Chapter 52

Chase's Point of View

She was keeping her distance. Even though she was sitting right next to me, she might as well be sitting on another table the way she was keeping to herself. I couldn't work out what had changed. Why had she gone into her shell?

If it was another woman treating me like this, I'd be over her and onto the next. Then again, I've never loved a woman before, but I loved Chloe, which was why even though it was killing me not to reach out and pull her onto my lap, I was still holding onto the little control I had and respected the distance she wanted.

"Ace, why aren't you eating?" Oliver was sitting directly across from us and I was starting to get sick of their little friendship. Why would she let her guard down around him? She would let him touch her.

My grip on my fork tightened just thinking of the way he grabbed her and held her to his chest and she didn't fight it. She had just melted back into him, like she felt safe. Then she screamed that she wasn't his sister-in-law, as if it could be the worst possible thing to happen to her.

"It's because we ordered steak at a Chinese restaurant, isn't it?" Dan grumbled next to her. "It's just not normal."

I turned, wanting to see what her excuse was for pushing around her food and not eating.

"Something like that." Chloe said. Knowing eyes were on her, she cut off a piece of the steak and put it in her mouth. Her face melted. "God, I take it back. It's amazing. Dan, you should really stop eating all the chips and try the steak." Chloe took another bite.

When had she last eaten? She didn't eat last night. I swear I heard her stomach growl.

Dan, taking her advice, tried it. He nodded his head at her. "You were right, it is good."

"Hey Ace, want to play a game?" Oliver wiggled his eyebrows at her. I wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and punch that smug expression off his face. Why was he testing me?

"Sure." Chloe smiled at him. "Only with you, McKenzie, but if it is a drinking game, I want it noted I'm already ahead of him." She reached for her wine. She was right; she had been drinking more than him.

But why did Oliver always want to play with her? Like she was his only source of amusement?

"I pick someone in the restaurant, and you either have to get his or HER number or kiss them." Oliver was explaining the game, and I was starting to think Oliver had forgotten I was at the bloody table.

I wasn't about to let her go around kissing strangers. She was mine. Oliver was going to get a black eye for this.

“Okay," Chloe said, stopping me from reaching across the table. I turned to look at her in disbelief. She had to be fucking kidding me.

"Unless someone has a problem with that game," Marc said from beside me. He knew I had a problem with it. Anyone with an ounce of sense would know I had a problem with it.

"Why? It's not like I'm in a relationship." Chloe stood up, leaving me speechless just looking up at her. What did she mean she wasn't in a relationship? What the hell did she think we were doing if we weren't in a relationship? "Name your mark, Oliver."

She was standing there; ready to go kiss someone else.

Oliver's eyes locked with mine, and I could see he was regretting the game because I was going to make him regret it. Well, at least he got something out of her. At the very least, I knew what her problem was. She didn't think we were in a relationship.

How the hell was I going to make her see we were? I hadn't made any commitments to her. She hadn't made any commitments to me. Still, I thought it was unspoken agreement. She was mine. I was hers. Simple.

"That guy at the bar. Blonde hair, the one in the suit," Oliver said, and my eyes darted to the guy.

I would not sit here and watch her do this.

"Not my type, but okay." Chloe finished her wine, putting the empty wine glass on the table, and started to weave her way through the tables.

"You going to do something?" Marc basically whispered in my ear. "Or are you going to let her kiss someone else?"

I wanted to. I needed to, but one thing stopped me from getting up.

"She isn't in a relationship, remember," I gritted out and reached for my beer.

Marc scoffed, but kept his opinion to himself.

"I'm so glad I'm not you." Archie laughed at Oliver. "Once Chase is through with you."

I kept quiet, sipping my beer.

"Hey, did anyone else notice Chloe's reaction to painkillers? It was like I was offering her poison." Archie was obviously bringing up a subject that had been bothering him all night. Normally we don't fight him when it came to medical stuff.

"If she wants to be in pain, let her." Marc leaned forward to look down the table. "Stop bugging her about it."

"But it could be more serious than that. She could have nerve pain. The cut was deep; it will take her a while to get her full strength back." Archie’s concern for her was clear.

"Aww, look, she is going in for the kill." Oliver twisted with delight, watching her. "She never backs down from a challenge."

"Well, I hope that comforts you when Chase reminds you of who you are playing games with." Declan picked up his beer.

Oliver glanced at me, grinning. "He will be thanking me. At least I got to the bottom of your problem."

"We didn't have a problem," I gritted out. Not until she said we weren't in a relationship.

"Clearly you did bro. I just made her say it out loud."

"Stop playing games with her." It wasn't a warning, it was a direct command. "I mean it, Oliver. Back off."

"Why?" He actually had the guts to say it. "She doesn't want to be in a relationship with you. Doesn't mean she has wiped the rest of us off." He leaned forward. "Don't know if you noticed, but I'm the only one she lets touch her." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she is calling me McKenzie because I'm her McKenzie."

That's it. Screw the people that were around. Fuck the table that was in the way. He was dead.

"Maybe you want to check this fight for later. Looks like Chloe is about to make good on her word." Marc grabbed my arm, pulling me back down to my seat.

I looked up. Chloe was standing behind the man she was going to kiss. I watched her tap him on the shoulder. He turned. She took a step in closer to him, her hand ran up his chest, and then cupping his face, she didn't just kiss him - she made out with him.

At first, he was shocked, but then he kissed her back. He kissed what was mine.

His hands ran down her back, gripping her hips and pulling her in closer to him. The guys he was with looked at them, stunned.

"Just don't kill the bloke, Chase." Marc let go of my arm.

The guy was just reacting to having the hottest girl in the restaurant kissing him. She should know fucking better. She knew I cared for her. She mightn't know I was in love with her, but she would have to know I had feelings for her.

Chloe grinned, pulled her hand from his chest, turned, and headed back to us, like she hadn't just made a stand that she wasn't mine.

She didn't even look at me. She didn't seem affected at all, as if she hadn't just made out with a stranger. She looked distant, calm and controlled. Her eyes met mine and the only word that came to mind was hollow. The look in her eyes. As if she was hollow.

She was at the table when I saw the man's hand wrap around her arm, pulling her to a stop. She turned and looked up at him.

"You just took my breath away." He looked at her like she had just dazzled his world. "I didn't catch your name."

She smiled, but it didn't light up her eyes. "Chloe."

"Well Chloe, you just made my night, and you got me craving another kiss." His eyes darted to her lips. "How about I buy you a drink?"

She better bloody not. If she was testing me, to see if I would make a scene, well, she was going to get one if she said yes.

"I can't, I'm with…" her eyes darted to the table.

"Your brothers. I know. Still, I don't care," he said confidently. Like a man that normally got what he wanted.

He hadn't noticed the vests we were wearing until Oliver turned his back to them. I saw the man's eyes widen slightly, but then he just looked back at Chloe with more concern. Like she had gone to him needing rescuing.

"How about we get out of here instead?" he said. "You seem like too much of a nice girl to be with this lot. I promise you I won't take you to my bed." He stepped in closer to her. "Unless you want me to," he whispered down at her, but it was loud enough that I heard it.

It did something in me. The little patience I had with her testing the waters was gone. If she wanted a reaction, she was going to get one.

Marc must have known what I was going to do, because his hand quickly wrapped around my arm, trying to pull me down, but I shoved it off.

"Chloe. Here. Now." I gritted it out. Just don't kill him, Chase.

Her eyes flashed to mine. If she knew what was good for her, she would bloody well listen.

The guy wrapped an arm around her. "Maybe she doesn't want to. I never understood men like you. Claiming beautiful women and treating them like shit."

Chloe opened her mouth, but it had gone too far now for her to be able to defuse the situation with words.

I reached into my vest so quick; the man didn't even see it coming until my gun was pointed across the table at him. There were a few gasps in the room, and everyone that had been talking stopped. The only noise in the restaurant was the low hum of the music and the noise of me turning the safety off.

"Still want to get in my way?" I tilted my head. Just give me a reason. Go on. Do it.

I was pissed off. The girl I loved just made out with another man after declaring we weren't in a bloody relationship, when we were. I would enjoy nothing more than to pull the trigger.

"Chloe's coming with me," the words left his lips and I pulled the trigger. The man was asking for it. He dropped to the ground. People started screaming. Chloe’s hands went over her mouth as she gasped. While my eyes were glued on Chloe, the boys were up.

"I'll clear the security footage," Declan said, throwing down the rest of his beer.

"Time for us to clear out." Oliver got up.

"Chase, give me the keys and I'll pull your car around." Archie put his hand out for the keys. I reached in my jeans and pulled them out, dumping them in his hand.

Chloe dropped to her knees and I had to roll my eyes. Of course she would go to him.

"See what happens with your stupid games, Oliver," Marc yelled at him and then pushed me out of the way, getting up. "I'll get Chloe. You get out of here before someone pulls out their phone."

He was right. I did have to get out of here, but I wasn't leaving without Chloe.

She was kneeling over him, her hand on his bloody shoulder. I leaned down and gripped her arm, pulling her up off the ground.

"CHASE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She was yelling at me as I dragged her away.

"We're leaving."

"You can't just go around shooting people!"

We stepped out into the night air and Archie had pulled the car right at the front doors. He jumped out and left it running.

Oliver went to get in the back seat and I let go of Chloe to grab him.

"Don't even think about it." I was so close to giving him a black eye. He was lucky we had to clear out of here and I was being forced to leave, otherwise I would be laying into him.

"Fine, I'll go with Marc," Oliver said.

"No, I'm going with Marc." Chloe walked to Marc's car. "At least I know he isn't a psychopath!"

Why the hell was she pissed off? She didn't have a bloody right!

She opened the back door and slid in. Marc took off as soon as the door closed. My eyes turned to Oliver. He put his hands up.

"Now is a good time to remind you I'm your little brother."

That didn't stop my fist from connecting with his eye socket and the string of curse words coming from his mouth.

"Jesus, Chase!"

"Get in the car, Oliver," I said, pulling the door open. Archie had left the engine running. I took off before Oliver closed his door.

She thought she wasn't in a relationship. She thought she was free to do whatever she wanted. She was in for a rude awakening.