Total pages in book: 212
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1040(@200wpm)___ 832(@250wpm)___ 693(@300wpm)
“Yep.”
He sighed before asking, “You doin’ all right?”
“No. I held back because of protocol, and I wish now I’d fuckin’ beat the snot out of him months ago when he kept sniffin’ around her. He pushed but not far enough that I felt I could do something. Played it safe around me. But the deeper I got with G, the more I wanted to do something about it. And that was only with knowin’ he pushed the boundaries with her and that she suspected date rape drugs when he swore she was just drunk but consenting. Now that I know the whole story, I’m taking my shot at doin’ somethin’ about it and I’m glad to know you’re the man I believed you to be.”
I got up. So did Deke.
And then he threw his arms around me and slapped my back. “See you at nine. Same place as Scooter and Nico had their time in the ring. Bring your girl.”
“I thought it was members only at these things.”
“Bring your girl,” he repeated.
He was sending a message. Good.
***
“You do know Skip’s civilian name is Allen Ford,” Gigi said, sitting on the end of my bed. It was nearly seven o’clock and I’d grabbed a shower so we could go to The Roadhouse and eat, then head to the ring.
“Yeah? So?”
“It was a guy named Ford who double-crossed and shot Jesse James in the wild west.”
I laughed. “I’m not a train robber.”
“No, but still.”
“You bein’ superstitious? You think he can kick my ass? You think he’s gonna bring a gun to a fist fight?”
“I think the idea of a planned fist fight inside a ring without a referee has my belly churning.”
“This’ll be over in a few hours, then we can go to bed and get you a good night’s sleep so you can be ready for your first day at your new job tomorrow. Then… I’m calling for kangaroo court so he can get kicked outta the club.”
“Am I going to have to testify?” she asked.
“Dunno. Never seen one of those, so I’m murky on the process. You got a problem testifying if it’s part of it?”
She looked a little green.
“Don’t worry for now,” I said quickly. “Cross one bridge at a time. Yeah?”
She nodded.
“Let’s get some food.” I shrugged my cut on and grabbed her hand.
***
Not only was the area where the ring was set up filled with people, a couple dozen folding chairs set up being an extra shocker, also… they were filling up with club members and their women.
My gaze skimmed the crowd and landed on Sara Ford, ringside. She had her eyes on us. Then again, all eyes were on us. And I watched multiple sets of eyes shoot dirty looks Skip’s way.
Sara’s eyes hit me then skated to Gigi. She approached. I got in front of my girl without letting go of her hand.
“No,” I snapped, pointing at her face. “You, back the fuck off.”
“I’m not here for him,” she said, gesturing behind her where Skip stood in the corner, alone, also watching us, his expression hard.
“This is bullshit!” Skip called out. “All your women in here gunning me? I’ve been in this club for a decade and those of you who believe this shit are letting a club whore brainwash you.”
Sara had been looking over her shoulder at him. When he stopped speaking, she turned back to me. “I’m here to watch you kick the shit out of him,” Sara jerked her thumb behind her. “And I’d like to apologize,” Sara added softly. “Apologize to Gia.”
I looked her in the eye and detected no bullshit. I still did not move, but felt G’s hand tighten around mine.
“We had a babysitter,” Sara said. “College freshman. Babysat while I was away for a girls’ weekend, and I come home and she says she thinks he did something to her. He was supposed to be gone all weekend, but she told me he came back Saturday night and poured her a Pepsi. She didn’t remember anything after that until waking up in the morning nude and bloody between her legs. Said she thinks he did something to her; she’d never been with a man. He told me he hadn’t come back early. Swore she was making it all up and said she’d regularly flirted with him whenever she watched the kids. Blow even backed him up with an alibi. Not to speak ill of the dead, but turns out Blow was also a lying cheater, so…”
Gia stepped around me to face Sara.
Sara looked contrite as she spoke. Not loud but not whispers either. Skip wouldn’t be able to hear from where he was, especially not with the white noise of multiple conversations happening. But Deke, Laura, and Jojo were sitting five feet away and they would definitely hear.
Sara swallowed and said, “I’m sorry for the hassles I’ve put you through. I now know it was all him. I was bein’ stupid, in denial, blaming the both of you to be honest, and I was a bitch about it. I’ve got some work to do on myself and… I apologize for the way I treated you.”