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reality sooner or later.
    “Well, well,” Austin said in that haughty tone he loved to use on those he considered lesser life forms—which she’d recently learned included most of mankind, “of all the people out on a Friday night, imagine the odds of my running into you.”
    Barbie puckered out her lips and looked petulant. Austin smiled at her and whispered something in her ear. She giggled and Julie’s fury reached the boiling point.
    “May I take your order?” she asked sharply.
    Austin stared up at her in feigned surprise. “My order? Are you actually working here?” He looked around the bar and then at her with amusement glittering in those green eyes. “Sweetheart, if things have gotten that bad, why didn’t you just tell me?” He whipped out his thick wallet. “How much do you need?”
    Barbie, her eyes wide, her expression smug, reached into his open wallet, snagged a one hundred dollar bill, and then waved it at Julie.
    Something snapped deep inside her. “What do you want?” she demanded, glaring at Austin, no doubt with murder in her eyes.
    His smile disappeared instantly, sending a warning knifing through Julie. “Maybe...” He leaned forward slightly “...if you’d known the answer to that question we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.” He tucked his wallet away and hugged Barbie closer to him. “Maybe I wouldn’t have had to turn to another woman.”
    Red flashed before Julie’s eyes. Rage, so profound that her body quaked with it, roared through her. “Don’t try and pawn off your sexual inadequacies on me, Austin. I was there for you.” Her disgusted glare slid to the woman. “Clearly, it takes a slut to make you feel like a man.”
    Barbie squeaked a sound of disbelief. “Did you hear what she called me?”
    Austin narrowed his gaze, his tone turning deadly. “Sign the papers, Julie, or you will regret it.”
    She met his glare with lead in her own. “No way. I won’t sign without a proper settlement. After throwing away almost four years of my life on you it’s the least I should get.”
    “Don’t cross me, Julie,” he cautioned, his tone turning lethal. “This little game has amused me so far, but enough is enough. You don’t want to make me angry.”
    “Go to hell, Austin.” She gave him her back and started to walk away.
    Austin was on his feet in two seconds flat. Julie wouldn’t have known he’d moved if the wooden chair he’d vacated hadn’t hit the floor and the crowd hadn’t gone eerily still and deafeningly quiet.
    She whirled around just in time to have him grab her arms. Her tray hit the floor, alerting anyone who had missed the crashing chair moments earlier. Every patron in the place stared and time itself seemed to stop.
    “Sign the papers,” he growled for her ears only.
    “Not until you start playing fair,” she said more calmly than she had a right to.
    “Austin, I’m not having fun anymore. Let’s get out of here,” Barbie complained as she came up beside him and started to cling once more. “She’s a downer.”
    “Sign the papers, Julie,” he threatened, his fingers digging into her upper arms, “or face the consequences.”
    She shook her head firmly from side to side. “No way.” There was nothing quiet or calm about her voice this time. Everyone in the room heard her when she continued. “Take your new friend and go, Austin. I’ll see you in hell before I’ll sign those papers without a proper settlement!”
    Something changed in his eyes... something visceral and savage glittered in those icy green depths. For the first time since she’d met him, Julie felt fear... absolute fear.
    “I think that’s your cue to leave, pal.”
    Julie’s gaze shot to the man who’d spoken.
Detective Duncan
. Austin released her and turned to go toe-to-toe with the detective.
    Knees nearly too weak to hold her, Julie swayed.
    “I would advise you to mind your own business, my friend,” Austin warned.
    “Keeping the peace is my