by Sophie Oak
Clarissa turned on her perfect boot heels and strode away.
“Now you’ve done it.” Bo turned back to his whiskey. It looked like he was going to need it after all. He reached for it, but Trev’s hand whisked it away. He shoved it down the bar where Leo handed it back to the bartender.
“I think you can consider Mr. O’Malley’s tab closed until further notice,” Leo informed the bartender.
“Hey, I was drinking that,” Bo protested.
“Not anymore you aren’t.” Trev sat down on the stool next to him. His face had softened.
“You have a lot of right to tell a man what he can and can’t do.” What the hell was Trev doing here?
“I’m exactly the person to listen to about this. That whiskey isn’t going to fix your problem. Let’s get out of here. We can talk about Beth.”
Fuck. Trev had obviously heard his message to Mouse. “I’m not going to talk about this with you. I’m not going to try to kiss her again, if that’s what you’re worried about. She picked you. You win. I lose. Now leave me be.”
“What if neither one of us had to lose?”
Bo stopped. What was Trev saying? Fuck. He knew exactly what Trev was saying. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t thought of himself in the hours since he’d realized Mouse wasn’t going to leave Trev for him. How could he not think about it? He had living, laughing, loving proof paraded in front of him every day that a relationship like that could work.
“I don’t like men.” That was why it couldn’t work. He wasn’t bisexual. No matter what his father said. He didn’t begrudge his brother and Lucas. Hell, Bo loved Lucas like a brother himself. Lucas was part of his family, but Bo didn’t view other men as sexual objects.
Trev sighed. “I don’t have sex with men, either. I know it seems like I’ve done just about everything decadent the universe has to offer, but I haven’t done another dude. I don’t have a problem with it. I’m just not intrigued. So rest assured, I’m not after your dick.”
Bo finally really looked at Trev. “Fine. I don’t like you.”
Trev seemed nonplussed about that fact. “We got along once. We could get along again. For Beth’s sake.”
Crap. His cock twitched at the thought. Hadn’t he had enough to drink that his cock should be asleep now? He had a sudden vision of Mouse, her gorgeous pale form surrounded by their tanned skin. She would be so fucking small in between them. They could turn her from one to the other, kissing her at will. She would be a pretty doll between them. They could lavish her with pleasure in a way one man alone couldn’t.
“I don’t think Mouse would go for that.” No way was this going to happen. And even if she did want it, would he be able to do it? After what Trev had done? What had Trev really done? He’d closed a door in Bo’s face. And Bo had walked away. That was what he always did. He always walked away. And he never he really tried. He just expected that it would all go bad. He just expected that if he fought, he would lose.
Wasn’t that what he’d done with Mouse?
His head was swimming with alcohol and possibilities.
“You are going to call her Beth. I won’t allow you to call her by that nickname anymore. Her name is Beth. That’s one of the rules.”
Rules? There were rules now? “I think I’ll call her whatever I like.”
Bo tensed as a big hand went around his neck, and he was hauled out of his barstool. Trev looked down at him, his eyes narrow and his face as hard as a rock. “You will show her some goddamn respect. Whether you end up accepting my proposal or not, if I ever hear you call her by that demeaning name again, I will beat the fuck out of you. You can’t take care of her while you’re putting her down. And you sure as fuck can’t take care of her until you start taking care of yourself.”
Bo put a hand on the barstool, trying to regain his balance. The whole world felt like it had tilted, and he wasn’t sure where he was going to land. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“What were you about to do with Clarissa? Tell me what your solution to that little problem was.” Trev said the words like he already knew the answer. Bastard.
There was nothing that said he had to be honest. “I was about to tell her to go fuck herself.”
Leo shook his head. “No, he wasn’t. He’s lying. He was going to leave with her to keep the peace, and he would have ended up sleeping with her.”
“I was not going to sleep with her.” He damn straight knew that. “I wasn’t going to touch her.”
“You weren’t going to stand up for yourself, either,” Trev said, letting him go.
Bo took a quick step back. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I wasn’t going to sleep with her.”
Leo crossed his arms over his chest. “I doubt that. I believe you would go into the situation thinking that. But would you really be able to make the decisive effort it would require to put her off? She’s an aggressive woman. Would you really be able to tell her effectively that you didn’t want to sleep with her? Or would you fall into the situation because it’s easier to do what she wants than it is to piss her off?”
“I wouldn’t have slept with her.” He said it with a stubborn bent to his words, but he could see some truth to what Leo had said. He didn’t like to admit it, but a whole hell of a lot of his life had been about keeping the peace and fitting in.
It had cost him Mouse. Beth. Her name was Beth.
What would have happened if Beth had made the first move? Would he have just gone along with it? Would they be together now? Would he be happy?
Trev’s hand came down on his shoulder, though this time there was an air of almost fraternal affection in the gesture. “It’s all right. It’s just like anything else. Standing up for yourself is something that has to be taught in some people. I can help you with that.”
He’d heard that before. “Yeah, I’m not buying the shit you’re shoveling, Trev. I think I bought it once. I might not be the strongest man around, but I’m sure not a fool.”
Trev’s face fell. “Damn it, Bo. Can we talk about this? I don’t even fucking remember what I did to you. I was a different person. I would really like to talk this out for Beth’s sake. Can’t you see she’s going to be miserable without you?”
“Fine, then you can leave, and I’ll take care of her.” Even as he said the words, he realized just how selfish they were. Mouse…Beth deserved better. And how would he take care of her? According to his brother, Beth needed more than he could give her. Beth needed a Dom. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew about the books Beth read. She was interested. How could he say he loved her when he wasn’t even willing to explore something she needed?
Trev took a step back. “I’m not going anywhere, and you know it. And I don’t have to be here. I have the girl. I don’t have to share her. She’s mine now, and she’ll stay that way. But I lo—care deeply about her. It’s my job in this relationship to make sure she has what she needs. I think she needs you.”
Leo had taken on a distinctly professorial tone. He was more relaxed and infinitely more grating on Bo’s nerves. “Bo, Trev is trying to be giving. Maybe we should take this someplace quieter and have a session. I think there are a lot of emotions here that need to be talked about.”
“Are we in couples counseling?” The idea horrified Bo.
Trev threw Leo a look. “Can you stop?”
Leo shrugged. “You’re the one who wanted to talk to him. I told you it was a mistake, but if you insist on talking, we should do it in a professional setting. I can probably make do with Aidan’s office. Oh, we could even have a talking stick. You’re not allowed to speak unless you’re holding the stick. It forces you to really listen to the other person. Although some people just play with the stick.”
“Don’t make me go with him.” Bo looked at Trev, who suddenly seemed like the safer bet.
And there it was. Trev was right. He would have gone with Clarissa. He would have allowed himself to fall into a situation that was bad for him. Hadn’t he been doing that all
his damn life?
“Don’t listen to Leo.” Trev shook his head. “He’s being obnoxious so you’ll turn to me. He’s a manipulative son of a bitch.”
“I have a PhD in that,” Leo said with a sure smile. “But I believe I just proved my point. Bo, Trev is offering you something most people in your position never get. Do you love Beth?”
Bo nodded, unable to say the words.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but she needs more than you can give her right now,” Trev said, his voice gentler than before.
“Because she’s submissive.” He hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it because he couldn’t be her Dom. He knew it. He also knew how Lexi and Lucas had blossomed under his brother’s care. He’d seen the way Mouse…fuck…Beth had clung to Trev after a single night with him. “I don’t understand it.”
“Are you willing to try?” Trev asked.
If it meant not losing half his heart? “Yes.”
Trev smiled. “Then we’ll get through this. But we should have that talk first. I don’t understand what I did.”
“Are you really off the drugs?” Bo had to know. If Trev had fought his way back, maybe he deserved to be heard. He wasn’t sure if he could trust the man, but he’d said he was leaving in a year. He’d told Beth he was leaving in a year, and he wouldn’t be taking her. What if Trev could bring them together, help him be what she needed? He didn’t have to love the man. Hell, he didn’t even have to like him. He just had to listen.
Trev scrubbed a hand across his face, a weary look in his eyes. “I’ve been sober for two years. This is the first time I’ve walked into a bar since the day I stopped drinking. Contrary to what the shrink over there believes, I don’t even want a drink right this second. I just want to get out of here. The smell is bugging me.”
Bo stood for a moment, really looking at the man. Was he lying? Why the hell would he lie? What did Trev gain from any of this? If he was telling the truth, then what did Bo lose by at least talking to the man? He stood to gain everything he wanted. “All right. Let’s get out of here. I probably shouldn’t drive.”
“Well, look at who’s here. See, Marty, I told you where we would find your boy.” Bryce Hughes stood in the doorway with a smallish man in a suit.
Trev’s face had gone a stark white.
Leo got up off his barstool and stood beside Trev. “Bryce, I don’t think Trev really wanted to speak with Mr. Klein.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” the man in the suit said, his voice nasally and quick. “Trev just likes to play hardball. Always has. He likes to string ’em along. Just like I taught you, brother. I was pissed that we missed the meeting today, but the fuckers are now offering us even more money. Idiots. We’re going to come out of this with a huge payday.”
“No.” Trev seemed to have a hard time getting the word out of his mouth.
Marty rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a moron. We can’t hold out for more. Twenty million for this year. If you take them to the playoffs, you get a million dollar bonus. And their current QB is thirty-two, practically ancient for a football player. We can squeeze a five-year contract out of them. Now, take a little pick-me-up, and let’s go catch a flight out of this hellhole.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Trev stood his ground, but something had changed as though he was trying hard to hold on to something.
Bryce frowned. “You damn sure better, Trev. Do you have any idea what your mother’s medical bills cost?”
Trev’s jaw tightened. “I know.”
Bryce pointed an accusatory finger Trev’s way. “Your sister is still paying them.”
Trev took a step back as though shocked at the news. “I thought you had paid those off.”
Bryce snorted. “No way in hell. Why do you think your sister works two jobs? She wasn’t my mother. I told Shelley to let it go to default. It wasn’t like your mother left a whole lot to inherit anyway.”
“Think about it, Trev,” Marty said, sounding a little like the devil on Trev’s shoulder. “You could pay off your mom’s bills with one little check. Your sister wouldn’t have to work two jobs anymore.”
Bryce smirked. “She’s at the second job right now. She’s tending bar at a strip club up the road.”
“What?” Leo’s question rang through the bar. “You let your wife work in a strip club?”
There was only one strip club anywhere close to Deer Run, and Bo didn’t like the idea of Shelley Hughes working there. It looked like Trev liked it even less.
Marty kept up his pitch. “Let’s get out of here, Trev. We can be in LA in a couple of hours, and all your problems will be solved tomorrow.”
Leo started to get into Bryce’s face. Trev put a hand out, stopping him.
“Don’t make this worse on Shell. Please,” Trev said.
“Trev, if you go back into that life, you will slide back into all of your problems.” Leo’s fists were clenched.
Trev’s face had taken on a blankness that Bo recognized. He’d seen it on his own face many times. It was the mask he wore when he knew he had to do something he didn’t want to do.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Damn right you will,” Bryce said. “Maybe you can wash some of the tarnish off your name and start giving back to this family.”
Marty slapped Trev on the back. “Don’t worry about a thing. Bryce here set me up. We’ll get out to LA, and I’ll make damn sure you feel good, if you know what I mean.”
Bo wasn’t sure what the man in the suit meant, but he had a feeling that going to LA would be bad for Trev.
Although it might be good for Bo. “You planning on taking Beth with you?”
A hollow look came into Trev’s eyes. He looked like a man who had just realized his life was over. “No. I won’t take her with me.”
He wouldn’t take her with him because he knew what would happen. Bo could see that plainly. He could also see just how much it was going to cost Trev McNamara to get his sister out of trouble. And it was obvious that the man had changed. Bo couldn’t fool himself. Trev hadn’t done anything since he’d come into town except stop Bo from hurting Beth and try to get honest work. And he’d offered to share a woman he clearly cared for because she needed it. And Bo needed it.
If Trev left, he might never figure out just what Beth needed.
“This is a huge mistake, Trev.” Leo’s jaw had formed a hard line.
It was. And the shrink was going to stand around talking the problem to death. Frustration bubbled up in Bo. Wasn’t this just the way everything went? It was sure as fuck the way his life always seemed to go. Just when he thought he was making some sort of progress, some asshole stepped in and screwed it up. He was goddamn sick of it. He was sick of the Brians of the world tossing their prejudice around. He was sick of the Clarissas who thought they could have any damn thing they wanted. He was sick of the slick-suited guys who thought they owned everything. He was sick of himself for never fighting.
Leo could try to talk the problem to death, but Bo was done talking.
He pulled back his fist and plowed right into that asshole in the suit. He went straight for the fucker’s face. Bo heard a satisfying crunch and a howl of pain. Yeah, that felt good.
“Bo!” Trev barked out his name.
Bo looked at Trev who glowered disapprovingly, but Leo was smiling.
The man he’d hit was still howling. Bryce was growling into a cell phone, probably calling the cops. Damn. He was going to jail again, but this time it was going to be worth it.
Like always at The Rusty Spur, the minute the first fist flew, the bar exploded. It was as though violence was always simmering right there at the surface, just waiting for any excuse to let loose. Almost immediately, Bo felt someone tug on his shirt and a fist smash into his face.
“Hey, asshole, what did you do to Clarissa?” One of Clarissa’s old boyfriends shoved another fist into Bo’s face.
“Fuck off!” Trev threw himself into the fight. The man might have sworn off liq
uor, but it seemed he hadn’t sworn off fighting. Trev pummeled the guy, tossing him aside when he was done.
Bo lashed out at the next man Clarissa had sent. He could see her standing outside the fray, a humorless smile on her face. Arms and legs tangled in a violent display as the world became a mad mix of fierce joy and righteous pain. Bo welcomed both.
He punched out at anything that came too close. The music suddenly seemed louder. The lights brighter. Everything seemed to come to life as he realized he wasn’t alone in the fight. Trev was behind him, their backs almost touching.
“We’re going to have a talk about your lamentable lack of control, Bo.” Trev plowed his fist into Brian Nixon’s gut.
“Yeah, well, we’re going to have to talk about your bossiness, McNamara.” But he could feel the grin on his face.
“Fuck!” Bryce Hughes screamed as he started to run, pushing against anyone in his way. “I will sue you, asshole.”
His nose looked broken. Bo couldn’t miss the satisfied smile on Leo’s face.
The doors to the bar flew open, and the sheriff and both of his deputies charged in.
Bo was still smiling as they put him in the back of the squad car. Trev was shoved in after him. This time he wasn’t alone.
Chapter Thirteen
Mouse paced. She walked through her house which now had a sturdy door and locks on every entryway. She’d made sure all the windows were solid. She’d even checked the attic to make sure there was no way someone could get in that way. She’d done just about everything she could with the tools she had, and still Trev hadn’t found his way home.
A note. She’d gotten a note saying something had come up, and he’d be back later. That was it. And he wasn’t answering his phone. It kept going to voice mail. What had happened?
A million scenarios played through her brain—none of them good. She’d tried his sister, but her phone had gone straight to voice mail, too.
Mouse sat down on her rickety stairs, phone in hand. Why had he left? She’d worked so hard in the short time she’d had to obliterate that nasty message the young man who’d attacked her had left. She’d put two coats of primer and three coats of paint on the wall, and for the life of her she could no longer see the words. Trev wouldn’t have been able to see them. She’d been worried he would leave to protect her, but she didn’t want to be protected. Not like that.