One More Time - Cameron
Chapter thirty
I forwarded the text to Sheriff Clay and followed that up with a call as I ran out to my truck.
Clay answered with a snarly, “Do not go there. I mean it. Just wait for us. We’re on our way.”
“You think I’m going to stay out of it now? Thought you knew me better than that.”
“Cameron…”
“What?”
He exhaled a huge sigh. “Be careful. We’re on our way.”
I didn’t bother to answer as I slammed the truck in gear.
Thankfully, today’s job site wasn’t too far away.
I parked next to his car, which was still running, in front of the entrance and rushed inside.
The asshole was on top of Everett in the middle of the brewery floor.
Some other dude was holding Alfred back.
I wasn’t sure why Alfred was there, but they needed help fast.
I jumped in and kicked the guy off Everett.
Before I could check on him, the guy came at me, shoving me in the chest. I nearly lost my balance but managed to keep my feet.
This guy was a little taller than me and broad, but it looked like rather than muscle that bulk was mostly made of fat like he’d been fit, but hadn’t worked out in a long time, while I had actual muscle going for me.
I’d worked in construction right out of high school.
Hell, I worked part-time while I was still in high school.
I would have rather dropped out and gone full-time, but a lot of people wouldn’t let me.
That diploma was hard to get, but I’d done it.
I never gave up, and I wasn’t about to now.
The guy tried to grapple with me, but I pulled out of his hold and kicked at his knee.
Bringing him down without a lot of harm was the goal, but it didn’t work like I’d hoped.
Instead, he turned a circle and came at me again.
He’d fought before for sure, but I didn’t like his fighting style and kept out of his reach.
If a kick to the knee didn’t bring him down, maybe a gut punch would. I dodged left, then punched out with my right, landing in the center of his stomach. He oomphed but didn’t slow down. Instead, he leaned and punched with his left. And landed it in my face.
I screamed, but I still wasn’t giving up. I wiped the blood trickling down my face from my nose with the back of my arm. “Son of a bitch.”
He cursed, calling me some pretty foul and nasty names, but none of that bothered me.
His friend, who was still holding on to Alfred, laughed maniacally, and that didn’t bother me either as I circled him.
Everett called him a culprit. He was here doing fucked up shit, and I was going to stop it one way or another.
I feinted left and ducked as he swiped at me again, this time from the right, but I had him off his game by punching instead of wrestling.
I kicked at the knee again, hoping to catch him off guard, and just as I did, Alfred managed to stomp on the other guy’s instep.
He let out a yelp and let go of Alfred. That provided a better distraction, and I took advantage of it.
I punched the jerk in the face and followed that with yet another kick to the knee. He went down then, grabbing his leg. I kicked him again for good measure. “Leave Everett alone.”
Sheriff Clay and two of his officers barged in. “Everyone, stop. Stay where you are”
I held my hands up and so did Alfred. Everett was on the floor, holding his head. “He had Ever pinned to the floor.”
“Shut up, Cameron.” He grabbed the guy by the shoulder and pulled him up, while one of his uniformed officers, Jesse, cuffed the guy.
Alfred pointed at the guy who had been holding him. “That one too. He assaulted me.”
After both were cuffed and hauled off, Clay looked at my face. “Get that looked at, Cam.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m going to need all three of you to make statements.”
I helped Everett off the floor. “We have everything on camera.” He pointed at a few spots around the room. “Hidden cameras everywhere. Including one that shows where he touched the sink.”
“Tape this entire area off, Jesse.” Clay waved around the room. “Send your employees home.” He nodded to Everett.
“They’re only a clean-up crew, but yeah. Then we’ll be over.”
He shook Everett’s hand before he left.
“I’m assuming that was the culprit you were talking about?” I asked.
Everett nodded. “It was. Or is.”
“Who is he?” An unfamiliar rage simmered below the surface.
I so rarely had feelings that dark or intense, and I almost didn’t recognize them.
I hadn’t felt anything strongly since my sister died.
Maybe what had happened to her started me on a path of compartmentalizing, shoving shit down and not dealing with it.
I didn’t know for sure; had never thought about it.
But I understood the intensity now. I wanted to tear that man apart.
It was probably a good thing the police arrived when they did, because that fuckwad dared to touch my man, and he was going down.
“A competitor from the city.”
Alfred snorted. “Seems like he wants to blame someone for his failures and lashed out at Everett.”
“Uh, well, I have to admit, I kind of had a fling with him. But then he started talking business, and I wasn’t interested. His brewery is small and the beer is horrible.” He made a face, sticking out his tongue.
“I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of all this. Maybe get some ice on those faces before heading over to the Sheriff’s Office.” Alfred clapped Everett’s shoulder.
“Thanks for your help with all of this,” Everett said.
“I just hope it’s over now,” I added.
Alfred and Everette said, “Me too.”
But his words, “I kind of had a fling with him,” reverberated through my head. Fling? Why hadn’t he mentioned this before? It was probably insignificant, but my jealousy was turning a little irrational. I didn’t want to picture them together. At all.