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“What a douchebag,” Gigi mumbles under her breath as she walks up behind me at the countertop.
“Who?” I ask casually, but I don’t give her response my full attention as I check my schedule for tomorrow.
My cousins, especially the females, think most people are douchebags. They have a high bar when it comes to behavior. I’m sure they’ve called me a douchebag more than once in my life, and honestly, I probably deserved it too.
She stabs at the keyboard with her thin fingers, clearly annoyed. “My client.”
“What’d he do?”
Her fingers move faster as she shifts her weight to the other foot. “He talks to his girlfriend like she’s a piece of trash.”
I turn my head toward her, surprised she’s over here taking her frustration out on the keyboard and not his face. “And you didn’t put him in his place or throw his ass out?”
Gigi sighs. “I try to hold my anger in check when it comes to customers. And he was fine until close to the end, or else I would’ve tossed him earlier. He’s getting blacklisted, though. I’m not dealing with him ever again.”
“Want me to cash him out?” I ask her, knowing most men, at least sane ones, won’t hassle me. Anyone who picks on a woman is weak, but they’re usually not dumb enough to start shit with me.
She shakes her head and finally gives the keyboard a break, turning her attention toward me. “I’ll deal with him and drop the news about not coming back.”
“I’ll stay here, then. I’m not leaving you with him.”
Gigi touches my arm and gives it a light, reassuring squeeze. “I can handle him.”
I shake my head, refusing to leave her alone to deal with an asshole. “I got your back.”
“What the fuck, Opal. You had one goddamn job,” a man says loudly as he stomps into the front of the shop. “Only you could fuck it up.”
A woman—Opal, I presume—has her head down, staring at her feet as she hurries up behind him. Her long brown hair hides her face. “I’m sorry… I didn’t…”
“Save it.” He lifts a hand, silencing her. “Useless bitch,” he mutters.
My shoulders rise, and all the hairs on my body stand on end. My blood’s pumping faster, and my heart has picked up with every clomp of his boots against the tile floor.
There are very few things that bother me in the world, and one of them is when men talk to women like they’re trash. Men like him are the worst of the worst. No doubt he’s not giving her the full wrath of his bullshit in front of us. This is probably his better behavior, which pisses me off more.
Gigi’s eyes meet mine, and I know her skin’s crawling without her having to say a word.
No one—and I mean no one—in our family talks to women like this. If we even get close, we better run because someone’s going to beat our ass, and it’s probably going to be a woman dishing out the punishment.
“I don’t even know why I keep you around,” the man seethes, not letting up or showing any grace.
“But I—” Opal starts to say, finally lifting her face up to his.
I suck in a breath, feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut at the sheer sight of her.
She’s stunning.
Her eyes are the most haunting shade of blue against her tanned skin.
“Save it,” he snaps.
Opal jerks, and I see a slight tremble in her body as she stands next to him. “Don’t—”
He gives a look I can only describe as murderous. “Don’t what?”
I’ve never given that look to anyone, not even an enemy.
Gigi stares at me, tipping her head in an I told you so motion. And I don’t think the guy’s a douchebag; I think he’s an abusive asshole who doesn’t deserve a creature as beautiful as Opal.
“Don’t be mean to me, Jeff,” she says in a timid voice that doesn’t convey an ounce of authority.
Jeff “the douchebag” isn’t fazed by her request. “Zip it. We’ll deal with this at home.”
That’s my cue.
I’m not going to let her wait for her punishment when they’re in private. I have only so much patience for bullshit, and he passed that moment two minutes ago. No one lays their hands on a woman, and no one talks to one like they’re absolute trash. Not if I have anything to do with it.
But I’m at work.
A business my family owns.
I have to be careful, not laying my hands on him, even though I want to beat him to a bloody pulp until he’s the one begging. Doing that will only open us up to lawsuits and shit we don’t need to be dealing with for years to come.
I round the counter before Jeff has another chance to talk to Opal. “I think you should go,” I tell him, stepping right into his personal space and towering over him.
He glares at me before his eyes dip down to my arms.
Yeah, sucker.
I’m built and bigger than you are.
I’ll have no problem beating you without even breaking a sweat.
“Excuse me?”
“You can go now,” I repeat, because he’s clearly not getting my meaning. “Leave.”
He reaches into his back pocket to fish out his wallet, but I lift my hand. “I mean right this fucking second.”
“But I have to…”
It’s my turn to lift my hand and shut him up. “No, you don’t. We don’t want your money or your business.”
He laughs like I’m an idiot. “Whatever, man. I don’t need this shit. It’s a trash tattoo anyway.”
Gigi growls, and I know she’s holding herself back because the woman would love nothing more than to launch herself over the counter and strangle him.
He reaches for Opal and wraps his hand around her wrist, trying to tug her forward. “Let’s go.”
Opal doesn’t move, digging her rubber heels into the floor. “No,” she whispers.
His entire body goes rigid, and he slowly turns his face toward her. “I’m not asking.”
I step toward Opal, not letting her leave with him under any circumstances. If I have to knock him out and dump him in the parking lot, I’ll do it. I’ll deal with the consequences of my actions later.
We’ve officially hit the fuck around and find out portion of the day for Jeff.
Opal’s lip quivers, and her eyes become glassy. “I don’t want to go with you,” she tells him again.
I put myself between them, her arm brushing against my hip as he holds on to her like she’s his personal property.
“You heard the woman. She’s not leaving,” I inform him, cracking my knuckles.
His dark green eyes narrow as his lip curls. “What are you going to do, meathead? Beat me up?” He laughs like the idea is lunacy, but I’ve beaten bigger men for far less than the way he’s acting toward Opal.
“Yep,” I snap. “And I’ll enjoy it too.” I move my gaze over his shoulder to Gigi, and I pray she can read my mind a little when I make the next statement. It’ll be make-it or break-it without becoming a major incident. “I’ll give you the first shot free and clear. If you can knock me off-balance, you can take Opal and go.”
Opal gasps from behind me.
I have a good fifty pounds on him, and I’ve spent most of my life taking punches from guys bigger than he is. It doesn’t hurt that my father was an MMA fighting champion and taught me how to take a punch.
“Deal?” I ask as I see Gigi coming around the desk from the other direction, reading my mind.
Jeff slides his gaze from me, around my side, to where Opal is standing. “She’s not worth the hurt I’m going to give you,” he says, clenching his hand into a tight fist.
I cross my arms over my chest, making it clear that I’m not going to hit him back. “You a pussy?”
His nostrils flare. “I’m not a pussy. But she’s honestly not worth the hassle. You can deal with her lazy-ass, annoying behavior. I’m done with her. She’s a lousy fuck anyway.” He drops her hand and takes a step away. “She’s good for nothing.”
Opal sniffles behind me, and I can’t bring myself to look at her. I’ve seen enough hurt on her face to last me a lifetime, and I’ve only known her for a few minutes.
I stalk forward, making him back up faster. “Out you go,” I tell him, balling one hand into a fist.
“Hit me and I’ll sue,” he threatens, not surprising me at all.
Pussies always want to resort to a ridiculous threat because they know they can’t win when it comes to strength.
He’s the typical abuser.
Demean someone with words and even physically, but only because they’re smaller and weaker.
He’s a bully and deserves to feel the same type of pain, but now isn’t the place or the time.
“Get the fuck out!” I yell, finally raising my voice and running out of patience.
He flinches.
I smirk, moving toward him so he doesn’t waste any more of our time. “Now!”
He punches open the door, walking quickly to his shiny sports car that no doubt is his way of making up for all the other ways he’s lacking.
I keep my gaze pinned on him, taking a few deep breaths to calm my breathing.
“It’ll be okay,” Gigi says softly behind me. “Don’t cry.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, hating that someone so beautiful and soft is shedding a tear for that waste of a human being.
“What am I supposed to do now?” Opal asks Gigi.
“I don’t know, honey.
Do you want a ride somewhere?” There’s a pause and no response. “Any friends?” Again, a pause and no response. “There’s a hotel nearby.”
I turn around, soaking in the sight of Opal in one chair and Gigi in another. Gigi’s stroking Opal’s back as she leans over the chair, looking like she’s about to be sick.
“I’ll figure something out,” Opal says.
“There are tons of hotels a little farther down the coast,” Gigi tells her.
“I don’t have any money for a hotel,” Opal says softly. “My purse and phone are at Jeff’s place. I’m not allowed to bring them with me when we’re together.”
It’s not shocking that he isn’t only abusive, but also controlling.
“I have a spare room,” I say without much thought. “You can stay with me tonight and grab your purse tomorrow.”
She lifts her head, and her blue eyes framed in red meet mine, looking wary. “I don’t think…”
I want to say something, but I don’t. She’s been interrupted enough tonight.
“I don’t know,” she says. “You’ve already done so much.”
“I could put her on my couch, cousin,” Gigi says, still rubbing her back.
“You’re family?” Opal asks, sitting a little straighter.
“Everyone here is. This is our family’s shop.”
Opal cracks the slightest smile as she wipes some tears away from her cheeks. “That’s so sweet.”
“My cousin over there may seem like a big ogre, but he’s really kind, even if he’s cocky as hell sometimes.”
Opal straightens her back a little more and lifts her head a little higher. “I’ll figure something out. I don’t want to be a bother in anyone else’s life.”
“Darlin’,” I say, taking a page out of Pike’s playbook. “It’s no bother. I got you into this situation, and it’s the least I can do. Stay the night at my place, and you can grab your purse tomorrow.”
“He’s safe,” Gigi assures her, moving her hand from Opal’s back to touch her hand. “He won’t try anything funny or else I’ll have his balls in a vise, and I’m pretty sure he’s attached to them.”
I jerk my head back, playing along. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Gigi smirks. “If that isn’t enough, I’ll tell his mother, and no one makes that man shake as much as his mother. The woman is a saint, but the evil eye
she gives is fierce.”
Opal’s smile grows a little larger. “He’s scared of his mother?”
Gigi nods a few times. “Terrified.”
“Gigi,” I warn, hating that she’s spilling my secret.
“He’s like his dad, though. He’s crazy protective of the women in this family. He won’t let anything happen to you. I wouldn’t steer you wrong and send you from one bad situation to another.”
Opal stares at me, her eyes flitting around my body. She’s appraising me for safety.
Jeff was nothing special, and the man was no doubt more vicious in private than in public.
“Are you sure?” she asks me.
“Never more sure of anything in my life,” I tell her, lying through my teeth. “And if it doesn’t feel right when you’re there, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
While I’m sure about the offer, I’m not sure that my life will ever be the same.
Something about the way Opal stares at me and the way my heart skips tells me life’s about to change forever.
“You seem nervous. Are you sure there’s not somewhere you want me to drop you?” he asks as he drives, focusing on the road.
Fuck.
I’m an idiot.
How in the hell did I get myself into this kind of mess?
Jeff begged me to move to Florida with him, promising me all kinds of grand things, including him getting counseling.
I had a great-paying job in Chicago, but the warm weather of Florida was too hard to say no to.
“I’m not nervous,” I lie, pulling my hands apart after I’ve fidgeted most of the ride. “You could drop me at a shelter if it’s better for you.”
“Is it better for you?”
I stare at his profile, taking in the handsome ruggedness of his features. “It’s not like I’m in any position to be picky.”
He turns his head, looking at me with eyes that disappear when the oncoming car passes. “You don’t have anyone here?”
I sigh and sink into the seat. “I moved here a few weeks ago. I haven’t had time to meet anybody yet. I know literally no one.”
“That’s awful.”
“Yeah,” I mutter.
It’s also stupid. I’ve been on my own for years and knew better, but here I am.
Way to go, Opal.
When I was sixteen, my dad passed away, and a year later, my mother died too, leaving me in the foster system for a year before I was ejected into the world with no one and nothing. A few other foster kids became my friends and taught me the way to be street-smart and keep myself alive.
I thought I was doing a bang-up job of it until I met Jeff, and all my intelligence went right out the window. He sucked me in, made me feel like I finally had someone in my life I could depend on.
I knew he was an asshole, but when you don’t have many options, an asshole sometimes seems better than being alone. I’d spent far too long by myself to want to go back to that life.
But after only a few minutes away from him, I feel my body starting to relax, and my heart is no longer racing erratically for no reason at all.
My anxiety is dissipating. Anxiety he caused.
“Why don’t you drop me off in the center of town? I can figure it out from there.”
I figured it out when I was eighteen and homeless. What’s the difference now?
It’s a warmer climate, so it’s not like I’m going to freeze to death. I’ve seen the homeless people on the sides of the roads here and begging for money at the intersections. They’re surviving, and I have no doubt that I will too.
“Figure it out?” He repeats my words back to me but forms it like a question.
“Yeah,” I mutter, nodding in the darkness. “Wouldn’t you figure it out if you were in my circumstances? ...
