Page 99 of Loving Wild

The rest of the girls are standing off to the side, talking to a policewoman and a couple of bouncers.

That’s when a truck comes to a screeching halt, double parking right outside the bar.

“Shit,” I hiss when I see Cooper’s driving and Gabe’s in the passenger seat.

“Great,” Dani adds. “Just fucking great.”

Gabe is first out, his long legs exiting from the passenger side, eyes fixed on mine as it takes him just a few steps to reach me.

He stops, his gaze now doing a top to toe scan before darting all over my face.

“Where is he?” he grits out.

“Gabe.” I snivel as tears instantly start leaking down my face. I don’t know why I cry, I didn’t even know I needed or wanted to cry, but seeing him after so many days, the way he looked me up and down, checking I was okay, the sense of safety, of feeling protected washing over me, right along with relief that he’s here, and just the sight of him, my tears start falling.

“You good?” Gabe reaches out and cups my jaw, brushes his thumb over my cheek, then leans in and gently presses his mouth to mine.

“You good, Little Bird?” he repeats. I nod then shake my head because I don’t fucking know what I am right now.

“I had a fight,” I tell him through my tears.

“I know, it’s okay. You good though? He didn’t hurt you?”

I sniff and shake my head again.

“Where’s the fucker who put his hands on her and my sister?” he straightens and asks the cop.

“Sir . . .” the policeman starts to answer.

“Gabe,” Zac, who’s just pulled up in his own truck, calls his name at the same time as the cop speaks.

“You sure you’re good?” he turns back to me and asks.

I nod. “Just tired. I wanna go home.”

“Yeah, let’s make that happen,” he says before moving towards Zac.

Cooper takes his place, going straight to Dani and tilting her face up to his.

“He fucking did this to you? He fucking hit you?” Spit flies out of his mouth as he talks, and Dani nods, wide-eyed at her brother.

“You better have the fucker locked up,” he straightens and says to the cop.

“He’s inside, helping my . . .. Sir, sir . . .” The cop doesn’t get to finish what he is saying before Cooper takes long strides and heads inside the bar.

It was almost closing time when it all kicked off, so the place is now mostly empty, and the music ended.

I turn and look at Dani when we hear shouting coming from inside. That’s when I realise Zac and Gabe are both also missing.

“Fuck me,” I mumble. “You couldn’t make this shit up.”

Sam and Jess have moved towards the doorway of the bar but have been blocked from going in by the policewoman they were talking to.

It takes a full five minutes before Zac is the first to reappear, followed by Coop then Gabe. Joined by Jess and Sam, they all start moving towards us. The doors open behind them, and Jarrod appears, flanked by two policemen, hands cuffed behind his back.

Gabe moves so quickly towards them, it’s literally like a flash in front of my eyes. Luckily, Cooper is equally as fast, grabs Gabe around the waist, and swings him in the opposite direction to where he was aiming his raised fist.

“You’re fucking done around here, Summers. I’ll make sure every builder on the peninsular knows you like to hit women. None of them will want to list with you again, you cowardly little cunt,” Gabe calls out as he attempts to shrug Coops hold on him off.