laid-back Johnny Devlin stepped up to Ron, and he wasn’t smiling. “You motherfucking asshole .” He punched Ron in the face and busted his nose. Blood spurted.
She blinked, not sure what she was seeing. No stranger to violence—she did work at Ray’s after all—she’d nevertheless never been in the center of it.
Ron swore and hit Johnny back. She knew he considered himself a decent boxer, since he’d often bragged about his private coaches at his overpriced gym. But he only managed to make contact with Johnny once out of the three or four swings he took.
Johnny’s head snapped back when the punch landed on his cheek, but he didn’t duck away. He punched back and made contact. Then he bobbed and weaved, looking like a pro, and she couldn’t help but stare in shock and awe. Such aggression pouring out of a man she’d never seen do more than seduce a smile out of the women at the bar.
Johnny proceeded to punch Ron in the stomach then the chest. He finished with a kick right between Ron’s legs. “Suck on that, you dick.”
Ron fell to the ground, moaning, and curled into a ball, cupping his crotch while blood dripped down his face. He whimpered. “Going to…pay…for…this.”
When Johnny moved to go after him again, she jumped between them. “Wait. Please.”
He put his arms around her and turned them, holding her so tenderly while keeping himself between her and Ron. “Shit. You okay, Lara?”
She wanted to laugh and proclaim him her hero, but her eyes filled instead. She started shaking. While she hadn’t really been afraid of Ron, not exactly, it had all happened so fast. Getting manhandled by him, then mauled with that sloppy kiss, to watching Johnny fight like a tornado of rage. So much brutality.
“Shh. It’s okay. I have you.” Johnny rocked her in his arms.
She should have been afraid of someone who could do that much damage to another person, but within his arms she felt safe. Cared for. And she snuggled closer and hugged him in thanks.
She heard Ron getting to his feet, and Johnny put her aside. “Why don’t you go grab a bouncer for me? We’ll let him take care of this piece of shit.”
“Okay. Just don’t hurt him anymore.”
Johnny looked surprised. “Why not? You didn’t want him kissing you, did you?”
“God no. But I don’t want him trying to get you in trouble or anything.” She glared at Ron. “If you try anything, I’ll have ten witnesses from the bar letting a judge know you attacked me, so don’t even think about it.”
Johnny’s lips curled. “What she said, dipshit.” He stroked Lara’s cheek. “Don’t worry. We’ll make nice while you go get Big J to throw his ass out of here.”
She raced away and returned with the bouncer and her boss, Rena trailing behind. “They’re here,” she said, out of breath.
Johnny stood next to Ron, who now leaned up against the dirty brick wall. Ron had a few more bruises, and Johnny’s knuckles looked battered, his cheek still rosy from where Ron had made contact. But Ron didn’t make a peep as he stood in Johnny’s shadow.
Johnny said something in a low voice.
Ron jerked away and spat, “Fuck you, asshole.” To Lara, he said, “This isn’t over, bitch.”
She so didn’t like the b-word.
Johnny would have launched himself at Ron again, except Ray intercepted him. Then Rena latched on to his arm.
“Hold off, son. We’ve got this.” Ray nodded at the six-foot-five bouncer. “Toss his ass out. And, mister, you’re not welcome here again.”
“As if I’d come back to this shit hole voluntarily.” Ron sneered at Ray and the others, but the malicious glare he turned on her made her want to run away and hide—very unlike her normal kick-ass self. “Tell Kristin she won’t see a fucking dime, thanks to you.”
“I’ll be telling it to her lawyer,” she said as Big J shoved him around the building toward the parking lot. She heard Ron swearing all the way.
“About par for the course on a
She blinked, not sure what she was seeing. No stranger to violence—she did work at Ray’s after all—she’d nevertheless never been in the center of it.
Ron swore and hit Johnny back. She knew he considered himself a decent boxer, since he’d often bragged about his private coaches at his overpriced gym. But he only managed to make contact with Johnny once out of the three or four swings he took.
Johnny’s head snapped back when the punch landed on his cheek, but he didn’t duck away. He punched back and made contact. Then he bobbed and weaved, looking like a pro, and she couldn’t help but stare in shock and awe. Such aggression pouring out of a man she’d never seen do more than seduce a smile out of the women at the bar.
Johnny proceeded to punch Ron in the stomach then the chest. He finished with a kick right between Ron’s legs. “Suck on that, you dick.”
Ron fell to the ground, moaning, and curled into a ball, cupping his crotch while blood dripped down his face. He whimpered. “Going to…pay…for…this.”
When Johnny moved to go after him again, she jumped between them. “Wait. Please.”
He put his arms around her and turned them, holding her so tenderly while keeping himself between her and Ron. “Shit. You okay, Lara?”
She wanted to laugh and proclaim him her hero, but her eyes filled instead. She started shaking. While she hadn’t really been afraid of Ron, not exactly, it had all happened so fast. Getting manhandled by him, then mauled with that sloppy kiss, to watching Johnny fight like a tornado of rage. So much brutality.
“Shh. It’s okay. I have you.” Johnny rocked her in his arms.
She should have been afraid of someone who could do that much damage to another person, but within his arms she felt safe. Cared for. And she snuggled closer and hugged him in thanks.
She heard Ron getting to his feet, and Johnny put her aside. “Why don’t you go grab a bouncer for me? We’ll let him take care of this piece of shit.”
“Okay. Just don’t hurt him anymore.”
Johnny looked surprised. “Why not? You didn’t want him kissing you, did you?”
“God no. But I don’t want him trying to get you in trouble or anything.” She glared at Ron. “If you try anything, I’ll have ten witnesses from the bar letting a judge know you attacked me, so don’t even think about it.”
Johnny’s lips curled. “What she said, dipshit.” He stroked Lara’s cheek. “Don’t worry. We’ll make nice while you go get Big J to throw his ass out of here.”
She raced away and returned with the bouncer and her boss, Rena trailing behind. “They’re here,” she said, out of breath.
Johnny stood next to Ron, who now leaned up against the dirty brick wall. Ron had a few more bruises, and Johnny’s knuckles looked battered, his cheek still rosy from where Ron had made contact. But Ron didn’t make a peep as he stood in Johnny’s shadow.
Johnny said something in a low voice.
Ron jerked away and spat, “Fuck you, asshole.” To Lara, he said, “This isn’t over, bitch.”
She so didn’t like the b-word.
Johnny would have launched himself at Ron again, except Ray intercepted him. Then Rena latched on to his arm.
“Hold off, son. We’ve got this.” Ray nodded at the six-foot-five bouncer. “Toss his ass out. And, mister, you’re not welcome here again.”
“As if I’d come back to this shit hole voluntarily.” Ron sneered at Ray and the others, but the malicious glare he turned on her made her want to run away and hide—very unlike her normal kick-ass self. “Tell Kristin she won’t see a fucking dime, thanks to you.”
“I’ll be telling it to her lawyer,” she said as Big J shoved him around the building toward the parking lot. She heard Ron swearing all the way.
“About par for the course on a
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