Page 61 of Love Unbound
Free looked down into her eyes, and the anger in his own softened as she stared into them. He nodded. “Okay.”
“Hey, when you’re done fucking her out of boredom—”
The words had barely left Josh’s mouth before Free’s fist connected with the side of his face.
“No!” Jodi cried, reaching for Free, but it was too late. He grabbed a hold of Josh’s shirtfront and pulled his arm back, punching him again. And again. The crunch of bone could be heard even over the noise in the bar. Blood poured from Josh’s nose, broken, and it splattered Free’s knuckles and the toes of Jodi’s shoes.
“Free, stop! Stop!” she screamed, flinging herself between them, pushing Free back with all her strength. Shane got Free in a barrel hold, pinning his arms down and hauling him backward. His hat fell off, clattering onto the floor in the scuffle.
“Stop!” Shane shouted to Free, who was struggling against the hold. Jodi pressed her hands to his heaving chest. “Don’t.”
They had drawn quite the crowd, a wide circle forming around them, and the band had stopped playing. Kyle was doing his best to subdue the throng.
Josh stumbled away, covering his face that now gushed blood down his chin, dotting the floor. He spat blood at Free’s feet and smiled.
It had all happened in mere moments. A heartbeat.
Jodi watched in dismay as two police officers stepped through the door of the bar, understanding dawning clear as day, as the two made their way over to the group of them. Tears ran downJodi’s cheeks. He had planned it. The whole thing.
Free saw the two uniformed officers making their way toward them and he immediately quit struggling against Shane’s hold. He dropped his chin until it almost touched his chest, squeezing his eyes shut and letting a vile expletive fall off his lips. Shane released him from the barrel hold and Jodi sobbed, her hands flat on Free’s chest, shaking her head as the officers approached them.
“Please, he didn’t do it on p-purpose,” Jodi said between sobs. She pointed to Josh, who was putting on a show of pain several feet away, “He pr-provoked him. Pl-please.”
“Jodi,” Free said gently, tilting her face up so she was looking at him. Tears continued to track down her cheeks. He smiled sadly. “It’s okay. I threw the first punch.” He sighed and nodded to the officers, one that stood near them and one that was standing talking to Josh, who was gesturing wildly toward Free now. “This is how it goes.”
“No,” Jodi sobbed, shaking her head again. “He knew what he was doing. He wanted you to hit him.”
“I know.”
Jodi sucked in a shaky breath. “This isn’t fair. Josh did this on purpose. They could let you go—”
Again, Free smiled sadly and shook his head. Shane leaned toward them, saying somberly, “He’s over there talking about pressing charges for assault. Jodi, honey, we have to let them take him. We’re lucky they’re not coming in like gangbusters.”
“No,” Jodi whispered emphatically. “No.”
“Sir, please turn around and put your hands behind your back,” the one officer said to him after an unspoken cue from his partner. Free nodded solemnly. Jodi sobbed again, reaching for him, but Shane pulled her back. Cassie stood several feet away, visibly shaken.
“No!” she cried, finally turning to her ex-husband. “Please!Josh, don’t do this! Josh, stop this!”
Her pleas fell on deaf ears, as she knew they would. Free turned his back, putting his arms out wide before bringing them back, palms out. The officer pulled a pair of heavy handcuffs off his belt and cinched them to Free’s wrists, while giving him the speech about his rights. He looked over at her as the officer began to herd him toward the exit. “It’s okay,” he said gently, which only caused more tears to fall down her cheeks.
As he was taken outside, Jodi, Shane, and Cassie followed. It broke her heart to watch as he was put into the back of the cruiser, the blue and red lights flashing in the dome atop the car. This was her fault.
Josh stepped out of the bar then, walking toward them. She snarled at him, hatred for him oozing out of every pore. “You’re an ass, you know that? Was any of this necessary? Why? Why, damn you?!”
Shane put his hand on her elbow, trying to lead her away from Josh. She shrugged out of his hand and pointed one finger up into Josh’s face. Trembling, she whispered, “I have my proof. Drop the charges, or I take everything I have to the police tomorrow.”
“If you had anything solid you wouldn’t wait until tomorrow,” Josh scoffed arrogantly.
He knew they hadn’t found it. He knew she was grasping at straws, and she hated him all the more for it. She and her dad had searched high and low to no avail. Jodi merely squared her shoulders. “Drop the charges, Josh.”
Josh slid his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “Nah. I think he’ll look good in orange, don’t you?”
If Shane hadn’t grabbed Jodi around the waist when he did, she would have launched straight at Josh and scratched his eyes out of his smug face.
Josh laughed darkly. “Are you trying to join him in theretonight, Jodi?”
Jodi seethed, still trying her best to break free of Shane’s grasp.
