I turned so that Avery could slink behind me, and glared at Karen. “Did you slap her?”
“What?” Karen sputtered. “No. No I didn’t.”
“Yes, she did.” Avery’s voice was so quiet I almost didn’t hear her. “But he’s not going to believe me.”
After the day I’d had, hearing tiny little Avery James question whether or not I’d believe her gutted me. Something about her woke up every protective instinct I had, even if she drove me absolutely batty at the same time.
“Leave,” I barked at Karen, unable to hold back any longer. “Before I arrest you for public intoxication.”
Karen sputtered some more, but I wasn’t paying attention to her. Nor did I look at her ass as she practically flashed me while she walked away.
Before I could say anything to Avery about what had just happened, the door to the bar opened again. Out came Bria, her brother, and a guy I vaguely remembered from school. Immediately after them was Casey, along with the bartender who’d served us.
“Your brother’s makin’ a scene,” the bartender explained when Casey huffed loudly. “Because his wife was dancing with Liam here.”
“Thanks, Sissy. We’ll make sure he gets home okay.” Liam kissed the purple-haired woman on her cheek and then pulled her into a tight hug. “I’ll see you soon?”
Sissy smiled up at him and shook her head. “Give your mother my love, and don’t let this one go again.” She nodded her head towards Chris.
I was definitely missing part of the story. Then Sissy turned and saw Wheeler propped on the wall, still holding his dick.
“Gods, Wheeler. What did you do to piss Avery off now?”
“He touched her,” I said, offering the only explanation there was.
Avery stiffened from where she was still standing behind me, practically pressing herself up against my back, but no one even blinked at my response.
Instead, Sissy offered a tattooed hand to Wheeler and heaved him up. “Why do I have a feeling this has to do with you chasing your dick?”
Avery snorted, and I looked down to see her sticking her head out from behind my back. “Because he was. Right to Karen Zucker.”
Sissy groaned. “Not her. Anyone but her. Wheeler, you know if you hook up with her, Deacon is gonna send you out as a Nomad for a year. Don’t dip your wick there, man.”
“Well, if you’d date me,” Wheeler said, suddenly sounding more sober than he’d been before Sissy’s arrival. “I wouldn’t have to chase a fuckin’ ass like that.”
Sissy rolled her eyes, but put her arm around Wheeler’s waist. “Come on, Wheels. I’ll sober you up and you can sleep on my couch.”
“The cab’s on the way,” Avery said as soon as they were gone. “Thanks for not arresting me.”
Even as she said the words, though, the patrol I’d called in swung into the parking lot.
“Fuck,” Chris said. I’d almost forgotten that he, Bria, and Casey were there since they were being so quiet. “Why’d you have to call the 5-0, Carter? Aren’t you off-duty?”
“I saw an assault happen, in-progress.” I shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“No one’s pressing charges,” Avery quietly contradicted me. “And the cab is here.”
Casey chose that moment to interrupt. “Why won’t you talk to me?” He loudly questioned Bria. “I said I was sorry. I don’t know what else to do here, Bria.”
“You left,” she hissed at him and shooed him away like he was an animal. “I don’t have to waste my time with you.” Bria’s eyes flashed, and I recognized the look for what it was.
Avery must have seen it at the same time, because she immediately stepped around me and got between the two other people.
“I’m getting married, Casey. I think it’s time you gave me the divorce I’ve been asking you for the past ten years.”
“Over my dead body.” Casey didn’t move, though. He didn’t step forward threateningly. He didn’t get angry. He didn’t respond at all except for those words. “You’re not marrying anyone ... but me.”
Bria wasn’t the only one who tensed at his comment, though. Chris, who’d kept relatively quiet through the whole thing coughed and interrupted.
“You left, man. You don’t get to question who she’s with or what she does. Not anymore.”
Casey blinked, and a blank expression took over his features. Gone was the mask of the husband whose wife just asked for a divorce. Gone was the man who’d just lost his brother. Gone was everything except a carefully cultivated blank stare.
“When you’re sober,” he addressed Bria alone. “We’re going to sit down and talk about this.”
“Fat chance.” Bria got in the waiting cab, followed by Chris and Liam, and rolled down the window. “Come on, Avery. You can sit on my lap.”
Avery blanched. “Can’t I sit up front?” The cab driver shook his head, and Avery turned to her friend with a grim expression. “Sorry, Toots. I’m not getting in the car unless I have a seatbelt to myself. And we’re not going to ride like that. I’ll call another cab.”
Bria turned to me, giving me a murderous expression. “You. Make sure she gets home safe, or I’m gonna show up to Sunday dinner at your mom’s house.”
Her threat wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else. However, Mom had been trying to get Bria to our house for Sunday dinner every single week for the past ten years since the day Casey broke her heart. Every week, Bria failed to show. If she started coming now, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Mom would beat the shit out of Casey for what he did. She didn’t actually know the whole picture, and that was the only gift that Bria had given him.
“Done.”
They drove off a few seconds later, and I was left with Casey and Avery.
“Hey, Linc.” Lincoln Hayes, one of the officers I worked with, got out of his cruiser after the others were gone and crossed his arms.
“What’s up, Avery? You up to no good?”
Avery flushed slightly in the dim lights around us, and then her face broke into a huge smile.
“Linc!” She threw herself at him. “I’m so happy you and Remy are home for good!”
He caught her, spinning her in a graceful hug, and then sat her down gently. “I know. It was time to come home.”
“Yeah, I bet.” Avery shook her head, still smiling. “I’ve been hearing a few rumors about Kennedy and one of the teachers at the high school.”
Linc’s expression turned thunderous. “Me, too. Gotta let her go, though. It’s what she needs.”
Avery patted him on the arm like he was a lost little puppy. “Just keep telling yourself that.”
He glanced at Casey, then at me before asking, “So, what happened?”
“Karen Zucker,” Avery answered for me. “She’s what always happens.”
Linc visibly flinched before taking his cap off and putting it under his arm. “Girl. You know you have to stay away from her crazy ass.”
Avery nodded. “She showed up at Rett’s birthday party last week, and your boy here—” Avery nodded at me. “Almost arrested me as a result.”