Kincaid’s smile became a strain to hold. “Just trying to catch up with my friends before the show starts.”

“Sure,” he said, tone snide. “But the polite thing would be to invite me to sit down with y’all. Maybe you just don’t want your nice friends to know we fucked.”

Kincaid sucked in a breath and shot to her feet, but before she could say anything, Ash was there next to her.

“Hey,” Ash said, half stepping in front of her. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but I would suggest you shut your damn mouth and go back to the bar.”

Sam’s lip curled. “Oh, are you the new guy? Fair warning, friend. Enjoy the ride while you can. It’s a good one. A dirty one. But she’ll be looking for the next dude after two dates. Sluts like her don’t stick around. They always need new dick to make them feel special.”

Ash raised his fist, but Kincaid beat him to it. She slapped Sam hard across the face, her palm wrenching his head sideways. Sam’s gaze jumped back to her, fury there, and he raised his hand as if to return the favor. That was all it took for Ash to rush the guy like a linebacker. He shoved his shoulder into Sam’s chest and took him down, knocking a chair to the floor along with him. People in the bar stopped to stare. Kincaid hurried to them, planning to kick the asshole in the ribs with her pointy boot if necessary, but Ash kept her behind him.

Sam was broader and bigger than Ash and quickly scrambled to get to his feet, but by the time he got his footing, Wes, Shaw, and Finn had sidled up behind Ash. Liv was looking scrappy, too. Sam was dumb with drunkenness, but he wasn’t stupid. Shaw was a beast with all his muscles, Finn was an FBI agent who could probably kill a person in ten different ways, Wes looked ready for anything, and Ash, bookish or not, was strong and riding high on outrage.

Sam sneered. “What? She screwing all of you?”

Welp. Maybe he was stupid. Ash swung and landed a punch solidly on Sam’s square jaw.

Finn quickly got behind Sam and grabbed him, getting him in a hold and neutralizing any counterattack. The other guys stayed in front of him like a menacing band of brothers.

Rebecca and Liv joined Kincaid. Rebecca gave Kincaid’s arm a squeeze. “It’ll be all right. Finn’s got him.”

“Listen to me very carefully, you dumb shit,” Finn said. “When I let you go, you’re going to call a cab and go the hell home. If you make one move toward any of us or open your mouth again, I’m arresting you.” Finn sounded utterly calm, almost bored. “Or maybe I’ll just turn my head and let these guys and the ladies have a go at you.”

Sam looked ready to fight some more, but when he took in the expressions on Kincaid’s friends’ faces, he stopped struggling in Finn’s hold. “Fine. Let me go.”