Free Divine by Cait Jarrod Page B

and bent it
backwards.
    He drew back his free arm and let loose a
blow to Bradley’s face. Travis moved quickly, but not fast enough
to stop his fist from connecting to Bradley’s eye.
    “Get out,” Jim, the bartender yelled. “Or
I’ll call the police.”
    “I got em.” Travis twisted Matt’s arm behind
his back and nudged him forward.
    “Search and rescue saves the day,” he
taunted, sobering immediately. “Always the champion.”
    “Shut your trap! I could lose my job. So
could you.” Travis shoved him out the door with Bradley
following.
    The evening air slapped him in the face,
dissipating the alcoholic fog. “Why are you here, anyway?” he
asked, entangling himself from his brother’s hold.
    “Trina’s worried about you,” Bradley
said.
    “So worried, she shut me out of her
fu-u-cking life!” he shouted, rage stinging his throat.
    “It wasn’t like that.”
    “And you,” he seethed and closed the distance
between him and Bradley, “didn’t say a word.” He spit on the ground
at his ex-friend’s feet.
    “I can’t get between you two.”
    “Pussy!”
    Bradley’s hands fisted. Good. He wanted to
knock the shit out of someone. “Bring it on.”
    “Not here,” Travis ordered. “If you two
insist on acting like juvenile delinquents, take it out of
sight.”
    “Let’s go,” he said, following the sidewalk
to… he didn’t fucking know where.
    “She’s inside.” Bradley’s voice aired on the
side of uncertainty. “She phoned from Molly’s Café, worried. I
called your brother to help search for you.”
    He went rigid, his thoughts flying the
distance as if they’d crossed the ocean. Every day his desire for
her had increased. He couldn’t accept she didn’t feel the same and
wouldn’t until she looked into his eyes and admitted her feelings
for this other man. “Why?”
    “Can’t answer.” Bradley stepped in front of
him. “She’s my sister. You’re my friend.”
    “Was.” He corrected him.
    “It’s not my place to tell either of you
anything, but like I said, she’s inside waiting to talk to
you.”
    He groaned and peered at the door. Going
inside with a full head of steam might open a hell of a lot of hurt
neither he nor Trina would recover from. He needed time and space,
more from himself than her. But damn, going inside and kissing her
until she melted appealed.
    His shirt pocket rung.
    Travis grabbed his cell before he had a
chance. “It’s Frank Gunny.”
    Groaning, he rubbed his eyes and accepted the
phone. His gunny calling wasn’t good. He pressed the talk button
and put the phone to his ear. “Sergeant Carson.”
    “You’re late,” Gunny said, no teasing to his
voice.
    He checked his watch. Damn, tonight he was
supposed to meet Gunny for a drink and introduce Trina. “On my
way.” He disconnected and faced Bradley. “She’s gonna have a long
wait.”

    “Hey,” Cadence shouted loud enough to be
heard above the band and gripped Trina’s tricep from behind. “Where
do you think you’re going?”
    “To follow them. I have to get to Matt.” She
moved past people staring at Matt and Bradley leaving. “I have to
talk to him.”
    “No, you don’t.” Cadence whirled her around
by the arm. “Let your,” she lowered her voice when the band stopped
playing, “brother and Matt’s brother handle it. He needs time to
sober and cool off. You go after him, there will be no talking.
He’s upset, hurt, and won’t think rationally.”
    She was right, but shit had hit the fan and
not going after him was wrong. He needed her.
    “Stay,” Cadence jerked out her ringing cell
from her purse and answered it. “Okay. I will,” she said after
nodding a couple of times. She slid her phone into her purse and
pressed her lips together.
    Nerves beat the inside of her belly like
angry birds. “What?”
    “Sit, let’s order a drink then talk.”
    Drinks? Code for ‘what I’m about to
say will hurt.’
    She dropped into a booth where a server
cleared the