OUTLAW KING(15)

I stood up. I grabbed my bag. “Look, I’m out of here then. I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to have a serious conversation. I wanted to be adults. But you don’t want that. You don’t want the truth. So I’m done here, Nelson.”

I started to walk and Nelson grabbed for me.

I managed to shake him away. I went for the front of the bar and left. I knew Nelson was going to follow me, because that was his nature. I moved along the side of the bar, going toward my car.

That’s when Nelson caught up to me.

“Goddammit, Lindsey,” his voice bellowed as he hurried next to me. “What the f*ck is this?”

I stopped and turned to face him. I thought about slapping him. But I reminded myself that I didn’t love him the way he thought he loved me. I was part of the problem. Hell, I was the problem. So I couldn’t just slap him and walk away.

“There’s nothing else here for me… or you,” I said. “It’s just not going to work, ever. I’m sorry, Nelson. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to hurt myself. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You f*cked that up,” Nelson said.

“I see that now. I’m sorry for that. Just walk away, Nelson. I’ll go. You go. We can talk when you’re not drunk.”

“I’m not f*cking drunk,” he said. He closed in on me. “Don’t f*cking accuse me of anything I’m not. You hear me?”

I slowly stepped back, looking for a chance to escape. This was the side I didn’t want to see of Nelson. My back hit the side of the building and I was stuck. Nelson lifted a finger and put it right to my cheek. He pressed, showing his teeth.

“Stop,” I said. “Don’t do anything stupid right now.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Nelson asked. “Huh? Maybe it’s your turn to feel pain. To hurt a little. You f*ck with me? Nobody f*cks with me.”

“I didn’t do anything…”

Nelson jabbed his finger to my cheek, snapping my head to the right. He put his mouth almost over my ear. “I’ll hurt you so bad. Don’t think I won’t.”

The smell of alcohol flooded my nose. Nelson loved to talk tough when he was drunk. He’d grabbed me before. He’d pushed me. But he never had hit me.

“I swear I’ll call the police,” I said. “You have two seconds.”

“Then f*cking count and call,” Nelson said. “You whore.”

That’s when I made my move. I threw an elbow and hit him in the gut. I pressed at his chest, shoving him back two steps.

Nelson threw a hand forward and I dodged to the side. His hand smacked the building.

“Fuck!” he screamed. “You’re going to pay for that, bitch.”

I swung at Nelson and he blocked me. I then saw his left hand coming at me and I had no chance to get him away again. I felt his hand connect with my cheek, sending a hot pain across my face. My eyes filled with tears and I tried to scream but there was no sound. I was in complete shock that it had just happened.

“No you’ll listen to me,” Nelson growled.

I tried to keep my eyes on his hand, knowing that one slap was usually followed by a second.

Trust me, Aunt Jane’s ex taught me that lesson a long time ago.

Nelson lifted his hand again but this time he didn’t get to slap me. Instead, Nelson flew back away from me. He spun around and there was a sickening thud sound. It was like someone hit Nelson with a bat. Right to the face. Nelson went down to the ground like he’d been put to sleep.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” a voice asked me.

I lifted my gaze from Nelson’s body on the ground and slowly scanned up a muscular body. Jeans. Shirt. A leather cut. The leather cut. But then I got to his face. That jaw. The scruff on his face. His eyes.

I lost my breath.

I completely lost my breath.

My mouth fell open.

The entire parking lot started to spin. I touched the building and knew I had to be dreaming. This couldn’t be possible.

My lips fluttered, trying to say his name. But I had no air or breath.

My heart and mind, however, were screaming his name loud and clear.

King… King was here…





11


(King) *TEN MINUTES AGO*

THEY GOT me the location and nothing was going to stop me from seeing her. Slam and Knox tried to talk me out of it, but I made it clear that if anyone got in my way, I’d f*cking kill them. My boys knew what she meant to me. I had to see her. I had to know she was alive, healthy, and happy.

Fuck, I hoped she was happy.

I took to the open road on my motorcycle and felt a shot of life roll through my veins. That was the second greatest feeling in the world. The only thing better than riding my motorcycle was riding a beautiful woman.

I told my boys to head over to the strip club and I’d join up with them later. Maybe. Right then, it was about a personal thing with Linds. I never got a chance to hang with her and explain what had happened with Tito and the guy that killed him. It all had happened so fast. My decision to do it. The information that came in, telling me where he was and I knew it was my only chance. I didn’t have the blessing of the Reap to do it and I was paying dearly for that.

But I was out now. I was a free man and I could find my girl and figure all the shit out. Then I’d sit down with Knox and Uncle Jakey and bring them up to speed on Anderson. Somehow, it would all work. Even if I ended up back behind bars and a needle thrust into my arm, oh well. I just wanted to tie up loose ends.