Chapter 18 #2
“Yeah, as long as I don’t ever fuck it up,” he said. “They’d bury me six feet under.”
“We both know that won’t happen.” I finished my beer and stood. “Okay, I should get going too.”
“Hey, before you go, I was wondering what happened with Tex?”
“Shit, sorry.” I’d texted Flynn we were going to go check on him but nothing else. I updated him about the sister’s nasty ex.
Flynn winced. “That doesn’t sound great.”
“I think I got the asshole to back off for now.”
Flynn raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not,” I admitted. “But uh, no one was harmed. I’m not into violence like that anymore.”
“I know you’re not.” He clapped my arm and stood. “I’m gonna hit the john. Catch you around? Let me know if anything else happens with the guys.”
“I will. Come by some Monday evening. We’ve started grilling on my porch. You’re always welcome.”
He gave me a quick hug and a thump to the back that made me stagger. Flynn was a huge guy.
“I’ll do that.”
I headed for the door, already thinking about what I could prepare for dinner. I had a limited menu, but I could break out the grill and do burgers. Maybe slice up some potatoes and peppers.
I stepped outside, mind wandering to what might come after the meal. Aiden was a delicious mix of pliant and assertive. He always told me exactly what he wanted, but he also melted like butter when I touched him just right.
I was toppy, like he said, but only in that I liked to take charge of my partner’s pleasure. I didn’t really care about the mechanics employed. I was game for anything.
Maybe tonight we could—
Wham. Something barreled into my side.
I hit the ground hard. I’d been carrying my leather jacket, rather than wearing it, and my arm shredded as I skidded over asphalt.
Shit! I gasped, barely registering that there was a body entangled with mine before a hard blow snapped my head back. My bottom lip rammed into my teeth, opening up and bleeding into my mouth.
I hadn’t been an illegal fighting champion for years for nothing.
I slammed my elbow back, catching the guy in the ribs.
I rolled to my feet and punched a second guy in the sternum.
While he was winded, I whirled to tackle asshole number one.
I ducked his swing and came up with a hook to his jaw that sent him stumbling.
A sharp kick to the back of my knee sent me to the ground. I turned—and took a motorcycle boot to the chest.
My breath whooshed out of me with a grunt.
“You should have come back.”
I knew that voice. I craned my head up to look at Puck. “You fucking asshole.”
Another biker wrenched my arms behind me and his buddy helped him drag me to my feet. Three-on-one. Puck had come prepared for a fight. A dirty one, but that was his favorite kind.
“Hit him, Puck,” the guy holding me ordered. “Make him regret his fucking choices.”
I struggled to get loose, kicking out behind me and twisting. I almost got free, the guy on my left staggering, but a hard blow to my gut dropped me to my knees with a wheeze.
That was the asshole who’d tackled me. He was a big fucker. He grabbed my hair, yanking my head back.
“Go on, Puck. Send the message.”
I spit blood. “Yeah, Puck. You fucking coward. Give me your fucking message so I can track you down and ki—”
He kicked me in the face. I went down hard, and then all of them were kicking me. I raised my arms to protect my head and raised my knees to cover my organs. They weren’t going to stop until they were satisfied I’d received the message.
I knew how this shit worked.
“Hey! Stop!”
Flynn had come outside. I recognized his voice. Shit. I really didn’t want him involved in this.
Puck crouched down next to me. “This is just a taste, Knight. You’ve got to come back.”
“No.” I would have liked to say more, but I didn’t have the energy for it. My whole body throbbed with bruises. Every inhale hurt like a bitch.
“We should fucking kill him right now, the traitor!” one of the others said.
There was more shouting and the sound of running feet. Flynn was barreling toward us.
“No,” I half-breathed, wanting to tell him to stay away. Stay far from my mess. Flynn hated violence. He wouldn’t defend himself properly.
Puck thought I was speaking to him.
“This isn’t over,” Puck said. “Be smart, or we’ll be back to finish it.”
Flynn arrived on the scene, big and furious. One of the guys turned toward him, intending to fight.
“No, Jelly!” Puck shouted. “Let’s roll.”
Jelly roll? I laughed weakly, wondering if I had a concussion.
Puck and the other two bikers split. Flynn dropped to his knees beside me. “Shit, Knight. Are you okay?”
I grunted what I hoped was an affirmative.
Flynn’s face twisted with anger. “I should go after them.”
Motorcycles revved up. It was too late for that. They were leaving.
“Damn it,” he swore. “They’re getting away. I should have gotten their plates at least.”
“S’okay. I know who they are.”
I pushed up from the ground with a pained groan, and Flynn got his shoulder under my arm to lever me up. I winced as my ribs screamed, but I was good at taking a beating. I’d suffered all this and worse in one of my fights back in the day.
“Shit, you look terrible,” Flynn said. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m okay. Just need to shake it off.”
“Knight! You can’t be serious.”
“I’m tough. I’ll get some ice when I get home.”
Flynn scoffed. “Nobody’s this tough.”
I pulled away from him and staggered, light-headed. “No hospital, damn it. They’ll call the authorities and spending all night telling them about the Serpents will only make them put me on their radar.”
“Dalton could handle it.”
I waved him off. “I can’t report this, okay? It’ll make things worse. I just need to…”
I had no idea what I needed to do.
“Go home,” I settled on.
“Fine, but you have to let Aiden examine you,” Flynn said. “And if he says there’s any danger of head trauma, I’ll drag you to the ER whether you like it or not.”