Page 78 of Knight
“Hey, fuck off!”
The guy across from him leaned forward, and I used my free hand to shove his face back. Ghost came up behind me to block the only exit from the booth. He didn’t say anything, just stood at my back, arms crossed, exuding menace.
“Who do you think you are?” the third guy, trapped in the corner, demanded. Yeah, he was real tough with his two pals between me and him.
“I think I’m a Serpent with a whole gang of bikers who can make your lives hell. That’s who.”
Their eyes shot wide, and they exchanged worried looks. Good. I had their attention.
“I’m an enforcer. One of their best fucking fighters, so you don’t want to test me.”
“Wh-what do you want?” Luke stuttered. “I don’t know anything about any bikers.”
“Leave your ex-wife alone. You stay away from her, you stay away from her family. You cross the fucking street if you even see them. That includes Tex.”
“Or what?” he sneered, trying to sound tough, but I didn’t miss the quaver in his voice.
“Or I’ll be back with twenty guys at my back to show you what a real beating looks like.” I released him, patted his shoulder, and smiled. “Do we have a deal or not?”
“Whatever,” he said, looking away. “She’s a bitch, anyway. We’re through.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I hope for your sake that’s true. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of a Serpent. Look up the name. There’s plenty of stories to entertain you.” I smiled grimly. “I went to prison for shooting a man. Got to know Tex real well inside. I owe him. So, beating your ass is nothing. You understand?”
He swallowed. “Yeah. Yeah.” His gaze flicked past me to where Tex waited by the door, fear and hate filling his expression. “That whole family is worthless.”
“Then you won’t want to risk any more trouble with them, will you?”
He wet his lips, hesitating.
I squeezed his shoulder, putting all my strength into it until he winced in pain. “No. No trouble. I swear.”
I released him with a grin I knew was creepy as fuck. “Great. Have a real nice day.”
I walked out, Ghost behind me. Tex and Joyride waited by the door when I got there.
Joyride gaped at me like he’d never seen me before. “Holy shit, what wasthat?”
“Yeah, I thought you came here to keep me out of trouble, not make some of your own,” Tex said warily.
“Sometimes you’ve gotta fight fire with fire,” Ghost said.
I tapped my Serpents tattoo as we crossed the parking lot. “This stupid biker tat might as well be of some use. Come on. Let’s get you to that parole meeting.”
Tex slid into the back seat, next to Ghost. Joyride started the Hummer. “So, you were a scary motherfucker in your day, huh?”
“I’m still scary when I need to be.” I shot him a look. “Don’t forget it.”
He reversed out of the parking lot and pulled around the building. “Holy shit,” he repeated. “I’m never calling you an old man again.”
Well, that was something.
“What if it doesn’t work?” Tex asked.
“Then you’ll be here, ready to do what you gotta do,” I said. “But that asshole nearly shit his pants. I’m pretty sure he’ll stay away.”
He let out a harsh breath. “You shouldn’t have risked it. Not for me.”
I turned in my seat to look him in the eye. “You’re one of us, Tex. I’d do it for any one of you. And you’d all do it for me.”
