Rule. Jay Crownover

to my dad all you want, I don’t want to be with you and nothing is going to change that.”

      He looked like he was gearing up to keep fighting but there was a sudden surge toward the bar, knocking Shaw even farther into my embrace and I took full advantage by pulling her small frame completely in line with mine. The girl was rocking some serious curves and I wondered what in the hell I had been smoking to miss it right up until now.

      “We got a problem, bro?” I asked him. She pulled away from me slightly with a scowl and put her hands in the center of my chest to get a little space.

      “Yeah, bro, we do. But now isn’t the time or the place. I don’t have time to mess around with a peon like you. Shaw, I’ll see you later. This isn’t over.”

      He shoulder-checked me and glared as he pushed around us. I gave Shaw a squeeze and let her take a step back but kept my hand loosely at her waist. I was watching Polo Shirt walk away and trying to catch Nash’s eye over her head. She let out a breath that fluttered against my throat and sent a chill running across my skin.

      “Thanks.”

      “No problem. That guy needs to get a clue.” Nash finally looked up and I jerked my head toward the door, where Polo Shirt had just exited. He gave me a slight nod, stood, and said something to Rowdy and Jet, which had the two of them climbing to their feet as well. I saw Shaw’s dark-haired roommate hanging by the door with a mountain of a man. She gave my friends an odd look as they filed out the door but didn’t say anything. I dug my Amex out of my wallet and put it in Shaw’s hand. Her luminous eyes were watching me curiously.

      “Close our tab out on that, will ya? I’ll be back in just a second.”

      She took the card and fell back a step. I tried not to notice what it did to her breasts when she crossed her arms over her chest.

      “Where are you going?”

      “To run an errand.”

      “Leave Gabe alone, Rule. He isn’t like you and Rome. He was born to be a politician—threats and intimidation don’t mean anything to someone like that. Just forget about him. The idea that I would leave him for a guy with tattoos and purple hair is enough of a blow to his ego to get him to leave me alone for a while, trust me. Besides, I’ll talk to Lou, the bouncer. If I tell him that Gabe is harassing me they’ll eighty-six him for good.”

      “Look, Rome would kick my ass to Nebraska if he found out some douche bag was giving you trouble and I didn’t say something, plus I hate a guy who thinks he can just do whatever he wants to a girl because he has an in with the parents. I’ll be back in a second; just close our tab and hold on to the card in case you have to bail one or all of us out of jail.”

      I thought it was funny, but she didn’t even crack a smile. She was just looking at me like I had suddenly grown another head. I needed to get a move on before the asshat left.

      “It’ll be fine, Shaw. Seriously, I got this.”

      I set her fully away from me and moved around her to follow the guys out the front door. The pretty roommate caught my eye and lifted a brow. “Maybe you have redeeming qualities after all, Archer.”

      I flipped her off, because, well, that’s what I do. I made my way to the edge of the block, where Nash and the boys were leaning against a white Lexus. A very nervous-looking Polo Shirt was pacing back and forth in front of them threatening to call the cops, waving his iPhone around and asking repeatedly if they had any idea who his dad was. I tucked my hands in my front pockets and cocked my head to the side. I could see why Shaw’s parents loved this guy. He was all right looking, if you went for a dude who looked like Banana Republic threw up all over him. He actually had coloring similar to mine, dark hair minus the purple and spikes, and light blue eyes, but he oozed entitlement and vanity in a way only the idle rich can. He was custom-made to be the husband who had a piece on the side while the pretty wife smiled for the cameras during election time. While my relationship with Shaw tended to be tumultuous at best, I knew on a soul-deep level that she deserved better than whatever this slimeball was selling.

      “Hey, Polo Shirt, slow down a minute. I just wanna talk to you for a second.” He was in the middle of telling Nash that he was going to sue him for this or that and that his dad was a judge so they would throw the book at him when he finally noticed I had joined the party. He lowered his wildly flailing arms and glared at me.

      “I know who you are, you know. Shaw might think she’s clever but she has a picture of you and your brothers in her room on her nightstand. Her parents have told me multiple times about her unhealthy attachment to you and your family. Her father has even threatened to stop paying for school for her if she keeps showing such questionable judgment in who she spends time with. This little encounter might just seal the deal.”

      I had to give the creep credit—on my own I am a fairly intimidating guy, but he was surrounded by guys who were just as big and a hell of a lot more used to physical violence than he obviously was, but the little puke held his ground. “I don’t know what her fascination with a freak like you is, but it’s time for her to outgrow it. She belongs with someone like me, not someone who can’t go through a metal detector without clearing out his face.”

      Nash snickered and Rowdy laughed outright. I just shook my head a little and lifted my mouth in a twisted grin. “I think she belongs with someone more interested in getting into her pants than into her daddy’s wallet. Shaw’s a good girl and she has a good head on her shoulders. The fact she wouldn’t let you even round first base in six months is pretty telling, bro. From the sounds of it, you would have better luck taking her folks on a date than her. Look, she’s like family, and I don’t like it when people mess with my family. This is a friendly little chat because we’re on a public street and I’m feeling generous. Next time it won’t be public and my generosity has a time limit. Leave her alone, end of story.”

      He looked like he wanted to argue, wanted to say something back, but the mountain of a human being who was clearly the bouncer for the bar came around the corner. Lou looked at the guys leaning on the car and then to the heated Polo Shirt and shook his head.

      “Enough. You four go back in. Ayden told me what was going on so your tab is on me. You”—he pointed a meaty finger at Gabe—“you are no longer allowed at the Goal Line; consider yourself eighty-sixed. If Shaw doesn’t want you here, I don’t care how much you got in your wallet or what kinda pull your old man has, this is my house and you aren’t welcome. Next time you want to get all up on one of my girls or put your hands on them, you won’t have to worry about these guys because I’ll make sure they never find your body, understand?”

      Even I didn’t question that this monster meant business, so Polo Shirt gulped and nodded his head slightly. My boys pushed off the car and Nash “accidentally” shoved into him as they made their way over to where I was standing. Gabe swore and jumped into his car. He pulled away from the curb and flipped us all the bird as he squealed into traffic. The bouncer looked me up and down and flicked his impassive gaze over our motley crew.

      “You friends with Shaw?”

      I mean we weren’t friends, exactly, but it was as close as any other explanation so I shrugged and answered, “Sure.”

      He nodded. “I’m Lou. I look out for the girls who work here. Shaw and Ayden just happen to be two of my favorites. They’re good girls and they work hard here—they aren’t here just to show their asses and get into trouble—I respect that. I don’t let anyone mess with those two; in fact, I take it personally when someone tries to.”

      I wasn’t sure why he was telling me all this but, frankly, he was one scary mother so I kept my mouth shut and just kept making eye contact.

      “Shaw is a sweet kid but she tries to do too much by herself. If that asshole keeps bothering her she’ll just suffer it in silence.” Now he was looking at me pointedly, so I lifted an eyebrow. “I wanna know if something needs to be done about him.”

      “Shaw and I aren’t exactly close—she wouldn’t tell me something like that. You might want to have