Discovering Dalton(55)

“Liam, Troy… just calm down. You're making a scene,” Dalton pleaded as he looked around, the people nearby already staring at them.

“Making a scene?” Troy half shouted, half laughed. “This isn’t a scene. This is a scene.” With that, he punched Liam in the face.





Chapter 34



Dalton was too aware of the gasps and hushed tones that suddenly filled the evening air, and he caught Troy’s hand, holding it tightly but not painfully, quickly pulling it round to his back and pinning him still, whispering into his ear. “Don’t do this, please.”

“Dalton,” Troy hissed out, wriggling in his hold. “Let me go.”

“Not a chance.” Dalton was watching Liam come round from his shock—lips parted, eyes wide and full of the pain he was obviously feeling. Dalton had no doubt considering how close Liam had described his relationship with Troy that the emotional aspect hurt far more than the physical act of the punch. “Liam, please. Let’s go somewhere and talk. Don’t let things escalate any more than they have done.”

Dalton was aware of the two burly, black suited bouncers making their way closer, and he knew they would report any further disturbances to the police. Having either of them, or even himself, in the local cells for the night wasn’t appealing, and it certainly wouldn’t help his case to return to work.

“The only reason he chose you was because I stepped back.” Liam wiped the blood from his lip, the two bouncers now circling him. Liam tossed them both a look. “Tony, it’s just me and Troy.”

Of course he would know them. They probably went to Aspire.

The one called Tony folded his arms across his chest and eyed up the situation. “Liam, you and T have to take this elsewhere. I don’t want the police involved in this. It’s bad news for the bar.”

Troy squirmed his way loose from Dalton’s grip, standing from the group for a short moment before pacing back and forth. “That’s bullshit. Why would you give him up? He’s the only good thing you’ve ever had.”

“I had you.” Liam stood chest to chest with him, digging his fingers painfully into Troy’s arms. “I did it for you.”

“So I could be happy with him?” Troy laughed out. “You didn’t know I was seeing him.”

“Guys, please…” Dalton’s words were ignored.

“I knew how it would end up if I tried to be with him. I knew it would hurt you. And now I know you’re the guy he thinks can make him happy, that’s all changed because you and I know that won’t work out. You know it won’t, Troy.”

“And if I step back, what difference is it between you and me, huh? None. There’s none.”

Dalton was looking between them both, confusion filling him. These two were messed up, and he thought he was the one with problems. “Look, can we please—”

“Dee, just stay out of it and let me deal with this.” Liam threw him a glance and Troy took the opportunity to slip his grasp.

Before Dalton could say anything else, Troy was shouting, the whole place was crowding around to watch, and Liam was burning red with anger. Dalton was barely taking in their words, too busy trying to figure out how he could calm the situation down and watching the two security guys talking to each other, one already pulling out his walkie talkie.

Dalton wanted to stop this, and getting in between them both seemed to be the only way to stop them from wrestling each other to the ground. Liam already had Troy in a one armed hold, Troy kicking and bitching at him as they tumbled out onto the path outside the bar.

Dalton was about to step in between them when he was halted—strong fingers gripping his forearm, a tall presence too close behind him. He turned, about to shove them off, when he saw who it was. There was Milo, looking tired, dressed in civilian clothing but acting all business.

“Milo…”

“What the fuck is going on? You can’t intervene in this. You’re suspended. Let the on duty officers deal with it and get back to Samuel. I want you all out of here now.”

“Milo, this is… I know them. You know Liam. Don’t let this get to that stage.”

Milo grunted, looking over his shoulder at Liam. “I'm not about to let them fight it out, but I want you with Samuel and Blue in my car parked around the corner.”

“I'm not leaving them.”

“Dalton, don’t make me pull rank on you.” Milo squared up, giving Dalton his famously stern look.

“Like you said, I'm suspended from duty. I don’t have to follow your orders, Sir.”

The background noise of the crowd, and Liam and Troy, who were now falling to the ground, hit an all-time high, and Dalton moved to them again, calling out to Liam as Milo dragged him backwards.

Liam and Troy both shot him a look, Liam halting with his thighs straddling Troy’s back, Troy’s hand releasing Liam’s hair.

“Hey!” Liam jumped up off the ground, Troy quickly following him when the heavy weight released his body.

“Who the fuck are you?” Troy was trying to get to Milo, but Liam luckily had the presence of mind to stop him.

“Milo, this is none of your business.” Liam was staring right into Milo’s dark eyes.

“None of my business?” Milo almost chuckled. “How is this none of my business? This is my turf you’re causing a public disturbance on—brawling in the street. I'm a police sergeant. This is not just one of my police officers, but he’s also my best friend. Explain again how this is none of my business?”

Troy rolled his eyes to Dalton. Obviously Milo being a policeman was news to him, but then he didn’t know Dalton was one, oh…

Dalton offered up an apologetic look, shrugging as Troy shook his head, running long fingers through his hair. “Let me calm the situation down, Milo.”

“Again,” Milo hissed out through clenched teeth, leaning in and whispering to him, “you're suspended from duty. Let me deal with this. I know Liam’s your friend, but still.”

“You're a copper?” Troy stood with his hands on his hips, his question directed at Dalton and both of them now suddenly on a different path where Dalton was the bad guy.

“Yes.” Dalton grimaced. “It just never came up.”

“Never came up?” Troy huffed loudly.

“See how much you two know each other?” Liam laughed sarcastically. “You don’t know shit about the other. I told you, Dalton, he’s all about the rebound relationship. You’re the latest in a long line of men who’s fallen to the roadside. Don’t let yourself join them, Baby.”

“Baby?” Troy shoved him again.

Milo tightened his grip on his arm, and Dalton looked up into dark brown eyes and gulped. “What the fuck, Dalton? Is this… is this what I think it is? Have you been…” He looked around them, and then pulled him further from the prying ears of the crowd. “You’ve moved onto men now I see? And not just one but two.” Milo opened his arms wide, hair blowing in the breeze, familiar frown on his handsome face. “This is something I’d think you’d want to discuss with me.”

“It’s nothing to do with the force who I share my bed with.”

Liam growled, hearing the last part and stepped closer, but Dalton held his hand up, calming him a little.

Milo was oblivious to anything happening around him now except Dalton, and he leaned in closer, growling his words out through gritted teeth. “I meant as a friend, dickhead. You can’t tell me? Me! After everything I went through in the force when we started, and after everything I’ve been through with Danny and Samuel, you can’t tell me?” Milo tried to hide the hurt in those expressive eyes, but Dalton saw it.

“I had no idea what to say at the time. I guess I still don’t. I just… I had Liam. I wanted to speak to him.”

“Liam?” Milo spared a quick glance at Liam, casting a short look up and down his tall body. “Look, you may be off work right now, but you’re still in the force. You still have a reputation to uphold and whether he was male or female, Dalton…” He leaned in closer. “I know both of these from years ago. Trust me when I tell you to back off and experiment with someone else.”

“Experiment?” Dalton pulled back his shoulders, defiantly squaring up to his bigger friend. “That’s not what this is, Milo.”

Liam tapped his huge boot clad foot on the pavement beside them, both Dalton and Milo meeting his stubborn gaze. “We’re not good enough for him? Really?”

Troy held onto Liam’s shoulder, now being the one to offer comfort, the tide shifting and Dalton noticing it in a deep way. “He’s a copper, don’t, Liam.”

“Yeah, don’t, Liam.” Milo tried to keep professional, but he almost sneered out his words. “Listen to your friend and step back. Assaulting an officer isn’t something you need adding to your criminal record. It’s pretty clean right now. Let’s keep it that way, huh.”

“You arrogant piece of—”

“What!” Milo stepped closer. The situation was well out of hand.

Thinking quickly, Dalton pulled out his wallet, showing his ID card to the group of people and raising both his hands. “Please return to your business. This situation is now under control and being dealt with by the Greater Manchester Police force. I’m Officer Young, and this is Sergeant Barnes. I’d like you to all step back and allow us to do our job.”