When You're Mine (MINE #3)(27)

I laid my head on his chest and held on tight. “Thanks for being such a gentleman tonight, Mason.”

A soft kiss grazed my forehead and I smiled, remembering Barrett and the way he would always kiss my nose.

Then I heard him.

“Tabitha?”

Barrett’s deep voice sliced through my drunken haze and my body went rigid. I wiggled from Mason’s arms and he let me go, but his hands still held me steady. I blinked several times, my brain scrambling to process what I was seeing. Standing three feet away from me was a man I never thought I would see again. I wanted to throw myself at his feet, but the pain and anger set in his eyes held me in place. “What are you doing here?” I asked, the sight of Maddie walking up behind Barrett smothered my happiness as dread rolled like heavy stone in my belly.

Barrett’s eyes pinned mine for what seemed like a lifetime before he ignored my question, nodding above my head. “Who the f*ck are you?”

Oh shit.

Mason chuckled, removing his hands from my hips and stepping up next to me. “I’m nobody, man.” A tiny sigh of relief fled from my lips.

“Barrett?” Maddie stepped between us, looking back and forth with bloodshot eyes, trying to put the pieces together. I could see the moment it hit her. “No f*ckin’ way.”

“I can explain…” I began, collecting a step.

“Explain what?” Holden asked, stepping up to complete the circle of hell.

I looked down at my feet, unable to speak under her disappointed glare. “It just… happened.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

My eyes moved back to hers. “I was afraid you would be upset or worse, hate me.”

“Will someone please tell me what the f*ck is going on?” Holden bellowed.

Maddie ignored her husband, keeping her eyes on me. “Were y’all screwing around behind my back?”

“Hell no!” I reached for her arm. “I would never... this all happened right before I moved.”

Holden looked murderous. His brows were pinched tight and his normal easy going smile had turned into a thin line of rage. I don’t remember ever seeing the man pissed off before, and I had to say, it was scary. “You f*cked this guy?” Holden looked at Barrett then back to Maddie. “When?”

Maddie kept her cool blue eyes trained on mine. “This was before I met you, Holden.”

“Well, considering I’m here now… I suggest you start talkin’.”

Exhaling an irritated breath, she swung hard eyes to him. “Barrett and I used to…” she started, but then quickly thought better of it. “Doesn’t matter, let’s just go.”

“You and Barrett used to what? Fuck? Date? What!?”

Note to self… never piss Holden off.

“Holden, please,” she pleaded, pulling him towards the car.

He jerked away from her. “No. I wanna know why my wife is upset about someone she used to f*ck, f*cking someone else.”

Maddie didn’t have an answer for that. She tossed me one last look, eyes like daggers to my chest before she spun and hurried off.

Holden’s jaw ticked before he swung his ice cold eyes at mine. “You comin’?”

“No, she’s not.” Barrett answered.

“I don’t remember askin’ you shit, motherf*cker.” Holden’s hands curled into fists.

“The f*ck is goin’ on out here?” Archer asked, stepping out of the door of the bar with a huge guy following right behind him.

Shit, all these pissed off men… in one parking lot… not good.

“’Bout to show this Yankee f*ck what a good ole ass whoopin’ feels like,” Holden took another step, bringing him square with Barrett.

“Fuck you,” Barrett countered.

Holden brought his face within an inch of Barrett’s while my heart slammed against my chest. “Keep talkin’ shit.”

Stepping between the two angry men, Archer placed a firm hand on Holden’s heaving chest, walking him three steps back. “Go home, Holden.”

Holden’s eyes turned to stone as he stared his cousin down. Thankfully, after a few nerve wracking moments, he finally walked away.

Archer looked me over before swinging his eyes to Barrett. “She yours?”

“Yes,” The possessive tone in his voice sent a familiar warmth spreading throughout my body.

“Wanna tell me why my cousin was ready to wipe the parkin’ lot with your ass?”

“I have a pretty good idea, but it’s none of your business.”

Archer collected an angry step, but Barrett didn’t back down an inch. “Everything that goes down in and outside of that bar is very much my f*ckin’ business.”

“Fair enough.” Barrett said. “But I’m still not telling you shit.” He took a step back, reaching out for my hand. “Let’s go, Tabitha.”

Archer lifted a hand to stop me, studying my face carefully. “You’re drunk.”

“Trust me, I’ve sobered up plenty in the last fifteen minutes.”

“I don’t feel good about this,” Archer said, concern thick in his voice.

“I’m fine, I promise.”

Archer let me go and Barrett led me to the back of the parking lot, relief flooding my veins. The respite was short lived as realization came sweeping in.