“Jaysus,” Quinn said, running his fingers through his thick hair. Actually, Donovan couldn’t blame the guy. Sayo was almost too beautiful, with a tiny frame, yet elegant long limbs and eyes that were darker than an oil slick. Even the vividly dyed pink hair didn’t diminish her beauty and Donovan understood why Quinn had forgotten his argument with Declan—he got it all too well. Before the younger Irishman could take two steps in Sayo’s direction, both Donovan and Declan moved in front of him.
“Don’t even think about it.” Donovan bent his head, eyes hard and threatening. He didn’t like the look on Quinn’s face or what that expression told him Quinn wanted to do to Sayo.
“She yours, Donley?”
“She’s off limits.” There was no flinch, no instance of caution in Quinn’s posture when Donovan got right in his face. It was a pissing match, one Donovan wouldn’t back down from. Sayo wasn’t his, would never be his, but she didn’t need some entitled jackass screwing with her. Especially not right now. “Don’t talk to her. Don’t look at her. Don’t even breathe the same air she does.”
The bastard grinned like Donovan’s threats were nothing, like he was accustomed to ignoring warnings. “And if I do?”
“Then we’ll have a problem.”
Declan stood just between his brother and his best friend, eyeing Quinn with that cool, composed smirk of his that Donovan knew meant he was gearing up to throw his considerable weight around. “Get this straight right bloody now. Those girls,” Declan threw a nod in the direction of the grill where Sayo and Autumn chatted with Joe, “aren’t to be messed about. Not one of Autumn’s mates. They aren’t to be bothered. You do that, little brother, and you’ll have greater problems than keeping out of prison.”
The fire went out of Quinn’s eyes and he frowned, spat once on the ground right next to Declan’s foot and muttered “Bugger off” before he turned back into the house with his brother watching after him, shaking his head.
“O’Malley is an arsehole,” the Irishman said, handing Donovan a beer.
“He needs to learn to watch his mouth, Deco.”
“I’ve punched him twice, mate. Both times well deserved, mind you. That jaw of his is fecking solid. Knocking him about does nothing. Lord, he’s barely here for half a day and already he’s trying to chat up my woman and hacking off anyone who looks at him. He only stopped running his gob when Autumn kneed him in the bollocks after he went for her arse.”
Donovan choked back a smile, coughing when he spotted the proud expression on his best friend’s face. That grin widened and Declan winked at Autumn as she called to him across the patio. The look they shared had Donovan rolling his eyes, staring over the large fence surrounding the property. He meant to walk off, not eager to stand witness as Declan and Autumn eye fucked each other at two in the afternoon. But the redhead pulled her attention to Mollie and Vaughn as they walked through the back gate, then she came to Declan’s side as her friends greeted each other.
Her stare was skeptical and suspicious as she looked up at Donovan. “Okay, spill.”
“About what?” Donovan said, worried momentarily that Layla had been running her mouth. He didn’t need a lecture from Autumn or a throttling from Declan for acting like Quinn.
“Layla.” Autumn crossed her eyes, frowned and Donovan’s heartbeat sped an extra beat. He managed to force a smile, try for nonchalance as he felt both Autumn and Declan’s stare sharp and calculating.
“No idea what you’re talking about,” he told Autumn, taking a long swig from his beer.
“Mollie said Layla made a pathetic excuse for not showing today, claiming she felt shitty. Which I know is bullshit. She wouldn’t miss Joe’s ribs for anything unless she didn’t want to avoid drama. So, it has to be you.”
Donovan swallowed, annoyed that the little brat was complicating an already messed up situation. But he remained calm, kept his composure and shrugged, dismissing Autumn’s accusation. “That girl is crazy, Autumn. I haven’t done anything to her.”
The redhead opened her mouth, likely had another meddlesome question ready, but Donovan waved her off as he walked over to join Mollie and Vaughn, ignoring Declan when he called after him. He closed his eyes once, trying to forget about Layla and her stupid excuses.
“Hey man,” he greeted Vaughn, patting his shoulder.
“You good?” The Marine was tall, taller and much wider than Donovan and if Donovan hadn’t known the guy, he might have been intimated. But he did know Vaughn, and knew that he was a protector, keeping Mollie safe after the threats that had been made to her a few months back.