Carter's Treasure by Amy Gregory

she wasn’t so tired.
    “Speaking of PDA,” Dylan said as he looked at Molly, snickering as he tried to be funny, “I thought you said she wasn’t that kind of girl. Are we sure? You said she wasn’t a flirt, but I think she passed flirt a long time ago.”
    Oh my God, will he not shut up? Molly had taken several deep breaths throughout the afternoon and evening to block out his remarks and nasty comments. She had been flirting with Carter, but she had done nothing to deserve the crap this asshole had dealt her at every turn. Even she had a breaking point. She sat up and eyed him with a glare. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Carter was out of his chair and in Dylan’s face.
    “I sure as hell hope you’re joking.”
    Jesse smacked Dylan hard. “Dude, you looking to get your ass handed to you tonight? If so, keep talking.” He scanned the circle. The joking and laughing had come to an abrupt halt and both Brody and Joey had immediately flanked Carter’s sides.
    “You know what, jackass, you’ve been making snide and rude comments all night. Everything that has come out of your mouth has been a slap at her. I’ve tried to let it go and to ignore you. But dude, you just went too far.”
    “Oh yeah, Sterling, what are you going to do about it?”
    “Carter!” Molly pled as she tried to calm him down.
    “How old are you?” Brody asked with a laser pointed glare locked on the man.
    Dylan looked Brody up and down. “Why? What’s it to you?” Dylan continued to glower back at him, but he finally answered, “nineteen.”
    “Okay, so let me put this in perspective for you.”
    “Oh yeah?” Dylan stood and crossed his arms, then sneered back at Brody.
    “She started racing, not riding , but racing when she was four. So she’d been racing for two, almost three years by the time you were even born. She put her time in and retired the best of the best. Then I moved her into freestyle, trained her hard, day in and day out, and she competed for two more years. Now she works. She’s worked hard her whole life to get to where she is today. She’s never even so much as had a boyfriend, so I don’t know where you get off being a dick. She rode when she was sick, she rode through every holiday, hell she’s ridden with broken bones more times than I can count.”
    Molly gasped. She couldn’t believe Brody had just said that. That was something she didn’t want brought up. It was the last thing she wanted to explain to complete strangers.
    “Brody!” Her heart began racing.
    “She’s getting paid to be here, so don’t you ever compare her to those little girls who drool all over you guys. You are a cocky little shit with a God’s gift to women complex, and you’re just pissed off that she didn’t fall down at your feet.”
    “Yeah, well I can’t help it if she’s been all over him like a tramp all...”
    Carter came across his nose with his right fist faster than Dylan could finish his sentence. Dylan bent over, blood gushing all over the concrete floor. “Son of a bitch. You broke my nose.”
    Molly froze.
    “Don’t you ever talk about her like that again. You got me, asshole?”
    “You broke my fucking nose.”
    “I don’t give a flying fuck,” Carter spat out the words. “You will never talk to her like that again. As a matter of fact, you’d best do your damnedest to avoid her, or I’ll finish your ass.”
    “What the fuck?”
    “I mean it, Martins. One more nasty word out of your mouth and I’ll beat the living shit out of you.”
    “Carter!” Molly tried to wiggle loose of Eli’s hold. “Just Stop. You’re going to get into trouble with George. Eli, please…let me go!” She flung her arms, fighting the hold. She knew Eli was trying to help by keeping her a safe distance from the possible brawl, but she hated behind restrained. A couple of other riders had joined in on Dylan’s side, but Jesse, Brody, and Joey had Carter’s back. At this rate, if this got out of hand,