Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“You’re a little far from your territory. No one looking out for you either. Thought the Riders always ran in pairs,” says Bald Guy.
“His pair is the girl, and since he’s afraid to talk, he probably is a girl too. You got any balls in those drawers, boy, or are you one of those no gender fucks?” Beard taps me again, and this time, it’s not so light.
I step sideways and duck just as Beard’s arm sweeps toward the space where my neck was a moment ago. He loses his balance when his arm meets nothing but air. I kick his feet out from under him, and he falls into Bald Guy’s arms. Before Bald Guy can shove Beard away, I punch Bald Guy in the nose. Blood spurts like a fountain. “I’m going to fucking kill you, boy!” Bald Guy roars. He drops Beard, who stumbles and falls to his knees. I stomp on the back of his knee, and then when he reaches for me, I kick him in the face. He slumps to the ground. One down. One to go.
Bald Guy’s got long arms and, like I noticed earlier, wily moves. “It’s sad you gotta die so young,” he says as we circle each other.
I keep quiet as I watch for an opening. I see his shoulder move, and this time, instead of ducking the punch, I lean into it, meeting the blow and forcing a kickback. Bald Guy wasn’t expecting that move. I bum-rush him, ignoring the pain of the blow to my cheek which was strong enough to cut my skin. He punches me again, which I take before I bash my forehead into his. He totters backward, shaking his head as if to clear his vision. I meet his temple with my fist. One tap and then another. He drops to one knee. His hand scrapes against the dirt. I close my eyes against the spray of pebbles and dust and stoop low, kicking my leg out. The heel of my boot catches his shin. I kick again, haul myself upright, and then run forward, tackling Bald Guy around the waist. I take him to the ground, my big hands around his throat, pressing, pressing, pressing until he’s out.
I drag myself upright and stagger toward the diner where Andy, the new waitress, Bob, and the customer at the other end of the counter are standing outside. The new waitress has a phone in her hand. She looks at Andy’s face and then at me. With a shake of her head, she grabs Bob and shoves him inside. The customer frowns before shuffling off to his car. Andy stands there with her arms at her side, like a SIM character who hasn’t been told to move.
Blood on my face. Blood on my knuckles. I look like a terror. I try to grin, but it hurts. “You been watching long?”
She nods, but it’s real slow. “These two bad guys?”
“Yeah. Said some stuff they shouldn’t have.” I hold out my hand. “You ready?”
Lots of people will take a hand that holds money. Almost no one holds a bloodied hand. She slides her palm against mine. I close my fingers over hers and feel my heart soar.
Sometimes violence is the answer.
Chapter Eight
ANDY
We’re quiet as we walk down the sidewalk. I suppress a laugh when I see a few people quickly step out of our way or cross the street altogether. It might be the blood still on Niki or merely his size and the tattoos.
Pam knew he was a Rider the second she entered the diner. I never paid close attention to what tattoos meant to different people. I try to keep my head down and not get involved. Now here I am walking hand in hand with what most people consider a bad guy. What’s nutty about it is I’m not scared of him. I’m having the exact opposite reaction, actually.
Those two creeps had been, well, freaking creepy all night.
They were looking to cause problems, and if Niki wasn’t there, I fear I would have been their target. I don't want to think about that possibility. Tonight, I don't have to worry about my walk home. My hand isn't wrapped around a can of mace; instead, it's in Niki’s, and I have no fear. For the first time in a long time, I feel as though someone is looking out for me. That I don’t have to worry for at least the distance to my place.
"Your coworkers didn't scare you off?" Niki asks after a few blocks.
"They tried." Both Bob and Pam had given me an earful. They weren’t shy about doing it either.
"But you didn't listen."
"I listened." They're my friends and simply care about me. They don’t want anything bad to happen to me. I took in what they had to say, but it hadn't swayed me. There is something about Niki that has me gravitating toward him. Some sort of pull that I can’t explain. "But can a walk home really hurt anything? I bet you already know where I live." Niki grunts a response, making me smile. “Will there be an issue over what happened back there?”