Wild Blaze (Back Down Devil MC 0.5)(4)

“Yeah, I get it. Stay the f*ck here. If my guys come in, send them back. Tell them what’s happening. Do not come back there.”

Brody took a step and Ana grabbed his arm. “Are you going to kill them?”

“I’ll kill anyone in my way, sweetheart,” Brody said. “Anyone.”

Brody walked toward the back. His mind told him to pull out his gun. To shoot first and ask later. It was about protecting the town of Frelen. But Brody’s heart and mind were a locked up tight battle.

He moved through the black cloth and went to the back of the old store.

It stunk of dust and must.

Old man Ronnie was on his knees, his hands together as though he were praying. Blood ran down his face and his hands were shaking. He was gasping for breaths as a fat man stood before him, brass knuckles on his hand.

Brody looked to his left and saw a man with a suit standing with his arms crossed. He had thin black hair, a fading hairline that probably pissed him off. He looked at Brody and snapped his fingers.

“What is this?” he asked. “Who the f*ck are you?”

“Leave the old man alone,” Brody said.

The man, Michael, started to laugh. “Hey, Tiny, check this out. It’s a leather boy. Thinks he’s all tough. Get the f*ck out of here.”

“Please…” Old man Ronnie said.

Tiny threw another fist. The metal knuckles hit Ronnie’s face with a crunch.

Brody stepped forward. He could have pulled his gun right then and ended this shit. But instead he wanted to take on the big guy one on one.

“You hit an old man with brass knuckles?” Brody asked.

“He owes my boss money,” Tiny said. “I do as I’m told.”

“He’s smart,” Michael said. “Unlike you. Whoever the f*ck you are. Leather boy. I bet you’re f*cking that slut out there.”

Brody turned his head. “Slut? Did you call Ana a slut?”

“What? Oh, come on. Last time we were here… oh, that body…”

Brody saw red. He couldn’t picture sweet and innocent Ana doing anything like that. Worse yet, if she was forced to do anything.

“Tiny, take this f*cking piece of shit out,” Michael said. “Then we can continue our business.”

From the corner of his eye, Brody saw Tiny winding up a big fist. The brass would have knocked him out cold if Tiny hit the side of his head. But Brody knew this game. He’d been playing it his entire life. And f*ck, he probably invented some of the rules. His eyes may have been looking at Michael, but he knew right where Tiny was, including the fat man’s fist.

Brody crouched down at the last second and looked up to the see the brass knuckled fist hit Michael in the face. The suit and tie * went off his feet and crashed into a wall. There was blood everywhere, spraying from his nose, mouth, hell, maybe even his eyes.

Tiny forgot Brody was there and stepped forward. He tripped over Brody and Brody hurried to roll out of the way so the big guy didn’t land on him. When Brody stood a second later, he was the only one doing so. Tiny was crawling toward Michael, looking helpless and scared.

“I’m so sorry,” Tiny said. “Michael…”

Brody offered Tiny a swift kick to the ribs and the fat man started to cough and gag. Brody then went to Michael and grabbed him by his suit jacket and lifted him up. The blood was everywhere. Michael coughed and teeth fell from his mouth.

“Holy f*ck,” Brody said. “He got you good.”

“Fuck you,” Michael said. “You’ll be killed.”

Brody slammed Michael’s head off the wall. “I’m talking here. And you’re going to answer my questions or else I’ll kill you. Got that?”

Michael nodded.

“Who are you? Why are you beating the f*ck out of old man Ronnie?”

“He owes me five grand,” Michael said. “Gambling. We have a lottery ticket thing going. Real smooth business. But he’s been f*cking up lately.”

“He’s an old man,” Brody said. “Can’t find someone younger to f*ck with?”

“I’ll get him…” a voice said.

Brody looked down and saw Tiny reaching for his leg.

This guy is a big f*cking moron.

Brody swung his left foot, the front of his black boot crushing against Tiny’s mouth. Tiny went down again, now weeping like a big, sad Teddy bear.

“He’s in debt with me,” Michael said. “Age… doesn’t matter…”

“But this town does matter,” Brody said. “You don’t step into Frelen without coming through us.”

“Us…?”

“Back Down Devil, *,” Brody said. “This is our town. Our lives to live and protect. Our debts to protect. Our money to spend. You got that, *?”

“Fine,” Michael said. “But Ronnie’s been scamming for years…”

“What did you do to his daughter?” Brody asked.

Michael let out a cry. “Nothing. Come on, this hurts. I need a hospital.”

“Look me in the f*cking eyes.”

Michael did. His face was a mess of torn up hell. “What?”

“Tell me what you did to her…”

“I made Tiny lift up her shirt last time,” Michael said. “That was it. I just wanted to see, you know? I remember her from ten years ago. She was beautiful then. But now she’s a woman. I just wanted…”