I stand her back up and kiss her hand. She blushes before walking away.
The men sit with their mouths hanging open. I blow out a bubble and wink at the asshole. I slowly walk backward toward the door with a crooked smile.
“That’s it, you little punk! I’m going to teach you a lesson your mama will feel by the time I’m done with you!” he yells.
As I pass the pool table, I pick up one of the cue sticks.
“That’s right, you little shit. You’re going to need all the help you can get,” he sneers.
I push up my glasses and cock my head to the side, listening for his heavy steps.
Everyone in the bar stands up and moves to the side.
What the hell? I’m a shrimp compared to him. No one’s going to step in? Not that it matters. I’m actually looking forward to this fight. I need it.
Dr. York’s voice pops into my head. “Another hit or another fall… is all it will take.”
Fuck it. At least Anders can’t accuse me of not going down without a fight. The oversized bastard’s footsteps fall just a few feet away from me. Just a little more. Right there.
I swing around with the cue, taking both of his legs out from under him. His friends falter in their tracks. What a bunch of cheating bitches. All five of these men are way bigger than me. Spinning the cue in my hand, I kick the gigantic prick in the chest, knocking him onto the ground again. I give the rest of his friends some time to gather their wits and let them surround me.
“You must be thinking, ‘Oh, shit.’ Aren’t you, kid?” the man with the foul breath shouts between wheezy laughter.
I catch a glimpse of rotting teeth. Gross. He tried to kiss poor Peaches with that mouth. I spit Peaches’s gum out. “A gift from my lady friend. It’s the closest you’ll get to her saliva tonight,” I sneer.
A man on my left lunges toward me. I hit him in the neck with the cue, followed by a quick hit to the ribs. Another man comes up behind me so I swing the cue and pummel him in the stomach with the blunt end. I roundhouse kick him in the head. A third man swings at me, and I nail him in the kidneys. Another lunges at me with a chair.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with these men? I jump up on the pool table, flip over him, and kick him in the backside. He plows into his own weapon of choice, splintering it to pieces under his own weight.
The original asshole grabs my shoulders, swinging me around, and punches me in my face. The cue falls from my hand, and my glasses fly off my face. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t really need them to see anymore. I bring my knee up, catching him in the hip, kick his other knee, and return the punch. Bloodgushes from his nose. I punch him again and simultaneously pummel one of his friends in the gut with an elbow jab.
I duck, avoiding beefy arms from the left. I dive for the cue and smack one of the meatheads in the kneecap, knocking him down. A kick to the face knocks him out. My ribs ache, and four more men still need a takedown before I can leave.
I twirl the cue above my head and rush at the fattest man of the group. I strike another stinky man with the cue on my right side and block his friends on the left. Finding my opening, I strike him on the head so hard the cue breaks in half. I throw the remaining half at the original asshole. The two remaining men charge me at the same time, shouting some battle cry.
From my peripheral vision, I see two tall men run toward us. No, not men—recruits. Odyssey and Skunk rush in, taking the two men out. I stand my ground and face the gigantic prick coming at me with the cue. I count his steps and slowly bend my knees, angling my body to use his own momentum against him.
Everything moves around me in slow motion. Five, four, three, two… I block the cue, widen my stance, and shove my shoulder into him, lifting him in the process and throwing him over me. Turning, I roundhouse kick him in the face before he hits the ground.
Skunk lands a blow to one man, who drops to his knees, and finishes him with another punch. Odyssey kicks another man in the chest, and he crashes into a nearby table. I hold my breath, counting in my head. The man doesn’t get back up.
I release the breath I was holding. Pain rips through me, but I ignore it. My surroundings resume at a normal pace.
More footsteps race toward us. Marty, now one of the trainers for the guard program, sees me, and his eyes widen. He points to his head, and I realize I lost both my hat and glasses in the fight.
I link my mind to his.Marty, what are you doing here?
Everyone is looking for you, Princess.
I don’t want to go back. I just need some space.
He scans the room, noticing the disastrous state of the bar. “Look. We don’t want any trouble. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the hell out of here right now.”
I straighten my stance and slowly step back.
I’ll buy you some time, but you need to leave now. Marty picks up my hat from the floor and tosses it to me.
Thank you.
