Page 5 of Dusty and Dented (Fallen Angels MC #2)

F ire burned in Andy’s stomach. Not fire but the whiskey Dagger had insisted she’d drink. Okay, so he’d been trying to take it back when she’d picked it up and downed it, but still, he was the one who’d brought it to her and pushed her to drink it in the first place.

She stared down at her plate, focusing on eating so he would take her home. She took a bite and chewed it mechanically. She didn’t care about food. She didn’t care about the people around her talking and laughing as if Travis was here with them and not in a box in the ground.

Before she realized it, tears were streaming down her face again.

Andy was so used to crying these days she barely noticed.

But she continued eating, she had to finish this plate so the ass beside her would take her home where she could be alone.

That’s all she wanted was to be alone to deal with her grief.

A couple of people approached and spoke to her.

She nodded and accepted their condolences, but Dagger dealt with them mostly, and they quickly moved on.

That suited Andy perfectly. She didn’t want to have to deal with anyone, to listen to anyone else tell her how sorry they were or ask if they could help.

She just wanted to finish eating so she could get out of here.

She was almost finished with the food on her plate when someone sat across from her at the table. She didn’t look up right away, hoping whoever it was would take the hint and go away. But they didn’t.

“We need to make sure she’s taken care of until this is settled,” the newcomer said.

“I’m on it. I’ll keep her covered and make sure someone takes my place when I can’t be available.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it under control.” There was a pause, then the new guy spoke again. “Is she pissed at us or is something wrong?”

“I don’t think she’s pissed at the Angels. But maybe at me. And it’s been a hard day for her,” Dagger said from beside her.

“What did you do to piss her off, and why?”

Andy hated that they were talking about her as if she wasn’t even there, but since she refused to look up or acknowledge the newcomer, she also couldn’t tell him to go away, whoever he was.

“I brought her a shot of whiskey.” Dagger shrugged.

Because he sat close enough to her that she could see him out of her peripheral vision she had a harder time ignoring him, even with her head down.

“She was either in shock or damned close. Then I argued with her about drinking it. I was about to take it back when she snatched it up and drank it. I didn’t plan it, but it worked out.

Then she threatened to leave and drive herself.

I had to remind her she’d been drinking, and it wouldn’t be smart.

Now she’s giving me the silent treatment. ”

The reminder, and his smug tone did what no one had been able to do in years.

They pushed her past the limits of the control she kept on her temper.

Without thinking about what she was doing, she shifted her arm as if she was reaching for something on her other side, then jammed her elbow into Dagger’s ribs as hard as she could.

It wasn’t until she felt the throb where the nerve on the end of her elbow hit something hard and unforgiving that she realized what she’d done.

She froze, wondering if he was going to hit her back, how much it would hurt and how many blows she might take before she could get out to her car and away from here.

She clenched her teeth, closed her eyes and waited for the first blow.

But it never came.

“Well,” the man she’d never looked at said. “With that, I think I’ll leave you two to work out your evening.” She thought there was amusement in his tone, but without knowing who it was and seeing their face, she couldn’t be sure. She remained still as whoever it was got up and walked away.

Only once it was just the two of them in the booth or anywhere near that she could tell, did Dagger speak.

“Looks like you’ve finished your food. Would you like more?” He didn’t even sound angry. “There are some desserts on a table over there. Do you maybe want to take something there home with you?”

Still keeping her body tense, she slowly turned her head until she could look him in the face.

“Are you waiting to get me alone so you can hit me back? I’d rather you just get it over with now.

” Andy clamped her eyes shut so she couldn’t see it coming.

She didn’t know where her nerve had come from.

She couldn’t believe she’d hit this massive man beside her, then had the nerve to tell him to get her punishment over with.

He was huge—he would be able to knock her out with one strike if he wanted to. She just hoped he would go easy on her.

When a blow didn’t come, she cracked one eye open and looked in his direction, trying to see if he was waiting until she could see it coming, but he stared at her wide eyed and mouth gaping.

Not believing what she was seeing, Andy opened her eyes, then blinked.

She hadn’t been mistaken. He was staring at her as if she’d lost what was left of her mind.

“I’m not going to hit you. I don’t know where you got that idea.” His tone betrayed hurt and confusion.

“But I hit you first. I started it, surely you want to end it?” She didn’t tell him that she’d lived that exact situation for too long.

Until the last time. She’d thought he was going to kill her and then and there she’d vowed that if she survived, he wouldn’t do this to her again.

That had been while she’d been in Denver.

It had taken her moving back to Montana with Travis’s help, even if he didn’t know why it was so important for her to move when she had.

“Never.” His look of disbelief morphed into a scowl. “Who hit you? Who made you expect retaliation like that?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Andy said with a shake of her head.

“If you’re not going to beat the hell out of me once we get there for hitting you, then, yes, I’m ready to go home.

” She couldn’t help the flutter of nerves in her belly.

What if he was just pretending to be angry that someone had hit her in the past so she wouldn’t be ready for it when he did it?

Not that she had much of a choice. She either stayed there for a couple of hours until she felt like it might be safe to drive again, and dealt with all the people who wanted to talk to her and wanted her to be social or she let him take her home.

He stood and held out one hand. Andy ignored it, got up, and headed for the door. Finally, she was going to get home where she could climb into bed, which was where she’d wanted to be all day.