Always For You (Books 1-3) by L. A. Shorter Read Free Book Online Page B

that
shit?”
    I still felt awful about the whole
thing, but that sort of pep talk certainly helped. Whatever the case,
it was good to get it off my chest and to talk about it with someone,
rather than have it festering in my head.
    That night we pounded a few shots
behind the bar as we worked. It was a fairly quiet Thursday in town
so Gary, the bar manager, let us shoot off a little early, leaving
him and Carla, the only female member of staff, to finish up.
    We cruised a couple of bars for an hour
or so looking for some fun. When the two of us got together, there
were a couple of things on the agenda – women and fighting. We'd
usually get one or the other, sometimes both, particularly if we
ended up trying to hook up with the wrong guy's girl.
    The
night was uneventful, at least until we found a bar called Slice ,
a cocktail bar that neither of us had been to before. Everywhere else
seemed to be closing, so we shot inside to see if there was anything
happening.
    There, in the corner of the bar, I saw
Grace for the first time since she'd woken up in the hospital. She
sat at a table, several guys around her, bottles of spirits being
passed about. She was clearly off her head, her eyes sunken into her
drooping head, her body swaying all over the place.
    “ Hey
man, isn't that Grace,” said Brad as he turned to see me looking at
her.
    I nodded. “She's totally fucked. I
wonder if she's still with her boyfriend. Not sure he'd like all
these guys slobbering all over her.”
    I walked to the bar with Brad and
ordered a couple of whiskeys. “Hey honey,” I said to the barmaid,
“do you know that girl down there?”
    “ Oh
yeah, that's Gracie, she works here most nights.”
    “ Is
she alright....with those guys.”
    “ You
her boyfriend or something?” the girl asked.
    “ If
I was her boyfriend those guys would be laid out on the floor by
now.”
    She laughed. “Tough guy huh?”
    “ If
you like.”
    “ Nah
babe, they're all good guys, just having a laugh.”
    I looked back down to see them swigging
away on their spirits, passing her shot glasses and forcing them down
her. They were laughing and joking around, one of them sliding up
against her, his hand slipping between her legs and up her inner
thigh.
    I felt a growing surge of anger in my
body as I watched on, these vultures all circling around her,
stricken and drunk. My pulse began to rise, my breath quickening. I
could feel my glare growing more intense, burning away at the guys
around her.
    “ Cain,
what's up man?” Brad said, turning his attention from the barmaid
and seeing my face, my fist threatening to burst the empty shot glass
inside it.
    “ Follow
me,” I said as I paced towards to the guys, stopping short in front
of the table. I looked down to see Grace's head swaying, her body
ready to collapse but for the guy supporting her, vodka bottle in
hand.
    He looked up at me. “Can we help
you?” His tone was aggressive, just what I was looking for.
    “ Yeah.
I think that girl right there's had enough vodka.”
    They all turned to me and laughed. “And
what the fuck do you know about how much she needs? Fuck off mate,
it's none of your business.”
    My blood was boiling, but I kept it
together. “Well, now you're kinda making it my business.”
    “ Mate,
you're on something weird. Just leave us alone, we're having a good
time, what's it to you.”
    “ What's
it to me?”
    “ Are
you deaf or something mate? Just get the fuck out of here before we
throw you out.”
    I smiled lightly, getting exactly the
reaction I wanted. The adrenaline began to pump through my body,
priming me for action. I stood there for a few moments, my eyes
locked on the guy, not moving. Brad stood beside me, an imposing
figure, his jaw clenched, fists tight.
    “ Come
on then,” I said, “you gonna throw me out or not tough guy?”
    The guy lurched forward suddenly, his
fists flying at my face. I swerved, hooking him right on the side of
the head as he came forward, his