Free Reckless by Maya Banks Page B

knocking him back. J.T. scrambled up and circled Lucas warily.

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    Maya Banks
    “Don’t you think she’s had enough hurt in her life?” Lucas demanded as they stepped around each other. “You made her cry, you son of a bitch. Our mother couldn’t make her cry. All the taunting and abuse she suffered at the hands of this town didn’t make her cry. You made her cry. I’ll never forgive you for that.”
    J.T. sighed. “Yeah, I did, man. I’m a lousy bastard.” He broke off when Lucas swung again. He ducked, but Lucas’s other fist connected with his nose.
    J.T. went sprawling, but he got up just as quickly and lunged for Lucas. They went down in a heap, rolling in the dirt as they fought for position. J.T. punched him in the gut, and Lucas grunted.
    “You don’t deserve her. No one in this piece of shit town deserves her,” Lucas growled.
    J.T. rolled off Lucas and scrambled to his feet.
    “You’re right, Lucas. I don’t deserve her. But I love her. She loves me.”
    “Oh, so now you love her. What happened to I think I love her ?”
    “I’m a goddamn idiot,” J.T. said. “What do you want me to say? I love that girl, and nothing you say or do is going to keep me away from her. You got that? Do your worst, Lucas, but remember that you’re trying to beat the shit out of the man your sister loves. I don’t think she’ll forgive you for that.”
    Lucas’s shoulders sagged, and a murderous gleam entered his eye. “Fucking pussy,”
    he grumbled. “Hiding behind a woman.”
    J.T. grinned. “There are worse things than hiding behind Nikki. She could take you, I think.”
    Lucas rubbed a hand through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh.
    “Hey, dude, are you AWOL?” J.T. couldn’t keep the concern out of his voice.
    Lucas smiled. “Nah. My CO has a baby sister too. He was only too happy to let me go kick some ass.”
    “Well then, instead of me kicking your ass, why don’t we go out and have a drink to celebrate the fact that I’ll be your brother-in-law.”
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    Reckless
    “You kick my ass?” Lucas sputtered. “I was going easy on you because I didn’t want to permanently injure the guy Nikki thinks she’s in love with.”
    J.T. glared at him.
    “Married? For real?” Lucas asked as if he’d just caught that part. “You’re marrying her?”
    “Well, the hope is that she’s marrying me,” J.T. said. “Now, can we get cleaned up?
    I’m starving.”
    Lucas glared at him again. “Don’t say another goddamn word about why you’re starving or I swear to God, I’ll kill you.”
    J.T. chuckled. “Come on. Let’s go. Nikki will be glad to see you.”

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    Maya Banks

Chapter Ten
    Nikki sat on J.T.’s lap at Tucker’s while Lucas navigated his way through the crowd, holding a pitcher of beer. He gave her a decidedly big brother indulgent smile as he plunked the beer down.
    “Hey, got room for us?”
    Nikki looked up to see Seth and Zane with a grinning Jasmine sandwiched between them. She stifled her laughter when she saw a very bold blue streak down the side of Jasmine’s dark hair.
    “Hey guys, you’re just in time,” J.T. said.
    “In time for what?” Seth drawled. “Your ass-kicking?”
    Lucas snorted. “That already happened.”
    Nikki reached over and punched him in the arm.
    “Nikki has agreed to put me out of my misery and marry me,” J.T. announced with what she could only call extreme smugness.
    “Hey that’s great!” Jasmine said, a wide smile on her face. She leaned over and kissed J.T. on the cheek. “Glad to see you finally wised up.”
    “Congrats, man,” Seth offered.
    Zane leaned down and kissed Nikki on the forehead. “Way to go, girl. Guess it’s true what they say about determined women.”
    Jasmine arched one eyebrow. “Oh? And what’s that?”
    Zane grinned down at his wife. “That they always get their man?”
    “Or men,” Nikki murmured