Free Into the Nothing (Broken Outlaw Series Book 1) by BT Urruela Page A

dance floor, but he hardly notices. He keeps going until he’s just a foot away. I stop dancing and look back at Brandi to see if she’s seeing his sweet moves, but she’s in her own little world right now. I then see Ethan glaring intently at Xander as he dances, a judgmental look on his face. Brandi takes a seat at the table just to our right, pulls her heels off and tilts her head back with a sigh of relief.
    I look back to Xander, who has stopped dancing, and I grab his hand to pull him toward the table. “I think it’s time to crack this bottle open. What do you say?” I ask.
    “Sounds like a damn good plan,” Xander says, taking a seat and tugging his shirt back and forth for circulation. Sweat has taken up much of his v-neck and he looks completely uncomfortable.
    “Where did you guys disappear to anyways?” I ask taking my own seat next to him.
    “We were at Stan’s the whole time. That dude can talk.”
    I laugh. “Tell me about it. You oughta see him and Dad out by the fire pit with a case of beer. It’s a riot!”
    “I can only imagine,” Xander says. Ethan joins us at the table. He crosses his arms and wears a pathetic frown. I try my best to ignore him as Xander continues. “It’s like a never ending pissing contest. Which is fucking great as a bystander.”
    “Yeah, it’s free entertainment. Can’t beat that, baby.” Though my ‘baby’ was completely innocent, I see Ethan cringe and he grumbles under his breath.
    “Who drove a stick up your ass, Ethan?” I ask.
    “Well, Paige, it’s not always fun being the DD.” He snarls a little, showing the slight yellow stain of his teeth.
    “Give me a break! You don’t even like drinking that much,” Brandi says to him as she struggles to pull the cork from the bottle.
    Xander finally takes it from her and finishes the job, pouring a glass for each of us—including Ethan. He holds it out to him as Ethan inspects the glass.
    “DD can have a little, too,” Xander says. “Take it, bro.” Ethan reluctantly accepts the glass and eases up, nodding his head toward Xander in appreciation.
    We’re enjoying our wine and resting our feet when the band starts playing the first few notes of “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. I just can’t help myself. I grab Xander’s hand and drag him toward the dance floor. He only fights it for a moment.
    Once on the dance floor, he takes my other hand and whisks me around effortlessly. To my surprise, he can actually dance. Moving and swaying to the music, he guides me so well I don’t even have to think. I’m relieved to know the “white boy” dancing was just an act, though this man could make just about anything look good.
    As the band hits the chorus, I start to lose myself in the moment with Xander. My hands are held gently in his. His eyes get lost in my own, and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Then, as he spins me, I catch Brandi coming toward me quickly from the corner of my eye. Concern is etched on her face. From behind her, I see my ex barreling forward, his eyes glazed over and mouth open. We’ve stopped dancing and both Xander and I watch and wait. Xander steps in front of me as Cody approaches. Behind Cody are his lackeys, Russ and Benji.
    Benji has one of his sausage fingers outstretched and pointed right at Xander.
    “That’s the motherfucker from Whittaker’s, Cody. That motherfucker right there !”
    The three of them stop in front of us. Cody, who is at least two inches taller than Xander and about two times wider thanks to a weekly shot of testosterone, sizes Xander up. The other two are even bigger, but Xander stands firm. Ethan and Brandi are standing, but staying back.
    “You know that’s my woman, right, boy?” As usual, Cody is chewing on a toothpick that sits in the corner of his mouth. While he’s talking, it bobs as his lips move.
    “From what I hear, she hasn’t been your woman for quite some time.” Xander stands taller now, though I didn’t think it was