They planned together in laughing giggles everything they were going to do back at the hotel. More food, then a movie, and a sleepover. No adults. Just them. Perfection.
Good, once they were tucked into their room, maybe I’d give Miss Sarah Jane a call and —
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." The snarl in Lainey’s voice snapped me out of my plans and I narrowed my eyes at the two men standing between the girls and the hotel door. They weren’t small, but they were pissed. Ivy was already cutting in front of Lainey like she was going to take them on.
Fuck that—
"Ignore him," Lainey ordered.
"Who is he?" Damn good question, Ivy.
One of the pair glared at Ivy briefly, before transferring that look to Lainey. Personally, I was about to pluck his fucking eyes from his head. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you?"
"Not long enough," Lainey told him. "And this is my mother's lover's son, or as I like to refer to him, the human version of period cramps."
The guy behind him burst out laughing and Mr. Period Cramps glowered. My lips twitched, because that was a damn good nickname. In fact, little Miss Magpie there just started forward like she was going to plow through.
"If you wanted to come see your friend," Crampy said finally. "You should have just said something."
"Adam… I don't have to tell you anything. ….let me be clear, you're like a cloud. A big, dark, ugly storm cloud and when you go away, it's a beautiful day. So, buh bye." Lainey’s voice kept dropping like she was fighting for the poise they’d abandoned all day.
Awareness of the pair kept my muscles coiled. I was gonna draw attention just standing here staring, but I sure as fuck wasn’t leaving them behind. The girls almost reached his laughing friend when Adam whatever the fuck said, "We came all this way and we're not leaving until your ass is in the car with us and on the way back to school."
"Sorry, my ass doesn't detach—unlike your personality. Maybe you should put a bag over it or something." With that, she stormed past them, Ivy in tow. The pair shadowed them all the way to the elevator and I was right behind them.
"Six in the morning," he ordered. "Meet us down here and don't try to sneak off somewhere."
"Six?" Lainey snorted. "Too bad your brains don't match your looks. I'll be down by ten." She waited until the elevator doors almost closed and for a split second her gaze locked on mine and then she added, "Maybe."
As one, the pair pivoted to face me.
“What the hell do you think you’re looking at?” the laughing man asked.
“Good question, been trying to figure out why two jackasses are harassing little girls. Only pervs do that.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” Adam the period cramp demanded.
“I said,” I told him as I stepped right up to him. “Only pervs harass little girls.”
“Dude, you’re asking to die,” his friend warned, but I ignored the laughing idiot and kept my gaze on the guy right in front of me. Anger rolled off him like a storm.
“Go send them a cake,” Adam ordered. “Tell them they don’t eat enough. You—outside.”
I chuckled. “Oh, what’s the matter big boy? Did I wound your pride?”
“Adam—”
“Fuck off, and do what I said.” Then Adam went back to glaring at me.
It’d been a while, but this was a nice place—with cameras—so I just stepped to the side and motioned for him to take the lead. No way was I giving either of these assholes my back. Adam McDouche tried to shoulder check me and missed. His friend groaned, but he cut away from both of us toward the hotel desk. I followed Adam right out the doors.
He didn’t slow until we were on the far side of the building and half in the shadows. I expected the next move and avoided the hard drive of his right fist. His left came up damn near as fast and I took a glancing blow from that. The dick had moves.
So did I.
A hard uppercut slammed his teeth together. I took the next blow on the shoulder and the kidney shot that followed it, but he took an elbow to the face for his trouble. Blood sprayed the pavement and the scent of copper filled the air. More familiar than mother’s milk at this point. His fierce expression showed zero signs of giving up.
Our next clash was just bare boned bashing. Fuck, I took one shot to the eye that was gonna sting like a bitch, but the clap I delivered to his ear sent him staggering. The swift flow of feet was my warning that his buddy had arrived and I barely moved my head in time to avoid the fist he would have caught me with. As it was, it slammed him into his friend.
And I laughed.
They went down like some bad physical comedy.
When they got up. They were pissed.
“Come on pretty boys,” I told them. “Let’s see if you can take me two on one.”
The laughing idiot charged me like a freight train. I took the blows, blocking a couple and then had to fend off Adam as well. It was like fighting the twins, only without the coordination. When I head butted his friend, I saw stars for a split second, then Adam caught me in the jaw and I stumbled backwards, falling over a goddamn curb.
I rolled, managed to not hit my head or leave myself to get curb stomped when there was suddenly a little girl between me and them.
“What are you doing?” Lainey shrieked.
Fuck.
I backed off, panting and shot a look around for Ivy. But only Lainey.
“Get your ass back in the hotel,” Adam growled at her, but like me, he kept his distance. Even the idiot had slowed down. We were all bleeding and bruised. I hurt, but they were going to be hurting worse, even if I could barely see out of my right eye.
“No.”
Arms folded, Lainey glared up at him.
“Excuse me?” He growled at her and took a step forward and I went to meet him. At my motion, he froze. For one long second, we just glared at each other. If he took another move in her direction, I’d kill him.
His expression promised much the same.
"You heard me,” Lainey yelled at him. “Have you lost your mind? Fighting out here? Why are you guys beating this guy up? Do you want to get arrested? Cause if you want that, I’ll call the cops. Right. Now.”
The laughing idiot started laughing—again. “Fuck me, Lainey don’t be such a little bitch.”
Adam swung around, only this time, his fist slammed into his friend and knocked the asshole down. He didn’t say a word to him, just looked at me then at Lainey.
“Fine. Get back in the hotel,” he said.
“Not without you two. I apparently can’t trust you and I came down to thank you for Emersyn’s cake. I was going to actually ask if you wanted to join us but you’re not going up there all bloody and gross.”
A half-laugh escaped me.
That snagged me the angry bird’s attention and she glared at me. “I don’t know who you are or where you came from. But now is the time you go—while I have them distracted.” She paused. “Oh my god, what did you do to his pretty face?”
Adam snarled when she would have taken a step toward me, halting her in place. Smart man didn’t touch her though. “Lainey. On the count of three, if you aren’t moving in the direction of that hotel, I’m throwing your ass in our car and going home. One…”