Page 40 of Relentless Hearts

Together, they drifted to a table and settled in to chat.

“Looks like we’ve been abandoned for the book club,” Gray drawled out.

Without looking away from Willow, Decker closed his fingers around his beer and brought it to his lips.

“Seems like Decker’s done this a time or two.”

He grunted, but the sound was drowned by the clink of beer glasses and chatter. “Told you I’ve been watching out for Willow for a while.”

Carson brought the talk back to business, and he kept his ears on the conversation and his stare on Willow, who was enjoying five-dollar margarita pitcher night with the ladies.

The bar filled up, and more than one guy made a beeline for the prettiest flower in the room. Willow.

With every new person who spoke to their sister, conversation between the Malones slowed until it stopped altogether.

“Who the hell are all these people? I spent as many summers in Willowbrook as she did, and I don’t recognize more than a handful.” Oaks shook his head.

“We were all stationed around the world. Willow stayed,” Denver noted.

“And everybody loves her.”

It was true—Willow was the darling of the whole town, always ready with a cheerful smile or a kind word.

She was two margaritas deep by the time she and the ladies took to the dance floor. As soon as her cute little cowgirl boots hit the floor, she wassurroundedby guys. Young, old, didn’t matter. They all flocked to her.

Decker started out of his seat, and Carson put out a hand to stop him. “Where are you going?”

“Better view of the dance floor against the wall.”

“Sit down.”

He met his boss’s stare, torn. If he disobeyed his first order, he’d be off the team before he ever got started—and he wanted the backing of Black Heart Security.

But if anybody touched her again…

He tightened his lips and dropped back into his chair. Carson gave him a nod and slid a fresh beer his way. Decker gripped the bottle but didn’t drink.

After two fast songs, Willow and Felicity took a breather. The waitress delivered two drinks to them.

“Someone’s buying them drinks now,” Decker ground out.

“Don’t worry—we trust the bartender. The drinks are safe,” Oaks said.

“She should switch to soda.”

Oaks snorted in agreement.

Willow was flushed from dancing and, in Decker’s opinion, sipped the drink too fast to quench her thirst. But her brothers didn’t seem at all concerned about her alcohol consumption.

Willow got up to dance again, swaying her perfect hips side to side, her long hair whirling in an arc as she spun.

Suddenly, a guy in jeans, boots and a ball cap started dancing up on her. Decker pushed away from the table, but a hand came down on his shoulder.

“We’re trying to get a bead on who’s around her,” Carson said.

He pushed a hot breath through his nose and sat glaring at the guy getting far too close to Willow.

“Colt. That the guy?” Carson asked.