Summer Fling: Compass Girls, Book 3 Read Free Page B

someone, why don’t you start yelling at this faithless bitch? Or better yet, grow a pair and dump her ass!”
    “You little cunt!” Rhonda lunged for her, and Jade was ready. She’d been itching to punch something for days.  
    Unfortunately Roscoe grabbed Rhonda, pulling her away as Jade felt strong, familiar arms wrap around her waist, lifting her from the screaming woman with ease.
    “Hey!” She fought against Liam’s hold as he started dragging her out of the crowd.
    “Easy, kiddo. I think you need to go outside to cool off for a minute.”
    Jade tried to shake off Liam’s grip, but she was no match for his strength. The man was built like a brick shit house, towering over her by at least six inches. “Let go of me! They started it and now I’m going to finish it.”
    Bruce came through the back door just as Liam lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “What the fuck is going on in here?”
    Liam gestured toward the bar with a tilt of his head. “The Rhonda and Roscoe show.”
    “Goddamn idiots.” Bruce slammed down his toolbox as he headed toward the crowd. “Take a few minutes to rein it in, Jade, and then get your ass back behind the bar. I’m kicking those jackasses out once and for all. I’ve had it with this shit.”
    Liam carried her out of the bar as she beat on his back, his ass, anything she could reach. Once they hit the parking lot, she expected him to put her down, but he didn’t.
    “You finished?” he asked.
    Liam had a way of talking to her sometimes that made her feel like she was a two-year-old throwing a temper tantrum. It never failed to calm her down. And piss her off.  
    “Yeah, asshole. I’m done.”
    He placed her on her feet and crossed his arms. “What the hell was that about?”
    “I don’t like being manhandled, Liam.”
    “I’m not talking about that.” He pointed toward the bar. “I mean you and Rhonda. You know what she’s like. Hell, everybody in town—Roscoe included—knows what she’s like.”
    “So we’re all just supposed to sit back and let her and her stupid boyfriend continually create this weekly drama? What’s it for? Our entertainment? Because it’s getting old. And boring.”
    “All I’m saying is Roscoe is well aware of Rhonda’s affairs, but he’s never going to dump her. And Rhonda, for all her faults, seems to genuinely love Roscoe.”
    Jade scowled and started to argue, but Liam continued speaking. “She just loves sex with other guys more.”
    She laughed. “A lot more.”
    “They’re harmless, Jade. A Compton Pass tradition. Rhonda cheats, Roscoe picks a fight, Rhonda cries, Roscoe forgives her and life goes on. Half of the guys who sleep with Rhonda want the fight with Roscoe more than the sex with her. Gives them a way to get their rocks off and work off some aggression.”
    Jade released a long sigh. “I know that.”
    “Then why the strong words?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve been feeling edgy lately. Restless. I mean, look around, Liam. Is this all there is to life? Every single day is déjà vu and not in a good way. It’s like I’m trapped in the horror movie that is my life, forced to endure the same stupid things over and over and over again.”
    Liam frowned. “So what are you saying? You want to leave Compton Pass?”
    “No.” Jade closed her eyes wearily. “This is my home. I don’t want to leave. My whole family is here and with Vivi’s memory getting worse…” Her words fell away as her shoulders slumped. She was in a funk. Usually life didn’t get her down, but for the past few months, she’d struggled to shirk off her constant state of unhappiness. The worst part was she didn’t really know what was bothering her. She was suffering from what Vivi called a case of the blues. And she had it bad.
    Liam reached out to touch her arm. “Maybe you’re just bothered about your grandmother’s illness. Alzheimer’s can take its toll and you’ve been