit was more believable anyway.