She picked up the nearest napkin holder and fastballed it right at Jimbo. It took the cowboy hat right off his head.
“Damn, girl, what was that for?” Jimbo held his head in his hand while Joe laughed his ass off.
“That was for what you did to me. How could you? That was everything I owned. You could have burned down my house. Did you even think about that?”
Jimbo’s eyes got big and wide. “What the hell are you talking about, Dani? Are you pissed that I left your stuff in the yard? I tried to call, but you didn’t answer. You didn’t answer the door, either. I thought you would want your stuff back. Besides, Momma already set me up with this girl from Alba, and she probably won’t fuck me if my house is full of some other girl’s shit. It didn’t rain or nothing. I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Danielle!”
Julian’s voice carried across the room, the crowd, the loud music. He shouted, and Dani turned immediately. She saw Jack shaking his head with an “I told you so” air about him. The dancing stopped, and everyone moved out of Julian’s way as he stalked the distance between them.
“Holy shit, Dani, what kind of trouble are you in?” Jimbo asked, still rubbing his head.
The kind that got her spanked. Julian looked like a righteously pissed-off bull must look just before he gored the cowboy who’d tried to ride him. Dani took a step back, her back coming into contact with Jimbo’s front. She was surprised that his hands came up to her shoulders.
“Dani, maybe you should get behind me,” he said, his voice uncertain.
“I wouldn’t do that if I was you, Dani,” Finn said, walking up and taking his place beside Julian.
When had they started working together? Well, she wasn’t about to hide behind Jimbo. She forced her spine to straighten. “This isn’t your business, Julian. And it isn’t your business either, Finn.”
That single eyebrow arched up. “What did you call me?”
“Julian, Sir.” Damn it, she had to stop that.
“I didn’t call you anything.” Jimbo took a step back, leaving her alone.
“See that it stays that,” Julian said. “Danielle, are you attempting to start a bar fight?”
“I am attempting to show this asshole that he can’t torch everything I own and get away with it.”
“What?” Jimbo shouted the question. When Dani looked back there was unmistakable confusion on his face. “I didn’t torch nothing, Dani. Why the hell would I do that?”
Dani turned to fully face him. “When I got home this morning, the fire department was putting out the fire in my front yard where you had burned everything I owned because of how pissed off you were that I left you.”
“No, babe, that’s not true. Damn, how did I miss that story? Everything was fine when I left. Look, I’ll be real honest with you. I like you, Dani, but I ain’t in love with you. I was actually kind of relieved. Although, the way you look tonight, if you want to, you know, have some righteously nasty breakup sex, I am all over that.”
“You asshole,” Finn shouted as he surged from behind Julian. His fist was back and quickly connected with Jimbo’s face.
Curses started flying as Finn let go. He had Jimbo on the floor before Dani could scream. Jimbo’s friend got in on the action, double-teaming Finn. Dani heard Finn groan as Joe’s fist connected with his gut. Jimbo managed to get a good kick in. Dani couldn’t stand by. As angry as she was with Finn, she still loved him. She tugged at Joe’s shirt, trying to pull him back. All around her the crowd moved in. Bar fights were a regular form of entertainment at The Barn.
“Stop!”
Dani felt an arm go around her middle, lifting her away from the fight.
Jack and Sam were in the middle of the fight, pulling people off one another. Jack held the back of Finn’s shirt even as his fists continued trying to pummel an opponent who wasn’t close enough to hit. Finn’s face was bloody, his nose bruised.
“Don’t even think about it,” Julian whispered harshly. His arm tightened around her. “Finn, I believe you’ve made your point clear. Jackson, is there a place where I can take these two? I need to clean Finn up and make both of them very clear on the way their evening is going to go.”
Dani felt her heart start to race. Julian was using that deep, almost hypnotic voice on her. She opened her mouth to protest. She shouldn’t go anywhere with him. He would only break her heart again.
Before she could even get the first word out of her mouth, Julian’s hands tightened around her. “I would watch my words, Danielle. I won’t hesitate to start your punishment here and now. You know I have no problem with showing you off.”
“Punishment?”
“Yes, and Finn is due some as well.”
Finn’s head turned. “Me? What did I do?”
“Acted like an ass,” Dani said under her breath.
A sharp smack hit her bottom. “Your running commentary is not required, little one. Speak up again, and I’ll have that skirt up and your panties down while I redden that ass of yours.” Dani could hear him sigh. “You are wearing panties under that thing, correct?”
“Of course, though it’s really more of a thong,” Dani admitted.
“That will do.” Julian let her go and walked to Finn. He lifted Finn’s chin, seeming to inspect him. After a moment he nodded before turning back to Jack. “Should I take them home?”
The big cowboy shook his head as he handed Julian a key. “Nah, I have a place upstairs just for such an occasion. Take the back stairs, and it’s the first door on the left. There’s a shower and some clean clothes and other items should you need them.”
“Excellent.” He turned to the stairs. Despite the fight and all the chaos around them, Julian seemed perfectly in control. Finn was a bloody mess. She knew she had to look atrocious, but Julian was neat and pin perfect. What would it take to mess him up?
He paused at the bottom of the stairs. “Danielle, Finn, come along.” He turned and walked as though it was a certain thing that they would follow.
He hadn’t gotten more than two steps up before Finn was reaching for her hand, pulling her along.
Val watched as her sister—her pathetic can’t-keep-a-man sister—walked up the stairs after the gorgeous billionaire. What the hell was going on? Her mind raced. Maybe this Lodge guy was just feeling sorry for Dani. Maybe he viewed her as a charity case.
That had to be it. Except he hadn’t looked at her like she was a charity case. He’d stared at Dani like he really wanted her. She’d managed to get close enough to hear a little bit of what he said to her. He’d been upset at the way she was dressed and talked about punishment. Dani had closed her mouth really fast at that. What the hell had Dani gotten into?
Val watched the three of them disappear up the stairs. Jealousy curled in her stomach. That bitch. Had she known what she was doing when she fled her wedding? This billionaire guy seemed to be a friend of Jack Barnes. Maybe Dani had known exactly what she was doing.
Val felt her hands fist at her sides. She thought about what had happened this morning. She’d called that two-timing asshole John Hartley and asked him to find a way to get her sister out of the picture. He’d been utterly unwilling to help her. In fact, he’d told her that if she couldn’t get the house in her name in the next couple of days, he was going to announce the coming deal. It turned out fall elections were more important to mayors than mistresses. Val was going to get the shaftagain.
“You want to explain what the fuck that was about?”
Jimbo hauled her around, a nasty gleam in his eyes.
This was so not what she needed. She saw Cece start to point their way. Cece would have a rumor going in no time at all. Val pulled Jimbo toward a darker, more private part of the bar. There was only one man sitting at a table in here. He nursed a beer and didn’t seem to pay particular attention to anyone.