“You pathetic piece of shit,” Blue snarls. “I ever hear you’ve touched this woman again, I’ll break every bone in your fucking body. You understand?”
The man nods.
“Say it,” Blue snaps.
“I understand.”
“Apologize to her,” Blue says.
“I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Blue looks over to the woman. “You need someplace to stay? If you want to leave this asshole, just say the word.”
She nods in the affirmative.
“Grab your purse, darlin’,” Blue’s club brother says. “We’ll take you someplace safe—someplace this dick won’t ever hurt you again.”
She leans in the door of the truck and grabs her purse, then follows the other guy to his bike.
Blue stands over the man. “If I were you, I’d leave town. I see you again, I’m gonna beat the fuck out of you just for the hell of it.”
The guy wipes his bloody mouth with his sleeve, but says nothing, and Blue walks back to his bike like nothing happened.
I turn the ignition and pull out.
“Oh, my God. Can you believe that?” Carmen asks. “They sure took care of that jerk.”
“Yeah, they did.”
“You don’t see men stand up to other men like that very often. Not about that kind of thing. They usually look the other way, and don’t get involved.”
“I know,” I reply.
“I get that he’s a biker in that club, but that was kind of a knight-in-shining-armor thing to do, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was.” I glance in my rearview mirror and see them pulling out in the opposite direction.
“I hope that girl is okay,” Carmen murmurs.
“She’s a lot better off now than she was before,” I murmur.
*****
Two days later, Carmen and I are sitting in the diner on Main Street when one of the Saint’s Outlaws pulls up outside and backs his bike to the curb.
It’s not Blue, and my shoulders drop. I feel Carmen’s eyes on me, but she doesn’t say anything.
We’re in a booth by the window, and we watch when the man walks in and approaches the counter.
I’m close enough to hear the exchange he has with the owner, Dolly. She passes him an envelope, and he leaves.
I’m watching him pull out when Dolly approaches our table. “How were your burgers? You two want a slice of pie?”
“No, thanks,” Carmen says, rubbing her stomach. “I’m stuffed.”
Dolly lays our check on the table with a grin. “Thanks for coming.”
“Dolly,” I say, stopping her before she walks away.
