Done playing games with him, quick as I’ve ever been, I advance, pushing him up against his car, using my forearm against his neck. “You don’t know who you’re messing with. Not long from now, there’s gonna be some people coming up over that hill.” I point with my free hand to the east of us. “And they’re wearing the same patch as me, which means they will do exactly what I ask them to. The car you drive? It’ll be gone. Your cell phone? Gone. The girl? Chased outta Bowling Green so fast she’ll be making tracks darker than the ones on your ass. Don’t test me. I’ve got some anger that’s built up and I’m okay with taking it all out on you.”
He’s trying to swallow, the way his throat keeps moving but is blocked by my forearm is pissing him off. When I release the pressure slightly he inhales a deep breath. Enough to speak. “Fuck you.”
“Fuck me? Fuck me? Fuck you.”
His hand is quick, reaching for something in his pocket, but I’m quicker, I stomp on his foot, still holding him at the neck. He howls in pain. “Stop this,” I tell him. “Just stop it. She embarrassed you, that’s on you and her. I had nothing to do with it.”
‘You have everything to do with it,” he grounds out, trying to kick his feet. “Y’all think you run this town.”
“We do,” I interrupt him. “And if you think you wanna make a play for it, go right fuckin’ ahead, but know you’ll be in for the fight of your goddamn life. If you kick me one more time,” I warn him, “I’ll kick you in the balls. There’s no sense in you acting like a little kid who got in trouble for the first time. At least act like a man.”
That’s when I hear a couple of motorcycles in the background. My backup is finally here. They come to a stop, and I don’t have to bother to turn around to see who it is. I know the sounds of those bikes like I know my own body. The two I would want in this situation are the exact two who have shown up.
When the bikes cut off, I turn around, more for them, than for me.
“What’s going on?” Caelin asks as he gets off his bike. More and more, he’s looking like his father, making an intimidating picture as Drew stands right beside him.
“Just a little conversation. Seems he and whatever crew he might have are interested on why we run Bowling Green.”
“That right?” Caelin smiles, bending down, taking a picture of his license plate, before standing up and going to the passenger side door. I can hear him rifling through whatever the guy may have inside. There’s no telling what Caelin is finding. To most people a little piece of trash is just that - trash.
To Caelin, it’s the lock that opens up your entire world. If you give him a little, he’ll take a whole fucking football field.
“Who you running with?” Drew asks, tapping me on the shoulder to let him go.
“Running with myself,” he grunts as he tries to get his wits back. He’s coughing and bending at the waist, making a huge production of not being able to breathe.
If he’s the best they got, whoever this outfit is, is fucked in more ways than one.
“Gonna need more than you to take over this town.” Drew glances over at me. “What started this?”
“Some stripper at Wet Wanda’s named Laura.”
“She’s new.” Drew is already trying to figure shit out in his head. That’s what makes him good at his job.
“Right. The other night when I walked her out, she offered to basically suck my dick. When I told her no, she got pissed. Apparently,” - I slap the guy on the back - “this is her boyfriend and I offended her, but surprise, she didn’t tell him about the sexual favors she offered.”
“The best thing for you to do is get your ass home, get your girl under control, and forget you even said something about trying to take over Bowling Green. You’ll have a fight on your hands you aren’t prepared for.”
“We’ll see,” he coughs, trying to get back to the driver’s side of his car.
“Yeah,” I call to his back. “We’ll see.”
Caelin just manages to close the passenger door as the guy drives off. All of us watch until we can’t see him in the distance any longer.
“What the fuck was that?” Drew shakes his head, as confused as I am.
“I have no idea, but I need to get this stuff to Walker. Did you bring me some gas?”
“Yeah.” He goes back to his bike, taking off a gas can. “This should at least get you to the gas station.”
Caelin is busy looking at whatever it was he took outta the car.
“Did you get anything?”
He purses his lips, making a face. “Maybe? I don’t know what this shit is. Drew.” He looks at the pres. “You care if I head back to the cave and do some research. I’m honestly not sure what this is.”
“Go for it. Be sure and let everyone know what went down here today. Send a message, I’m gonna go talk to Laura.”
Something about that doesn’t sit right with me.
“You should wait until I can go with you. Better yet, why don’t you wait until she comes in for her shift? That way there’s a crowd.”
“Sounds good.” He finishes filling my gas tank up. “You go take care of Walker. Tell him I said hey. I’m gonna head back to the shop.”
The three of us go our separate ways, but there’s something about this confrontation that strikes me as odd.
I can’t put my finger on it, but is this true? Is someone really going to try to take over Bowling Green?
I mean they wouldn’t. Right?
Chapter Nineteen
Walker
There are so many things about home I miss.
My bed.
The smell of breakfast
