Up to Me (Shore Secrets) Read Online Free PDF Page B

he’s too chickenshit to fight me and Bruce and Mike.”
    Gray hadn’t been in a fight in decades. He wasn’t really looking to break his streak tonight. Getting hauled off in the back of a cop car wouldn’t help him fly under the radar. He tried again to appeal to reason, even though reason rarely worked on the flat-out wasted. “Come on, nobody’s fighting. The police are on their way.”
    “Not here yet though, are they?” And with that, he plunged his fist into Gray’s stomach.
    Ward raced around the fire pit. “You’re an idiot, Chuck.” He let loose a flying kick that knocked Chuck all the way back against the doors. Bruce and Mike rushed him, swearing.
    After a last, desperate gasp for oxygen, Gray joined in. Then it all became a blur of kicked-over patio furniture, flying gravel, fists and elbows and knees. Damn, but they fought dirty. Or were hair pulling and cheek scratching now considered legit moves? He landed his fair share of solid punches. Couldn’t tell who was which, but everyone wearing a Knicks cap felt his knuckles by the end of it. And end it they did. He and Ward each had a guy by the collar and a fist cocked when the wail of police sirens startled the cicadas into silence. A couple of fast twists, and all three bloodied idiots ran away, into the darkness of the estate.
    The bartender cracked the door. “The police’ll be here any minute. You got a room here?” she asked Gray.
    No point lying. He’d run a tab, and she had his credit card. Gray looked over at Ward, bent in half, hands braced on thighs. Bloodied, bruised, but still standing, thanks in no small part to Gray’s help. So if he had to spend a night in a cell for being sober and disorderly, well, he’d suck it up. “Yeah. I’m in the Marshgrass Suite.”
    “Good.” She thrust a first-aid kit at him. “Take Ward with you and patch yourselves up. I’ll call you to come back down when the coast is clear. Even buy you a round, on the house.”
    “What?” The bartender wanted him to hide from the police? She was protecting them? It didn’t make sense.
    “Just go—hurry!”
    Ward actually led the way, taking Gray along the length of the castle. Looked like Ward knew the layout of the place. He must be a local. They slipped in a door adjacent to the ballroom, and up a set of back stairs he hadn’t known existed, probably because the door to them was hidden behind a freaking tapestry. God, he loved this place. The history buff in him reveled in all the authentic castle details.
    As he walked, the adrenaline of the fight still juiced him. But the stings and aches started to make themselves known as well. Gray catalogued pain in his knee, right hand, shoulder, jaw—no, make that a throbbing in his whole head—and his belly, thanks to the sucker punch that started it all. Wetness slid down his cheek. Gingerly, he swiped his thumb along his eyebrow. Yup. A cut. Bleeding like crazy.
    “You okay?” Ward asked.
    Gray pulled out his key—an actual brass key, as long as his finger with an ornate curlicue on top—and unlocked his suite. “Hey, I came late to the party. The real question is are you okay?”
    “Yeah.” Moving slowly, Ward shuffled inside straight to the bathroom. Flicking on the light, he asked, “You sure you don’t mind if I get blood all over your towels?”
    Gray shrugged from the doorway. Felt a twinge in his shoulder. So much for the benefits of his five-minute massage. “It’s a hotel. I can get more.”
    “Thanks.” The word was barely out of his mouth before Ward grabbed all three fluffy washcloths stacked on the marble counter. One he pressed to his cut lip with a wince. He turned on the old-fashioned spigot and ran water across his bleeding knuckles, then tied another cloth around them to staunch the blood.
    “If I call for more towels, maybe they’ll bring me another one of those bedtime chocolates. Worth a shot.” He could be a glass half full kind of guy. Hell, he’d just won a fight,