Wrecked by Priscilla West Read Free Book Online

and brushed his bangs away from his eyes before turning toward
me. “I study people. That makes me specially attuned to people’s needs and
desires. You might say I’m a sensitive guy.” He grinned mischievously. “You
want to hear my insights on you?”
    I really
didn’t want to hear anything more from Justin’s mouth after what he’d already
said about me but decided against being rude. It would make things more awkward
than they already were and it would ruin Daniela’s date with Cody as well.
Considering Daniela invited me out, it would be a pretty bitchy move for me to
do that to her. “Uh . . . okay,” I said then took a big gulp of my drink to
prepare myself for his response.
    “You’re a
smart girl, but lack direction in life.” He took my hand in his. “You’re kind
of down a lot, especially after what you’ve been through. You need a strong man
to care for you, to take care of you.” He wiggled his brows then pointed his
thumb to his chest.
    Wow,
just when I thought he couldn’t get any worse. This guy was a real catch all right . . .
a real catch right out of Lake Peepee. I wasn’t sure if that was the most
insulted I ever felt in my life, but it was definitely up there. I clutched my
drink in my hand and lifted it off the table. A vision of throwing the contents
into Justin’s grinning face flashed through my mind. Just as I was about to
make that vision a reality, someone nearby slapped a nearby lounge seat in
exclamation.
    I turned
to see a group of guys and girls standing near us talking excitedly.
    “No way.
It’s starting? Now?” one guy said.
    “Yeah,
let’s go. I don’t want to miss it. I don’t want to miss seeing him ,” a
girl replied.
    They filed
out the back door. Soon, another group hurried after them, followed by another
group. People were streaming out the back door like squirrels rushing after a
pile of acorns. Some stayed, but nearly half the bar cleared out.
    “What do
you think they’re all excited about?” Cody asked.
    Sensing
this was the perfect getaway excuse, I said, “I’m going to go check it out.
I’ll join back up with you guys in a bit.”
    I glanced
at Daniela and she flashed me an apologetic expression for Justin’s behavior.
“Okay, I’ll keep these guys entertained while we finish our drinks,” Daniela
said. “Let us know what you see.”
    I snatched
up my jacket then grabbed my clutch that had been strategically placed between
Justin and me to act as a barrier. I stood and hurried out the back door, eager
to escape from my “date”.
     
    I didn’t
know what I expected to see, but this certainly wasn’t it. There was a large
tent set up outside that looked like it came straight from a carnival. People
were huddled around an elevated octagon stage surrounded by metal fencing. The
whole area was lit by bright spotlights. What was all of this?
    Attracted
by curiosity as well as the energy of the crowd, I found myself wiggling
through a sea of bodies to get a closer look at the stage. Inside the octagon
was a mat that had a large logo of a squirrel wearing fighter gloves that said
“The Bearded Brawl”. After noticing faint blood stains on the mat, it became
clear to me that this was some kind of fighting arena.
    A suave
man in a white suit entered the cage with a microphone. “Ladies and gentleman,”
he announced with dramatic flare. “We just had an exciting opening match but
we’ve got something even more exciting in store for you. The match you’ve all
been waiting for. Our main event.”
    The crowd
cheered and whistled. Some rattled their beer mugs against the fence.
    Two men
stepped up onto the stage and entered the cage. One was wearing a red hoodie
with matching trunks and the other was wearing a dark blue version of the same
outfit. They both had their hoods over their heads so I couldn’t see their
faces, but their sweaters were partially open and I could snag a peek at their
torsos. And what a peek it was. From the teasingly