As he finished up with his workout, he turned to hit the showers and ran into someone. “Oh, damn. Sorry.” He looked into big dumb eyes and wished he’d risked running over icy sidewalks instead of visiting the gym.
“Hey, Revere. What are you doing here?” Ben Templeton, the same asshole he’d taken down at the station gym, asked with a wide grin on his face. Behind him, two large men waited, watching their conversation. “I don’t see your boyfriends around. How you holding up?” He snickered, and his friends laughed too.
“Great. I’m sad being without them, almost lonely, but now that you’re here, my whole day is brighter. Thanks, man.” Mack patted Templeton on the shoulder as he passed, amused that Templeton didn’t seem to know how to handle the falsity.
He recovered quickly enough and followed Mack into the locker room. His two friends followed. Enough members came in and out. They didn’t have the space to themselves, so Mack didn’t overly worry about a physical confrontation.
He should have known better.
Mack just wanted to get cleaned up and head over to Reggie’s. It seemed Templeton didn’t plan to let that happen. His friends stood by the end of the bench nearest the exit, while Templeton loomed at Mack’s side.
“Need something?” Mack asked and turned to face Templeton only to get punched in the face. He saw it coming and tried to turn away in time but didn’t make it, getting tagged in the cheek.
Pain exploded, and he saw red. Knowing that to go down would put him in too vulnerable a position, he acted like he was about to fall and instead straightened, only to get a hold on Templeton’s arm, securing his movement. He had the guy twisted and turned and in a choke hold in seconds.
The men with him scowled, ready to move.
“What’s going on?” someone asked near the sinks.
“Mind your business,” one of Templeton’s friends growled.
The door opened and closed. No one came to Mack’s assistance.
Mack controlled the situation by continuing to cut off Templeton’s oxygen. “Okay, you two, get lost. I’m going to ease your buddy down, then we’re going to wait for help to arrive. When I explain this second attack to the police, I’d advise you to be nowhere near.”
They looked at each other for a second.
“My entire family is on the police department, and I’m dating an officer. Your call.”
They bolted.
Templeton kept tapping Mack’s biceps, trying to talk.
“Nope. You listen. I’m done with your shit. You are done with Station 44. I’m not sure what your major problem is with me, but it stops now. You keep it up, you’ll end up seriously hurting someone. Likely just yourself, but still.”
Sensing Templeton had had enough, Mack eased his arm from around the big guy’s throat and set him down on his ass, a little less than gently. He eased back just as three large guys he recognized, two who’d been lifting weights earlier and one trainer, entered.
“What the hell?” The trainer whistled as he took in Mack’s face. “That’s gonna sting.”
“It’s all good,” Mack said, not wanting any undue trouble. He figured he’d handled things. “Just a work discussion that got out of hand.”
One of the big guys huffed. “Nice. That asshole was on my last nerve a few minutes ago. Kept trying to tell me I was doing it wrong. Fuckhead, weightlifting is my job. I’m on a break. I’m usually training half the guys in here.”
His other thick-necked friend nodded. “Yeah. But your boy thinks he knows best. Was yapping about all his connections in town. Who cares?”
“Try working with him,” Mack said, trying not to wince now that his cheekbone started throbbing. “And he’s not my boy. Hey, you mind taking him out? I have a lunch to get to, and I stink.”
The large guys helped Templeton toward the door.
“Watch your back, Revere,” Templeton had the audacity to threaten.
“Seriously?” Mack had thought Templeton had a few brain cells, but maybe not.
Everyone watched Templeton as he shoved his way past the big guys through the door.
“See that he leaves, would you?” the trainer asked them.
They nodded and left.
