HARD KNOX(19)

That night I held her… and we slowly fell back to the bed together. She curled up on me and we kissed only a few times. She fell asleep first and I stared at her for hours. Each time she stirred, I’d whisper I loved her into her ear and play with her hair.

Shit, that should have been nothing but romantic for us, you know? Two lost souls finding each other. We both knew we loved each other. We both knew we were meant for each other. I was holding my girl all night long. I touched her hair, her skin. I tasted her breath when she woke up. I saw her eyes open for the first time the next morning. It was everything I wanted to fight for. It was…

… it was the first and last time I got to do that with Ana…





chapter twelve


(knox)



NOW



I broke off on a side road. The car did the same, the tires squealing. I throttled my ride, gaining some speed. I wasn’t going to get away. I just wanted to get to a well-lit parking lot so I could put up a f*cking fight. All I knew right then was that there better have been more than one guy after me. I was in the mood to fight and a little spark of the urge to kill was going through me.

There was a lot of heat coming my way from my decision to have the guys put their cuts back on. Hell, maybe that’s why this car was after me. The Reap had been a little bit underground and quiet. To those in town, they believed we were disbanded by authorities. That was only because the news could run footage of my old man getting thrown into prison.

Fuck that.

I darted to the left and entered a factory parking lot. The steel stacks were like arthritic fingers sticking up into the night. The one side of the building had a few big ‘ol spotlights and that’s where I stopped riding.

I lit up a smoke and watched the car as it came to a skidding halt.

The backdoors opened and two men in suits came out. They drew weapons and rushed right at me. I just stood there like I didn’t have a care in the world. Normally in a situation like that, they’d stand there with their guns and someone else would come out of the car and we’d have a discussion.

Not tonight.

The guy on my left got close and swung his gun at me. He hit me so hard in the jaw, I spit my cigarette across the lot. The second guy then hit me in the back. I felt like every rib of mine shattered. I was then on my hands and knees.

Well then… no hello?

I turned and swung a fist at the guy’s knee. I heard something pop and he tried to stand back, stumbling. I grabbed for my ride and pulled myself up. If these guys were real about shooting me, they would have by then. But they weren’t going to shoot me. This was more than me being dead.

The first guy went after me again, slamming fist and gun against my back.

I threw an elbow, hitting him in the cheek.

The second guy came at me again, driving his gun into my gut, stealing my breath. They then quickly each grabbed an arm and I was being held.

That’s when the passenger door opened and out came Porter.

Of course it was Porter.

He walked toward me with attitude.

He had the clean cut, good boy look about him complete with perfectly slicked back black hair, an expensive suit, an even more expensive watch, and shoes that clicked against the pavement like a counter counting down the steps until I was dead.

The thing was… I could die but a guy like Porter wasn’t going to kill me. Not a f*cking chance in hell. I’d fight until one of the goons holding my arms would kill me.

“Look what we have here,” Porter said.

“What the f*ck do you want?” I asked.

“I guess we have business, Knoxville. I mean, you did go after one of my guys. Took him outside. Put him against a building that I’m involved with.”

“Danny? This is about that fat prick?” I smiled. “He owed my band money. I don’t tolerate that shit.”

“Good choice of words,” Porter said. “I don’t tolerate that shit. That’s good. It shows we have something in common. Well, besides Ana, right?”

He started to laugh.

I felt the hot lava of jealousy kick up inside me.

Ana was supposed to escape this f*cking town, not jump into the arms of some dickhead like Porter.

“Let’s go back to toleration,” Porter said. “I don’t tolerate what you did.”

With that said, Porter threw a punch to my gut. He grabbed my jaw and put my face forward. I then took another punch, this one to the jaw. I pulled at my arms, but the goons had a hell of a grip.

“That’s a good start,” Porter said. “I see you’re wearing that leather jacket, huh? Does that mean something? Or are you revisiting old memories?”

I coughed and spit a hunk of blood right to Porter’s shoe.

He nodded and swung again, hitting me on the other side of the jaw.

“I’ll tell you this, Knoxville… if the Reaper’s Bastards think they’re going to just push through this town into my city, you’re going to regret it.”

“Fuck yourself,” I said. “You don’t know what you’re up against.”

“Neither do you. But I am in a good mood. I took care of a family problem and it was nice to do. So I’m going to pass on my goodhearted feelings. I’m going to let you walk away tonight. And I’m even going to let you have Ana… eventually. When I’m done with her. Right now, she still has use to me.”