Overheard (Unspoken #2)(4)

Luke looked at his friend in surprise. On that point they agreed, though they’d never discussed Gracie’s love life before. Hadn’t exactly been high on their priority lists.

“He looks angry,” Michelle said anxiously.

Both Wes and Luke shot to their feet and walked to the window to look out. They were all understandably wary after all that Ellie had endured at her ex-husband’s hands. No way would they stand by and let Gracie take the brunt of some punk’s anger. Keith did look pretty pissed and Gracie took a step backwards as they all watched.

“I’m going out there,” Luke muttered. “I want to make sure the dickhead doesn’t get carried away.”

“Jeremy and Wes are the cops, maybe they should go,” Michelle said, her frown deepening as she watched her friend.

“More reason for me to go,” Luke said. “I can get away with decking the ass**le better than they can.”

He didn’t wait for a response. He strode for the door and quietly let himself out.

Neither Gracie nor Keith must have heard him because they never turned around. Luke eased down the steps into the yard. Their heated conversation filled his ears, and he stopped so he could listen from the distance.

“Damn it, Gracie, what was I supposed to do? You acted like some kind of a whore. I wasn’t expecting it.”

Gracie clenched her fists at her side.

“Just because I suggested we do something other than the usual suck your dick and missionary that makes me a whore?” she all but yelled.

“Be quiet for God’s sake!”

“No, Keith, I won’t be quiet. It’s over. I don’t know why you’re here, but it sure as hell won’t change my mind. I said all I had to say this morning.”

“You’re dumping me?” he asked incredulously. “Shit, Gracie, you’re being unreasonable. You should have warned me or something. You had nipple rings of all things. Like some kind of cheap tramp. What on earth possessed you? Is that what you made me wait a month without sex for? So you could spring this weird ass surprise on me? And then you go on about how you want me to take control and for you not to have to decide how we do it all the time. Give a guy a break.”

Nipple rings? Oh Jesus. Gracie had nipple rings. This most certainly was a new development. Luke had seen her in a bikini on many occasions, and he damn sure would have noticed nipple rings.

So Gracie was trying to branch out and the pu**y boyfriend had thrown a fit. Well, good for her for dumping him. He obviously didn’t deserve her.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Gracie said coldly. “Giving you a break. We’re done. Finito.”

Anger flashed on Keith’s face, and Luke started forward. He knew that look and it could only mean trouble.

“You teasing bitch,” Keith snarled.

He made a grab for her arm, but Gracie sidestepped him and rammed her knee into his groin.

“Cock-sucking bastard!” she hissed as he fell to the ground.

Luke stepped between them and hauled Keith up by his shirt. The man was still pale with pain and clutching his privates for all he was worth.

Luke slammed him against Keith’s truck and got in his face. “If I ever see you within ten feet of Gracie again, I’ll make what she just did look like a blow job. You got me?”

Keith grunted and struggled to get loose. “Yeah, I get it. Get your f**king hands off me. You’re welcome to the psycho bitch.”

Luke decked him. Keith fell to the ground, blood spurting from his nose. Keith grabbed his face with both hands, howling in pain.

He scrambled to his feet and fumbled to open his truck door. “You son of a bitch! If you broke my nose, I’m pressing charges.”

Luke chuckled and jerked his thumb in the direction of the kitchen window. “You do that, pu**y boy. But you ought to know two cops are watching from that window over there, and I imagine they’ll swear they didn’t see any such thing.”

Keith threw himself into the truck, swearing and swiping at the blood running down his face. In a few seconds, he spun out of the driveway, spewing a trail of rocks and dirt several feet high.

Luke turned back to Gracie who wore a look of astonishment on her face.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She looked up at him, her eyebrows arched in question. “What the hell was that all about?”

Luke knew why she was confused. He’d never intruded on her business like that. Gracie was more than able to take care of herself. It was something he admired about her.

He shrugged and put a hand on her shoulder. “Just looked like you could use the help, that’s all.”

“Yeah, well, thanks,” she mumbled as they started back toward the house.

As they stopped at the steps, she looked up at him, her bottom lip stuck between her teeth, a sure sign of agitation.

“You didn’t…you didn’t hear our conversation did you?” she asked nervously.

Luke almost smiled. Yeah, he supposed Gracie would about die if she knew he’d overheard that and more. From what he’d gleaned from her conversation with Michelle and then her fight with Keith, it looked like she was spreading her wings a bit and venturing into new territory. Territory he was intimately familiar with.

“Nah, I’d just come out when he made a move toward you,” he lied. “Looked like he was trying to hurt you.”