Thatwas all it took.
Next thing Iknew, Mason and Branson were throwing punches at each otherasthe surrounding crowdscreamed and chanted, egging them on.
Why wasn’t anyonestopping this?
I felt someoneput a lightnylon jacket overmy shoulders and I looked up to find that Aiden was draping me inhis jacket. “Aiden?”
His focus wasentirely on his brother,ignoring me completely. When I saw him wince, it made me turn myattention back to the fight. Back to Mason.
Sweet BabyJesus.
Mason waswinning, and it looked like hewould not stop until Branson was dead.
I whirledaround towards the three non-fighting Buchanans. “Aiden, you have to stop him,” I begged.“Please! Aiden!” I could feel adrenaline coursing through my blood.“Michael! Gabriel! Please!” My hands tangled themselves in Aiden’st-shirt. “Please, Aiden.Please,” I keptbegging. I didn’t know a thing about Mason, and Branson was turningout to be a jerk, but I didn’t want to see either man hurt. And Idefinitely didn’t want to see anyone get hurt over me.
He finallylooked down at me and I knew he could see the sheen glistening inmy eyes. Aiden searched myeyes for a few more seconds before pushing me behind him. He rushedforward, and the twins joined him in pulling Mason offBranson.
“Mason,that’senough!” Aidenbarked.
It took allthree brothers to restrain Mason, and once they did,Branson took that as a chanceto charge him and get in a punch to his stomach. But as soon as itlanded, Branson’s friends grabbed him and pulled him back. At leastthey knew enough to know that going up against Mason was a badidea.
Branson wasn’tbacking down though. “Fuckyou, Mason!” Branson’s nose was bleeding and blood was drippingfrom his mouth. His face was going to look awful in themorning.
Mason had alittlebit of blood on thecorner of his lip, but other than that, he didn’t look bad. It wasclear, though, that his brothers had better not let him go. “Youcan motherfuck me all you want, Morgan, because I don’t give a fuckabout you. But you had better stay away from Shane, you piece ofshit!”
Branson waseither, very drunk, very high or very stupid,because he shouted back, “Make no mistake,Buchanan, I will be balls deep in your bitch,eventually.”
The crowd gasped.
Violabegan yelling.
Mason got loose.
AndI did the unthinkable.
I jumped in betweentwo raging, angry males.
I planted myhands on Mason’s heaving chestand hoped my voice would reach him. “Mason,please…”
He looked downat me and his silver orbs were swirling with hate, rage and heat.
The heatsurprised me. There was somuch goddamn heat in his eyes, and I didn’t understand why or howthere could be any when he was in the midst of a freakin’fight.
I mean, I’veheard that lust and violence often went hand inhand, but I couldn’t fathomMason feeling any lust forme.
The music wasstill playing in the background and Viola was verbally assaulting Branson while I could hearMicah telling her to calm down. So, I was the only one who couldhear Mason say, “You will never go near him again,Shane.”
MyIndependent-Woman wanted totell him to go to hell, but Sensible-Shane knew that if I didn’tagree, Mason might very well murder Branson by the end of thenight. “I promise, Mason. I promise I’ll stay away from him,” Iassured him, feeling like I was sealing my fate. I also noticedMason wasn’t addressing how my hands were running up and down hischest in a calming fashion.
After a fewseconds of searching my eyes, Mason must have felt I was tellinghim the truth, because hewrapped his arms around my body, pulling me to him, as he lookedover at Branson and said, “This isn’t over, Morgan. But I promiseyou this, if I find out you go anywhere near Shane, I will fuckingkill you.”
I could hearBranson spit on the floor beforesaying, “Whatever, Buchanan. There’s plenty of other pussywithout all this drama.”
Ifso, thenwhyprovoke Mason?
Ikept my face hidden in Mason’s chest,but I could hear the rustle and movements of Branson’s friendsdragging him away. I suddenly felt heat surrounding me on all sidesand I knew Aiden and the twins had rounded around me.
What the hell wasgoing on?
