Rule (Marked Men #1)(13)

“Hey girl, what are you doing here?” Shaw gave a little squeal as she returned my roommates hug but her eyes never left mine.

“Uh I work here, I have for a while. I normally have Sunday’s off but since my schedule changed and it’s busy I picked it up. What are you guys doing here?”

I knew the question was directed at me but I was still too stunned at how different she looked to respond. Nash left an arm around her shoulder and pointed at our friends. “The guy with the goatee is Rowdy; he works at the shop with me and Rule. The guy shoving his face full of nachos is Jet, he sings for Enmity. Guy’s this is Shaw, she grew up with Rule and his brothers.”

I watched in a mixture of awe and repulsion as my friends practically fell over themselves to shake the hand she extended. I still hadn’t said anything and it was starting to get awkward but she just smiled and picked up the empty pitcher and told us she would be back with another in a few minutes. All four sets of eyes followed the swish of her hair and the ruffles on her ass as she walked away and I wanted to punch everyone, including myself in the face. As soon as she was out of earshot Rowdy turned on me and reached across the table to smack me upside the head with the flat of his hand. I swore and glared at him but made no move to retaliate.

“What the f**k?”

He shook his head and pointed a finger at me. “That’s the girl you complain about driving home with every weekend? That’s the girl you whine endlessly about walking in on you when you’re acting the fool? That’s the girl you dodge calls from and avoid like the plague? Geez Rule I never knew you were g*y.”

Nash snickered and Jet busted out in a full belly laugh. I flipped Rowdy off and narrowed my eyes.

“Shut up. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

“No? I have eyes and that chick is killer so either you’re blind or stupid because if I was cooped up in a car with her for two hours every week I’d be thanking God not bitching about it.”

Nash shook his head. “I can’t believe you didn’t know she worked here. Do you really just ignore everything she says to you?”

I glared at him. “You didn’t know either and you talk to her when she comes over on Sunday.”

“I ask her if she wants coffee, not how she makes a living. Dude admit it, you suck.”

I was going to argue but he kept going, “And she is hot, she’s always been hot you just don’t like her so you can’t see it. She looks good in all that fancy crap she’s normally in, but man in that uniform…”

“I like her fine.” I refused to comment on her hotness or lack of because that was weird to me. Of course I had eyes in my head so I knew logically she was a beautiful girl, but she always seemed so cold and so untouchable that I never really thought of her as attractive more like an impressive work of art that was meant for viewing in a museum rather than every day enjoyment.

“Don’t lie. You two can’t stand each other.”

I shrugged a little. “She’s like family. You know how I feel about my family.”

Jet lifted an eyebrow, “I wish my family had members that looked like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “Knock it off. Stop being a creeper.”

She came back with not one pitcher but two and a plate of wings. She smiled at Nash and the other guys but when her bright gaze landed on me the shudders came down. “These are on me. I just can’t help myself from trying to make sure you eat on Sunday.” She turned away with a flip of her pale hair and moseyed over to another table full of middle aged guys in ill-fitting jerseys. I narrowed my eyes when one of them put his hand on her ruffle covered butt. Clearly used to it Shaw flashed that killer grin and easily side stepped the groper. It was such a different way to see her that when she walked past the table again clearly intent on ignoring me I reached out and grabbed her arm.

Her eyes flashed an emerald spark as she looked at the tattooed fingers I had wrapped around her wrist. I was surprised when a jolt shot all the way up to my shoulder at the contact. I lifted both eyebrows at her and gave her a nasty sneer.

“Do your parents know you work here, and what about Margot? I have a hard time believing any of the adults you try so hard to impress daily know that you’re prancing around here half naked.”

She scowled at me and shook my hand off. “No, my parents don’t know because they’ve never asked and Margot knows I work in sports bar but she doesn’t know what the uniform looks like and I’m not even close to being half naked. Leave me alone, Rule. My roommate works here too and she’s giving me the look that means she’s about to call in the troops. Unless you want to be carted out of here by three very big bouncers you’ll keep your hands to yourself and your trap shut. I like Nash, he’s always been nice enough to me, but I have no problem getting you and the rest of your friends 86’ed if you continue to piss me off.”

We glared at each other in a hostile standoff until one of her other tables flagged her down.

“Just one weekend.” I frowned at her as she muttered the words so low I almost didn’t hear her.

“What?”

Those eyes blazed so much at me I couldn’t even pick out one solid emotion. “Just one weekend I wanted a break from dealing with you.” She flounced away from me and for the first time since I had met her I realized maybe spending time with me was as much a pain for her as it was for me. When I turned back to my friends they were all looking at me with a mixture of pity and awe. My scowl darkened even more as I chugged back my full beer in one swallow.