Chapter Eighteen

As he boxed Jewell in against the side of his brother’s car, Blake couldn’t remember ever being this angry. Ever. Fury rolled off of him in waves and he wanted to punish her, punish Tyler, punish anyone who dared to even look at him.

“Talk to me now, Jewell! Did you really think you could fuck me a few hours ago and then give it up to my brother?”

The fear in her eyes should please him. Let her fear him. It was smart of her. She wouldn’t play any more games if she were afraid. When he was about to open his mouth again, though, he felt a hand on his shoulder flipping him around, and then pain shot through his jaw as the force of a punch sent him flying against the car right next to Jewell. She quickly scrambled away.

“What the hell?” Red flashed before Blake’s eyes. He flung his head from side to side and lifted a hand, ready to pummel someone. But when he saw an answering rage in Tyler’s normally easygoing face, he was startled enough to unclench his hand. “What was that for?” Blake asked, using his hand to rub his sore jaw.

“You’re an asshole on the best of days, but you just insulted both me and Jewell with that asinine statement!” Tyler thundered.

“She’s a prostitute. What else do you expect?” Blake snapped, and Tyler made another fist. This time, Blake was ready and sidestepped the hit, then gave his brother a baffled look. He didn’t want to fight Tyler. He loved him. What was going on? He had to find out. “What in blazes has you so worked up, Tyler?”

“I stopped by your place and dragged Jewell out to lunch, then got your call. She’s done nothing wrong and you’re treating her worse than you’d treat a stranger you’d heard only bad things about. You can stay the hell away from her if you’re going to abuse her with such offensive remarks.”

“Um, do I need to run interference?”

Both men turned to see Byron standing there and looking back and forth between them with a brotherly smirk on his face.

“Stay out of this, Byron. I’m about to kick Blake’s ass!”

“I would love to see the two of you go at it,” Byron told them, “but Bill is standing in the doorway looking at you both like you’ve lost your minds. I think I agree with him.”

“I certainly think Tyler has lost his mind. He slugged me,” Blake said, keeping a wary eye on his brother.

“I’m sure you deserved it,” Byron replied. “Now if you two girls can kiss and make up, we can actually get this show on the road.” He stopped speaking when he finally noticed Jewell standing about ten feet away, looking in horror at the three brothers. “Ah! Now I see what’s going on. It’s always a woman…”

“I didn’t do anything,” Jewell said, surprising all three of them. “I basically got kidnapped and taken to lunch,” she snapped before turning to Tyler. “Not that it didn’t turn out to be a very nice lunch. Then Blake calls and I’m dragged here against my will, and the next thing I know punches are being thrown. If you want to act like Neanderthals, be my guest, but I want no part of it.” She folded her arms across her chest.

Byron blinked. “Sooo, you’re here with Tyler?”

“No, she’s with me,” Blake snapped. “Tyler decided he needed to ‘bond’ with her.”

“Ah, a love triangle. That’s a recipe for disaster,” Byron said in a bored voice. “A foolproof one, so even my pitiful brothers couldn’t screw it up.”

“It is not a damn love triangle,” Tyler snarled. “I can talk to a woman without the need to push her against a wall and take off all her clothes.”

“All righty, then. Can we get to work now?” Byron asked.

“Yes!” both Tyler and Blake exclaimed.

“And what about me?” Jewell asked.

They all turned in her direction as if they’d completely forgotten she was even standing there.

“You can sit down and shut up,” Blake told her.

To his utter surprise, her eyes narrowed and she stomped up to him, shoved her finger into his chest, and, after taking a deep breath, unleashed her wrath.

“I can put up with a lot, Blake Knight, and I have been doing just that over the past few days, but I am not going to have you talk to me like that in front of other people. I am a human being and I deserve at least a modicum of respect. Your brother forced me to come here, and I am not going to just sit around and wait. If you’re all going to work, then I can do something, too.”

No woman had ever snapped at him like this, or demanded his respect. He’d never before felt the urge to give in and do exactly what she was asking of him, either.

“No. It’s too dangerous,” he said, and thinking the subject was closed, he turned away.

“Then I’ll find something to do on my own.” She walked toward Bill. “Hi. I’m Jewell. What can I do to help you?”

Blake stood there for several heartbeats as he watched Bill put out his hand, clasp hers, and give the first smile Blake had seen on the old man’s face in years.

“Bill Berkshire. It’s a pleasure to meet you, young lady. How about we start with a glass of iced tea, and then we’ll find some work?”

“That sounds lovely.” Jewell walked with Bill into the house after casting a final, contemptuous glance back at the boys.

Blake and his brothers were left standing there with their jaws hanging all the way down to the ground.

“Well, brother, that’s a woman you might not want to let get away,” Tyler said before he moved over to the work truck that Blake had one of his men deliver. He began putting on a tool belt.

After a moment, Blake shook his head and followed his brother. It was going to be a long day, and yes, he’d be having a talk with Jewell about her place in his life, but right now he just didn’t have the time. She would definitely pay for her sins later, though.

Taking off his expensive suit jacket, he rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt before thinking twice and yanking it off, leaving him bare-chested. He was not dressed for this type of work, and in fact rarely swung a hammer these days. He was far beyond that. He only did it when he needed to work out his aggressions.

He’d already fiddled around one of the worksites today in hopes of dealing with the frustration he’d been feeling, but this job would cause a hell of a lot more sweat than what he’d been doing when his foreman had called and told him that Bill had sent the workmen away. He should curse the old man, but he knew he wouldn’t.

The thought of getting revenge on Jewell kept him going as he climbed up onto Bill’s roof during the hottest part of the day and ripped off the ridge cap, then began tearing down the shingles. Yes, revenge and swift punishment would most certainly be sweet.