Embattled Christmas Read Online Free

that shit?”
    Zeke lifted a brow at the impertinent question, tempted to smack the kid into politeness. Ember definitely wouldn’t appreciate him smacking the customers.
    “Well,” he told the kid slowly, planning his words, “a grenade hit the wall I took cover at and came d-d-down on top of me.”
    “Did you say a grenade?” the kid slurred.
    Zeke nodded once.
    “Fuck!” he breathed. “Why didn’t you duck?”
    Zeke gave a snort of laughter. “It’s n-n-not that easy.”
    The kid leaned a little farther over the bar. “And now you can’t talk right either, huh?”
    Zeke tipped his head, quickly losing patience with the little bugger. The DD tried once again to shut him up but the blond was like a badger, dodging around him to question Zeke. Finally fed up, Zeke just reached across the bar, grabbed the kid by the shirtfront and lifted him off his feet. The kid’s eyes widened and his mouth snapped shut as Zeke leaned in to his ear.
    “Now,” he whispered, “you’re going to listen to what I tell you. N-nod your head.”
    Blondie nodded, his feet flailing in the air. His hands clutched at Zeke’s iron fist.
    “You are causing a disturbance in my bar. If you don’t shut your mouth and be polite, I’m going to shove a barstool down your throat to shut you up. Get me?”
    The kid couldn’t nod his head fast enough. Zeke realized the collar may have been a little tight when he dropped him red-faced to the ground, coughing.
    Blondie threw a few bills on the bar and waved his cronies away. The DD gave Zeke an apologetic wave before following them out.
    A few of the patrons clapped for Zeke, which embarrassed him more than anything. He gave them a wave and grabbed the bar rag.
    Ember gave him a funny look when she stopped beside him. Zeke shrugged. “What?”
    She shook her dark head and circled around him to deliver the food on the tray. “Nothing. Just don’t scratch my bar when you do that.”
    He chuckled, realizing he’d been caught. Hell, she’d probably watched him the entire time. It did him good to know that she trusted him. Zeke didn’t work at the bar all the time, just when they were short-staffed. But he’d tried to make it a point to be there when Ember was too. Just being near her made him happy, even if it was scrubbing glasses or pulling beers.
    The public reaction to him had changed as well and he had to wonder how much of what he had seen before had been him building it up worse in his mind. Now for the most part customers would give him a little longer glance but he had realized that they reacted to his reaction. If he scowled and turned away it seemed like they were more likely to glance at him out of the corners of their eyes and whisper. If he gave them his smile or nod and welcomed them they reacted the same way. There were still the odd punks that could get his tail out of shape like Blondie, but for the most part his self-confidence had grown by leaps and bounds. He’d even caught a couple of women twittering about him behind their hands. It had been the most incredible feeling. When the more forward of the two had slipped him her number he’d looked at it, stunned. Then he’d admitted he was in a relationship and thanked her nicely before beating feet back to the kitchen.
    Ember had laughed and shaken her head at him later that night. “Damn. I was hoping it would take longer for the women to start hitting on you! They just saw what I did a long time ago.”
    Zeke had wrapped his arms around her and kissed her senseless, praying that he could live up to what she saw in him.
    The light of his life stopped beside him, hand on her curvy hip. “What are you thinking about to put that smile on your face?”
    Zeke looked at her wispy dark hair falling from her ponytail and her dancing brown eyes. “Just this crazy waitress that grabbed my heart.”
    She grinned even more and leaned up to give him a peck on the lips. “I love you too big guy. I’m going to go back in the