HARD KNOX(11)

He let Danny go and helped him up.

That’s when we saw each other again.

Knox didn’t seem to be in the mood to stand there and eye flirt with me. He grabbed Danny by the front of the shirt and walked toward me.

I jumped out of the way and Knox passed by, turning his head toward me. “Hey, darlin’. Why don’t you meet me outside, too?”

Just like that, all those feelings rushed back. I felt like I could pass out. It took me a few seconds to regain my thoughts and footing. By then the door was opened and shut.

I saw the look on Eddie’s face and wondered if he wasn’t part of what Knox was up to also. I knew the MC had been taking hit after hit and they were desperate to stay afloat. At this point, they were more or less just a small group of guys that met up to ride motorcycles. But knowing Knox and his strength and mindset, he could easily turn the club back into a powerful and dangerous force, if it wasn’t that already.

My mind kept racing as I opened the door and went outside.

Knox hadn’t let up on Danny yet. He swung Danny around and slammed his large body against the side of the building. Danny let out a loud groan and looked ready to mess himself. Obviously whatever protection Porter had been offering was good… up until now when Danny had to face a wild outlaw like Knoxville.

“You owe me money,” Knox said. “The band played and now you pay up. You agreed.”

“I didn’t say shit,” Danny said. He looked at me. “Make the call, Ana. Right now.”

“Keep her out of this,” Knox said. “Let me explain something to you. My boys in that band have families. They have people waiting on the money. Me? I don’t have anyone. You want to stiff me, fine. Stiff me. But not my boys. So I’m going to give you a chance. I never do this. I’m only doing this because Ana is watching. Ready for this, Danny boy?”

Knox laughed and tightened his grip on Danny’s shirt, pushing him harder against the building. Danny’s face was apple red and looked ready to explode.

“What?” Danny asked.

“I’m going to send my boys on the road. Then I’m going to hang out back, on my ride, smoke a few. I’m going to sip a cold mug of beer. By the time I’m done with that beer you’re going to give me the money for the show tonight. If you don’t, I’m going to come back in and I’m going to take the empty beer mug and I’m going to shove it up your ass.”

Knox broke away from Danny.

There was silence for a few seconds and then Danny swung a fist at Knox. He clipped Knox in the jaw and I gasped. Before any of us could take a breath, Knox unloaded on Danny. It was like watching some boxer going to town on his opponent. Left, right, left, right, left, left, right. Each hit made Danny groan in pain. Punching from Danny’s gut up to his face, where Knox only hit him there once, right in the eye.

I knew Danny would have a black eye for days after that.

“Knox!” I finally yelled.

He stopped. Holy shit, he actually stopped.

Knox looked at me, his eyes wild as ever. They seemed to calm when he saw me though. Slowly, he reached for his smokes and lit one up. Then he walked away without a word.

I felt strangely disappointed. Last time we had met up, it ended when I finished with his hands down my pants. Now he was just walking away, cool and bad as I could ever remember him.

Danny then looked at me, shaking furiously. He took a step and winced in pain. He reached for the building to brace himself.

“I saw Eddie take money,” I said. “He took a twenty.”

“What?”

“He took a twenty and poured a drink. Then he pretended to wipe his hand and slipped the money into his pocket. That’s how he’s ripping you off. I saw it happen.”

“Great,” Danny said. He stutter stepped again. He reached for the door and then stopped. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“That guy, Knox, is he serious?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“He’ll wait? Then come back in?”

“Yeah.”

“Even if I call Porter?”

“Especially if you call Porter. Trust me, Danny, Knox is someone you don’t want to mess with.”

“Fuck,” Danny growled. He reached into his back pocket and took out a wad of cash. “Here.”

“What is this?”

“Don’t f*cking worry about it,” Danny snapped. He grabbed for this left side and groaned in pain. “Go give this to him.”

“To Knox?”

“Yeah. I don’t want to see that guy ever again.”

My lips started to quiver.

Go see Knox? Alone? With his motorcycle? With the temptation to run off with him?

I reached for the money and took it. There was quite a bit there. “Danny… if you had the money for him…”

Danny looked at me. He gave me the f*ck off eyes. Being close to Porter and his life, I understood more than I cared to understand. Meaning, Danny took the cash to pay Knox’s band and was going to keep it for himself. Like the bartender ripping off the club, so was Danny. Everyone wanted to rip everyone off.

I squeezed the cash tight and watched as Danny opened the door.

“Hey,” I called out. “Are you going to tell Porter about Eddie?”