Page 23 of Rascal
“What are we doing here?” I asked, looking worried.
“You’re being watched back there. No one can approach here without us spotting them. That bitch is fuckin’ with you. I know someone who can take Hallie out and make her admit her crimes,” Pyro said.
“I’m so damn tempted. It would serve Hallie right, but it’s too soon. Hallie’s being too cocky; she’s gonna slip. I need her to cut her own throat.”
“The offer’s there. That cunt’s been one step ahead all the time. You’re gonna have to get into Hallie’s headspace. Otherwise, she’ll frame you and send you down.”
“Hallie can’t, because I’m telling the truth.”
“Yeah, stop shouting that. It makes it look like you’re trying to convince everyone, and you’re coming across as desperate. The onus is on her to prove that you lied. She can’t because you didn’t, so trust in us. We ain’t about to let you fall. Bitch will eat a bullet before she comes close. We know people who can ensure Hallie goes down,” Pyro stated.
“I don’t wanna fit her up, Pyro; I’m not that guy. But there’s real hate in her; she’s unreasonable and Hallie’s aiming at me.”
“Then allow the cunt to aim, and we’ll take the bullets. Hallie can’t win. She’s making noise which will come back and bite her. She has to prove she wasn’t in your bed, and she can’t.”
Pyro handed me a bat and pointed me to a pile of junk. “Go fuckin’ nuts. Get the anger and pain out of you and start thinking instead of reacting.”
Somehow, I knew he wasn’t wrong.
The bat smashed into my knees, taking me down. It was so unexpected that I didn’t have time to react. The next blow hit my head, and I collapsed, stunned, on all fours.
Blows rained down mercilessly, and kicks followed through. Steel toe caps broke several of my ribs as I tried to stand up and fight. I’d been an overconfident fool. I’d ridden out this morning with Dollar. We were heading to Rapid City to drop off a folder Phoe had left and needed.
We’d parked at HQ, dropped it off, and then decided to eat at Bernard’s. That was our mistake. As we’d walked down an alley, we were jumped, and Dollar went down with a forceful smack to his head. Whoever this was, was now assaulting me without mercy.
I kicked out, trying to knock them away, and the bat broke as it was slammed hard into my leg.
I yelled in sheer agony as a second bat appeared from nowhere. The beating continued, and as much as I tried to fight back, I finally curled into a ball and protected my face. A kick knocked my head backwards. Hallie shoved her hair out of her eyes and smirked at me.
“You were warned. You belong to me, nobody else,” she growled and then brought the edge of the bat down on my head. It was lights out.
“Wake the fuck up, prospect,” Chance demanded as I blinked into the bright light.
“Dollar,” I croaked.
“He’s got a concussion. Bear’s sprung him and took him home. You ain’t going anywhere for a couple of days.”
“Tell me he saw her?” I mumbled weakly.
“Dollar didn’t see anyone. Sorry, prospect.”
“It was Hallie.”
“Ramirez is heading to Spearfish to interview her. Lio’s taking her into custody. We’d already guessed who the culprit was. Did she say anything?”
“Told me I was hers and that I’d been warned. She snapped a bat on me,” I said.
“Ramirez has it as evidence and the other one. Bitch broke a couple of ribs, but apart from bruises and cuts, you’re okay. Prospect, you go nowhere without three guards on you. Dollar is kicking his own ass right now. You were correct, she’s psychotic,” Chance declared.
“Yeah. And to attack two grown men? That’s a whole level of instability, that’s off the charts,” I agreed.
“We’re putting two on your door until you get out. Docs want to keep you in overnight. Pyro and Levi will collect you tomorrow. When you come home, you don’t leave.”
“Sorry about the trouble. You didn’t sign up for this,” I murmured. Is this where the club voted me gone?
“You didn’t start this, Rascal. I don’t vote against a man because of the actions of a crazy-assed stalker.” Chance read my mind.
“Not exactly what you were looking for in a prospect,” I replied.
