point. “Well, talking about getting the girl…” She reached up to grab the back of his neck when she was interrupted by a growl.
“Well, looky here, boys. Nikki Stratton is back and playing in the gutter.”
She twirled around and faced the speaker.
“Samson,” she greeted politely. She nodded at his two friends.
He sneered back. “Didn’t your brother teach you any better than to hang out with trash?”
She gripped the back of RJ’s shirt when he moved forward.
“You got a problem, man?” RJ snarled.
She noticed Mike moved a little to the side and straightened his shoulders, bracing his feet. RJ vibrated in fury next to her. Crap, she didn’t want a brawl in front of the café the day before the party to unite the Pack.
“Yeah, I got a problem. You. You and your brothers.” Samson’s lip curled.
Nikki stepped into Samson and RJ. “That’s enough. Why don’t you just keep going, Samson?”
He snorted. “I see where your loyalties are. Brandon knows about this?”
“Why? You gonna tattle on me?” she challenged. She wasn’t afraid of him. Brandon and Samson had been best buds until they’d reached high school. After that time, Samson had changed, turned into a bully, and Brandon had spent less and less time with him. “Don’t forget, Samson, I grew up with you. I know all your secrets, too.”
Samson shook his head. “Bran was always too easy on you, should have turned you over his knee, maybe I’ll do that myself.”
RJ surged forward. “Touch her. I dare you.”
Samson’s eyes narrowed. “You think I’m scared of you? I’ll touch who I want.”
To prove his point, he grabbed her left wrist. She managed to hold off RJ with her right but barely. It was Mike who moved the quickest. He had Samson’s free arm back and angled. Samson hissed.
“Why don’t you just let her go?” Mike suggested calmly.
Samson released her and turned on Mike. “You’ll regret that.”
Mike shook his head. “Get out of here, man. You’re making a scene. Just go and get control of yourself. Sober up some. I can smell the alcohol on you.”
Samson brushed past them and headed off, cursing them and making threats. Nikki looked up into the wide café windows and saw several tables staring at them.
“Damn it,” she muttered and dropped her head.
“Asshole,” RJ grunted, still watching Samson as he crossed to an old Chevy truck.
“Hey.” She yanked RJ forward by his belt loops. “Let it go.”
He frowned and twisted his neck. “He fucking put his hands on you.”
She held up her wrist. “And I’m fine. But now we have to go eat and make sure we show a united front.”
He glanced up at the café. “Shit.”
She moved up to her tiptoes. “We need to choose our battles. If that’s how he acts tomorrow, we may have some problems, but I didn’t realise how far gone he was. If he challenges Dylan, he won’t win.”
RJ threw his arm around her shoulder and herded her to the café door with Mike following behind. “Can’t believe your brother was best friends with that dick.”
She sighed. “He actually used to be pretty nice. They stopped hanging out when they were still in school here. My second year in college they had a final falling out. Bran never told me what about, though.”
“Well, let’s try to enjoy our lunch,” RJ suggested, opening the door.
There was still a fire in his eyes but she let it go. It was going to be a long day.
Chapter Nine
RJ blew out a heavy breath as he locked the shop door for the night. Other than the encounter with Samson Lewis in front of the café, the day had gone pretty well. He’d spoken with every member of his old Pack who had come to town with them—almost fifty members. Several of the kids and teenagers had already made friends and found their place. The adults had all brought in new businesses or had found work. He hadn’t realised how much his Pack had already started to mingle into the established one.
He felt better
“Well, looky here, boys. Nikki Stratton is back and playing in the gutter.”
She twirled around and faced the speaker.
“Samson,” she greeted politely. She nodded at his two friends.
He sneered back. “Didn’t your brother teach you any better than to hang out with trash?”
She gripped the back of RJ’s shirt when he moved forward.
“You got a problem, man?” RJ snarled.
She noticed Mike moved a little to the side and straightened his shoulders, bracing his feet. RJ vibrated in fury next to her. Crap, she didn’t want a brawl in front of the café the day before the party to unite the Pack.
“Yeah, I got a problem. You. You and your brothers.” Samson’s lip curled.
Nikki stepped into Samson and RJ. “That’s enough. Why don’t you just keep going, Samson?”
He snorted. “I see where your loyalties are. Brandon knows about this?”
“Why? You gonna tattle on me?” she challenged. She wasn’t afraid of him. Brandon and Samson had been best buds until they’d reached high school. After that time, Samson had changed, turned into a bully, and Brandon had spent less and less time with him. “Don’t forget, Samson, I grew up with you. I know all your secrets, too.”
Samson shook his head. “Bran was always too easy on you, should have turned you over his knee, maybe I’ll do that myself.”
RJ surged forward. “Touch her. I dare you.”
Samson’s eyes narrowed. “You think I’m scared of you? I’ll touch who I want.”
To prove his point, he grabbed her left wrist. She managed to hold off RJ with her right but barely. It was Mike who moved the quickest. He had Samson’s free arm back and angled. Samson hissed.
“Why don’t you just let her go?” Mike suggested calmly.
Samson released her and turned on Mike. “You’ll regret that.”
Mike shook his head. “Get out of here, man. You’re making a scene. Just go and get control of yourself. Sober up some. I can smell the alcohol on you.”
Samson brushed past them and headed off, cursing them and making threats. Nikki looked up into the wide café windows and saw several tables staring at them.
“Damn it,” she muttered and dropped her head.
“Asshole,” RJ grunted, still watching Samson as he crossed to an old Chevy truck.
“Hey.” She yanked RJ forward by his belt loops. “Let it go.”
He frowned and twisted his neck. “He fucking put his hands on you.”
She held up her wrist. “And I’m fine. But now we have to go eat and make sure we show a united front.”
He glanced up at the café. “Shit.”
She moved up to her tiptoes. “We need to choose our battles. If that’s how he acts tomorrow, we may have some problems, but I didn’t realise how far gone he was. If he challenges Dylan, he won’t win.”
RJ threw his arm around her shoulder and herded her to the café door with Mike following behind. “Can’t believe your brother was best friends with that dick.”
She sighed. “He actually used to be pretty nice. They stopped hanging out when they were still in school here. My second year in college they had a final falling out. Bran never told me what about, though.”
“Well, let’s try to enjoy our lunch,” RJ suggested, opening the door.
There was still a fire in his eyes but she let it go. It was going to be a long day.
Chapter Nine
RJ blew out a heavy breath as he locked the shop door for the night. Other than the encounter with Samson Lewis in front of the café, the day had gone pretty well. He’d spoken with every member of his old Pack who had come to town with them—almost fifty members. Several of the kids and teenagers had already made friends and found their place. The adults had all brought in new businesses or had found work. He hadn’t realised how much his Pack had already started to mingle into the established one.
He felt better
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