Page 75 of Slumming It

From behind me, Emily gave an audible scoff as the two bouncers stared at Morgan like she'd just pulled a motorcycle from her ass.

The smaller guy asked, "So, uh…what do you want us to do?"

Morgan sighed. "I want you to put back my friend's table.Obviously." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you moved it in the first place."

Moved it?

Yeah, right.

Tossed was more like it.

The smaller guy started to speak, but then – at a glance from the larger one – appeared to think better of it. Together, they lumbered toward the upturned table as we all turned to watch. They hoisted it easily and began lifting it over the circular seat of our booth.

As they did, I reached for Emily's hand and gently tugged her out of the way. I kept holding it as they placed the round table back where it belonged.

When I looked back to Morgan and Nikki, they were eying our joined hands with sour expressions, like they'd just swallowed curdled milk and were trying to keep it down.

But me? I felt better than I should've. Emily's hand was soft and smooth, and I liked the feel of it in my own. As I consideredmy next move, Emily gave my hand a light squeeze that felt a lot like a silent thanks.

If that's what she meant, I didn't deserve it.

I'd promised to protect her – maybe not in those exact words, but I had been clear enough. And then I'd left her on her own.

It was my fault this had happened.

Yeah, I'd come here for a reason, and the reason hadn't changed.

But sometimes, plans needed to evolve.

And this was one of those times.

Chapter 29

Emily

I had never felt so relieved in my whole life, and it struck me as exceedingly perverse that I was now thinking of Reese Murdock as my just-in-the-nick-of-time rescuer – and not the guy who'd been tormenting me for days.

Probably I was giving him too much credit. He made the rescue look almost easy. And for him, I guess it was. He had simply shown up, made a menacing threat, and acted personally ticked-off, as if I actually meant something to him.

I knew I didn't.But I was obnoxiously grateful just the same, especially when he'd started giving Morgan and Nikki the same kind of treatment he'd been givingme.

I'd been gratefulandamused.

Did that make me a bad person?

It took me barely a moment to decide.Nope.Not the wayIsaw it.

For years, I'd seen Morgan and Nikki dishing it out – making everyone lower than them on the proverbial totem pole feel just a little crappier about their own lives. But I had never seen either of them on the receiving end – not like this.

Eventually, there would be hell to pay – for me, not my rescuer. I knew this, just like I knew that Reese Murdock wouldn't be standing between me and them forever.

But for now, I would be crazy to not enjoy it.

The looks on Morgan and Nikki's faces when they'd seen us holding hands was worth more than all of the money in my pocket. And considering my current stash, this was truly saying something – even if I might need to give the money back.

I watched with wry amusement as Morgan sent the bouncers away with a stern warning to never bother her "good friend" again.

What a joke.I was no friend of hers, good or otherwise.