With Jag and Dutch in the mix, he was too young tocompletely hide his fear, though.
Jagger parked his bike, switched off the ignition anddismounted.
Dutch had already touched one of the kids, Jagger didn’tthink it wise to go there.
What he should do, he had no clue.
He had to go with his gut.
“What’d I tell you, if I found out you were fuckin’ with myboy?”he demanded irately, eyes locked to Aaron, but he jerked his head down toMal who was pulling himself up from the sidewalk.
Aaron had gotten a kick in and then some.Jag saw it beforethey rolled in.
“You can’t—” Aaron started.
Although Jagger didn’t advance, he leaned toward Aaron, andthey were not close, but the way Jagger did it, Aaron still shut his trap andleaned away.
“You don’t know what I can do, motherfucker,” he threatened.“And I can guaran-damn-tee you, you just bought trouble.Now fuck off.”Whenneither twin moved, he roared, “Now!”
Allan bolted.
Aaron had to save face, so he glared at Jagger a beat beforehe turned and jogged in the direction his brother took.
Jag watched him go, caught Dutch’s eye, saw his brother’sjaw was tight, knew he was pissed (and that would beverypissed), buthe wasn’t half as pissed as Jagger.
Jag then looked down at Mal.
“You okay?”
“Good, yeah, okay,” Mal muttered.
“Bud, that piece of shit kicked you.”
“I’m alright.”
“Youwannaride to the shop withme on my bike?”
Mal shook his head and he did it quick, glancing aroundunder his brow at the kids who were hanging for the show.
Jagger felt that.At Mal’s age, he probably wouldn’t climbon the back of some guy’s bike either.And he not only grew up with bikers, heknew one day he’d be one.
It was then Jagger looked around, and he saw Martin, Colbyand Dex, three of Archie’s kids standing close.
What he wanted to do was ask why the fuck Mal was coming outof that school by himself when the Harris twins might think twice if he had acrew with him.
But they still had an audience, what with two bikers rollingup like that, their bikes still on the sidewalk.
So he’d get into that later.
“Walk your bud to the store, yeah?”he asked them.“Makesure he’s good.Can you do that for me?”
“Sure!”Martin said readily and with some exuberance.
Right.
Maybe it wasn’t that he was Archie’s and they thought Archiewas cool.
Maybe they just thought Jag was cool.
