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Chapter One

I sensed it was about to happen before I felt it The entrance to the little cellar was small and cramped and there was no other way toover and yanking it out on its riers that see my backside was acceptable, but instead just succeeded in letting go of the beer keg and letting it drop heavily ontofoot

Shrieking suddenly in pain, I sprang backwards, colliding with ered backwards whilst I spun around on one foot, trying to ignore the sharp throbbing hurt in rubby shirt collar and shoved hiulars

“What the fuck are you playing at?” I leaned closer to hi the hold of his shirt with my left

He breathed out again, a cloudy breath of stale beer covering htened rip further

“Jaysus, sweetheart, you need to chill out,” he gasped

The heat inside , but callingelse entirely different “Chill out? Chill the fuck out? Watch o of his hand and reached over to snatch the half-e in his sweaty paw, scooping it up in one swift lass dramatically on the floor and it shattered into several pieces Derek wrenched away fro up to his head in an attempt to shake off the ice and droplets of booze from his face and hair

He lashed out with one hand but I was faster than that and easily sprang out of his way, even within the confines of the small cellar

“You fucking bitch”

I s I preferred that to sweetheart Derek, meanwhile, turned back towards me, fist raised I puthi to be fun

‘What exactly is going on here?” A caler

“This arsehole,” I spat the word, “thinks thathi at me unhappily

He threw a dishtowel at Derek and motioned to me to back off “Oh come on, Arnie, it was him! I didn’t…”

“Enough” He gently pushed Derek outside back to the bar and shut the cellar door so that the two of us were alone The offending keg offered little room but he kicked it away to the side and peered at ht “You can’t do this, Jane”

“Can’t do what? Defendhotter by the second