I didn’t even think. My fist swung out, and I hit him right in the face. Blood burst from his broken nose, and he went down like a stone. I stepped over him to get to the front office. What I saw there made my blood boil. A slender man with neatly coiffed blond hair, dressed in a well-tailored dark suit with a light-pink shirt and dark-pink tie, was staring down Larry, who was muttering something to him just low enough that one else could hear it. It reminded me of Miguel when he was facing down Carlos.
I strode over and got between Larry and the smaller man. “Get out now before you and Craig have matching broken noses.”
“What, are you some kind of fag lover?” he snarled.
I got right in his face. “Yeah, I am. What are you going to do about it?”
Larry stared at me in wide-eyed surprise. “You…?”
“Get. Out,” I growled.
I stood with my hands on my hips, staring at him until he left. Only then did I turn around to face the other man. My jaw dropped and my eyes misted over. “Robbie?”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
ZACH
Robbie’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. “Zach? It’s really you!”
I went to pull him in for a hug, but I stopped. “Sorry. I’m all dirty.”
Robbie flung himself at me. “I don’t care. I can dry clean the suit.”
I wrapped my arms around the man who had been my childhood best friend. “It’s so good to see you again,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately.”
Before Robbie could reply, Jeff came barreling into the office. “What the fuck is going on out here? Craig said you punched him for no reason.”
“You know what, Jeff? I don’t have to explain myself to you. Why don’t you ask Craig why he threatened the life of a customer?”
Jeff eyed Robbie with disgust. “It don’t matter. He’s just another f?—”
I fisted Jeff’s shirt. “Not another word, you fucking piece of trash.
“I’ll call the police,” Jeff threatened.
I let him go and he stumbled backward. “Go ahead, call them. The chief of police is a friend of mine. Do you want to know why? After Hurricane Sandy hit and you three were sitting in here drinking and selling overpriced bottles of water, I was helping people find food and clothes and get their belongings out of their flooded homes. So go ahead and call the police.”
Jeff glared at me in impotent rage. I put my arm around Robbie’s shoulders and guided him toward the front desk. “Let’s get you paid up so you can get out of this shithole.”
I ran the transaction, and he signed the credit card receipt. I noticed his hand was shaking and felt rage fill me all over again. “I’m so sorry, Robbie. I promise it’s not like this everywhere. Things are a lot better since you left.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “I have friends who come down here every year for Pride and to just hang out.” He smiled up at me. “But you haven’t changed. You still jump in to protect people. Even people you don’t know.”
My cheeks heated at his compliment. “I just do what’s right.”
“I want you out of here!” Jeff yelled from across the room. “Take your shit and get out.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “Great.” I handed Robbie his key fob. “You’re all set. Do you have time to get a drink or something before you go back home?”
He nodded. “I’m staying at The Asbury Hotel for a couple of nights. I figured I’d wander around and see what’s changed since I was fourteen.”
“A lot,” I said. I came out from behind the counter. “Let me walk you to your car.”
I made sure Robbie got safely to his car and promised to call him once I had everything settled here. I really, really wanted to call Miguel and tell him about Robbie, but he was at work, and I didn’t want to bother him. Instead, I hit Marco’s number.
“Hey, Zach. What’s up?”
“I have a problem, and I need your help,” I said.
