To his credit, my man simply glanced at Rocket and laughed.
“Adorable how they think they’re bothering us, right? I’ve seen scarier fucking kittens.”
“Fuck you!” The guy lunged over the counter, trying to punch Harley, and I dove out of my seat, as he staggered backward to avoid the guy, and caught the chair with his foot.
Chapter Thirty-Five
THE LAST THING I expected at this fucking show was assholes fromDorset Daggersturning up, and for them to come at us, like we’re the poor man’s club? They had no idea who they were messing with. Phoenix may come across as soft, but they’d risen from the remains of two of the deadliest clubs in the South of England. Weak guys didn’t patch over those kinds of clubs.
The part that bothered me was that Caroline was here to see this. That she would be scared, and overwhelmed, and I had to keep my eyes on these pricks, because turning away would be inviting a fist to the back of my head, or worse.
“I think these two gentlemen need to check themselves, right, Rocket? They might think they’re the big men, but surrounded by women and children isn’t the place for a showdown.”
Rocket snorted, stepping around his counter with me, both of us moving in sync, putting distance between trouble and my woman.
“It’s like they think we’re scared of them though, VP. I mean, do they think this shit’s intimidating anybody? You’re from double D, right? You named yourselves after tits, now admittedly, that’s a good size for tits, but you’re still nothing.”
The first guy lunged at Rocket, but before I could intervene, another guy grabbed him from behind, and used his weight to throw him off balance, taking him down without any collateral damage.
Rocket and I stepped up to the one guy left on his feet, who was now casting wary glances at us, and the guy holding down his compadre.
“Nothing weak about us, dickhead, but you wanna pick a fight, you do it somewhere where we can’t risk hurting innocents, yeah? This shit? Coward stuff.” Still the guy tried his luck, swinging a punch in my direction, and I know I heard a scream from Caroline that time, as I ducked his move, and caught his chest with my elbow as I swivelled into him.
He grunted and staggered into Rocket, who caught him by the neck and slammed him down to the grass.
The guy who’d stopped the first asshole was sitting on him now, watching Rocket with the other one. He looked vaguely familiar, but I had no idea who he was. He carried himself like one of us, even as he looked like his clothes probably cost about as much as my ride. He was smartly dressed, with a tan coat over a black shirt and trousers, and shoes to match the coat. The guy he was sitting on was still and silent, so he’d laid him out cold without even breaking a sweat.
“I already sent a text to security. I know a guy. They’re on their way.”
I nodded at him, and lifted my head to the wary onlookers.
“Nothing to see here, folks. These poor gents just got a little overheated in the sun. Please enjoy the rest of the exhibition.The beer tent’s that way,” I pointed as I spoke, and people started to move on, realising this show was over.
I glanced behind me, seeing Caroline huddled in a crouch behind her fallen chair, her face drawn tight and panicked.
“I need to see to my old lady. You got this?” I looked from Rocket to the unnamed guy, and they both nodded, so I turned and made my way back to Caroline, picking up Rocket’s sprayed work, and setting it back on the counter as I passed it.
“Baby? Hey, look at me,” I dropped to my knees in front of her, waiting for her eyes to regain their focus, finding me right there, her safe haven. Please don’t take this as a sign that we won’t work, I silently begged, reaching for her.
Caroline released a soft cry and threw herself into my arms, holding me tightly as she pressed her face against my neck. She wasn’t tearful, and that surprised and impressed me. For someone who wasn’t like us, that little interaction would be terrifying, especially since she could have been injured in the process.
“I’m sorry I almost backed into you.” I tipped her chin up so I could look at her again. “You’re not hurt, right?”
She shook her head, drawing in a shaky breath, as her eyes darted past me to the security team, who were removing the bad element, while the guy who’d backed us up chatted with Rocket, and helped him pick up the rest of our gear.
“Caroline, baby. This wasn’t the norm, okay? This stuff doesn’t normally happen, not at this show. It’s why I invited you, because it’s normally a really fun experience. Take a deep breath for me.”
The unknown guy disappeared as Rocket dropped down beside us, crouching near enough to support, but far enough back that he didn’t need to eat my fist.
“You okay, Caroline? Those two dipshits won’t be back, okay? They’re gone, and we’re all okay.”
He was keeping his voice low and even, and I shot him a grateful glance, turning my head as the unknown guy returned, offering something to me.
I reached out to take the bottle of water, and he nodded at Caroline, so I checked the lid was sealed, and thanked him.
“Water, baby? It’ll help.” She nodded, so I cracked it open and passed it to her. As soon as she finished sipping it, I righted the chair and helped her onto it.
“You okay now?” She lifted a slightly shaky hand and wobbled it in the air.
