Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders #15)(90)

Dalton made a low, snarling noise.


“A dinner in which she and I talked about getting back together?” Dillon taunted. “You must not mean as much to her as you think you do, redneck.”


Dalton didn’t punch Dillon; he jumped him, knocking him to the floor.


Then he punched him.


Dillon rolled away and slammed his fist into the side of Dalton’s head. He tried to hit Dalton in the throat, but Dalton blocked it and delivered an uppercut. Dillon looked dazed for an instant before he leveled a punch to Dalton’s gut.


Unfazed, Dalton lunged for Dillon again and they both crashed to the floor. Dillon dodging Dalton’s fists, bucking his hips to throw Dalton backward. Then Dillon was on top, whaling on Dalton.


Rory watched the fight, a dull roar whooshing in her head. All she could hear was the sound of her own breathing and the rapid thump of her heart.


She couldn’t move.


Both men on the ground were bleeding.


A crowd gathered, but no one stepped in to stop them.


Then they were on their feet again. Swinging at each other. Dalton picked Dillon up by his shirtfront and threw him. Dillon crashed into a table and hit the floor.


Now that the men were separated, the bouncers stepped in.


Shit, not just the bouncers. Dalton’s cousin Cam McKay had one hand fisted in Dalton’s shirt. Cam wasn’t in his deputy’s uniform but he might as well have been, the way the crowd scattered.


Rory glanced over at Dillon and saw the bouncers had helped him to his feet. A cocktail waitress handed him a wad of napkins to mop up the blood on his face.


Dillon was listening to the bouncers, not paying attention to her.


When she returned her focus to Dalton, he continued to glare at Dillon while Cam dressed him down. A spike of fear went through her when Cam beckoned her over.


“Yes, deputy?”


Cam scowled. “I’m not on duty. I’m here on a rare night out with my wife, so dealing with this hothead wasn’t part of my plan. Goddammit, Dalton, when are you gonna learn fighting ain’t the answer?”


“Already learned it. I don’t do this anymore.”


“Then what was this tonight?”


“A warning. That f*cker doesn’t get to put his hands on her, or his mouth on her. Ever.”


Dalton still didn’t look at her.


“If I let go of you, you’ll go after him again?” Cam asked.


“Most likely.”


“Fuck that. I’m taking you outside to cool you off.”


Dalton shook his head. “I’m not leavin’ Rory in here with him.”


“Dalton. I can take care of myself. It was all a misunderstanding—”


Then he was in her face. “Don’t defend him. I don’t give a shit what he was to you once; he’s not that to you anymore. He has no rights to you. All those rights belong to me now.”


“Omigod. Like I’m a piece of f*cking property?”


Cam grabbed Dalton’s arm. “Not kiddin’. Outside. Now.” To Rory he said, “We’ll be waiting for you.”


Dalton snarled something but Cam got him moving.


Rory didn’t move toward Dillon until she knew Dalton was out the door. The bouncers left them alone.


Dillon was still mopping blood from beneath his nose. His right eye had swelled. Knuckle-shaped marks dotted the left side of his jaw. He’d bruise, most likely. His shirt was untucked and ripped. Yeah, he didn’t look so put together anymore.


He spoke first. “You could’ve mentioned you were seeing a f*cking psycho.”


“He was supposed to be out of town.”


“Like that’s an excuse. Next you’ll tell me the two of you had a big fight.”


Her life was one big cliché. “Yeah, we did. He’s the jealous type.”


“How long have you been with him?”


“I’ve known him since I was six. He almost married my best friend and we lost track of each other after that.”


“Now you’re both living back here,” he stated flatly.


“So it appears.”


“Don’t give me that coyness. I’m bleeding, beat up and really pissed off at myself for coming here. So at least tell me if you’ve always been in love with him.”


Rory stared at him like he’d just said the most idiotic thing on the planet.


Dillon pressed his point. “I get it. Star-crossed lovers or something. Been in love with him since you were six. He broke your heart, or you broke his. You couldn’t have him so you settled for me, a guy who kind of looks like him.”


After seeing them together the only similarity between them was they were both men.


“Psycho-cowboy and I have more than a passing resemblance to each other, Rory. And don’t think he didn’t notice it too as he was punching me in the face.”


“I don’t know what you want me to say, Dil.”


“How about goodbye? Because I finally understand that we’re done. I also finally understand why you’re willing to stay in a shitty-paying, low-level state job.”