Dawson's Fall (Welcome to Covendale #5) Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn’t think there was much going on in the bathroom.”
    “Oh. Right.” She’d completely forgotten that’s where she said she was going. “Well, you know how girls are,” she said. “They go in packs, so it was pretty crowded.”
    Too late. He was already suspicious—she could see it in his eyes. “What’s going on, Bree?” he said.
    “Nothing,” she said. “I just wanted a drink, but I didn’t get one.”
    “Well, I’ll grab you one. What are you having?”
    “It’s fine. I’ll get one later.” She smiled and looked around the room. Anywhere but out into the rest of the bar. “Where’s Dad?”
    “He walked Mrs. V. to her car.” Jason’s eyes narrowed a touch. “Look, are you sure you don’t want a drink?” he said. “Because I think I’m going to get one.”
    “No, wait. It’s really crowded out there, and—”
    A burst of shouting came from the main bar room, and Aubrey’s stomach dropped. She couldn’t tell whose voice it was. But somehow, she knew their father must’ve run into Mark.
    Jason turned slowly toward the sound. His expression shifted from surprise to rage in an instant. “Son of a bitch ,” he said, and shot her a sharp look. “Those scumbags said something to you, didn’t they?”
    Scumbags, plural? Oh, God. That had to mean all the Dawson boys were here. And if Jason confronted them, they’d probably mop the floor with him. “No one said anything,” she said. “Just drop it, okay? We don’t need to get into this tonight.”
    Her brother glared at her. “Yeah, well I don’t think they got the memo,” he said. “The big one is in Dad’s face.”
    She looked—and saw Jonah Dawson looming over her father, with Mark and the younger one, Gage, right behind him.
    “I swear to God, I’ll…” Jason stopped himself with effort, then pivoted and strode toward the fight. Aubrey rushed after him, already reaching for her phone.
    She only hoped the sheriff’s office was responding a little faster these days, or someone was about to get hurt.
    * * * *
    Mark wasted no time when he got back to the pool table. “Party’s over. Let’s go.”
    “What the—” Gage let out a sharp sigh. “Jonah, I told you to take the stick out of his ass before we left the house.”
    “We’re leaving, Gage.” He pointed to the banner. “That’s the Monroes.”
    “So what? Last I checked, they don’t own the bar.”
    “Shut up,” Jonah said. Then he looked at Mark. “You serious?”
    He nodded. “The daughter’s back.”
    “Great.” Frowning, Jonah started to gather the pool cues. “All right,” he said. “Time to go, boys.”
    “Seriously? I am so not leaving.” Gage folded his arms and leaned on the table. “You guys go if you want to, but I call bullshit. We’ve got every right to be here.”
    “Like it or not, you’re coming with us,” Jonah said. “Don’t argue.”
    “I can’t believe you two are just going to pick up and leave.”
    “ You. ”
    The guttural voice was right behind Mark. He turned fast, and found himself facing Roger Monroe himself. At least the man didn’t have a gun on him this time. But he looked ready to take a swing—which somehow seemed just as bad, because it wasn’t like Mark could defend himself. Unless he wanted to start calling a prison cell home.
    “You Dawsons have a lot of nerve showing up here.” Monroe’s eyes were wide enough to show white all the way around. “Especially you. Think I’m going to let you anywhere near my daughter, you bastard?” His voice rose until he screamed the last few words.
    Suddenly Jonah was between them, staring the older man down. “We don’t want any trouble, Monroe,” he said calmly. “Just take it easy.”
    “Get the hell out of here, you bunch of animals.”
    Mark grabbed Gage by the arm just as he tensed to lunge. “Don’t do it,” he said in low tones. “Who’s going to end up behind bars if you do? You know it won’t be him.”
    “Did you hear what he called