Page 60 of Dash

“I was just thinking how some things never change,” I say with a smile as I fist my sore knuckles.

“And what times would those be?” Blake asks as he sits on the other bench across from us.

“The first time we got arrested,” I say, and he chuckles to himself. “At least this one was worth it,” he adds, and I have to agree.

When I walked out of the house a few hours ago, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to beat the shit out of Rodger. Thanks to Google and social media, it wasn’t hard to find his location. The guy checks into his own home. Little did I know that Blake and Jake were following behind me. Once I found his place and got off my bike, they pulled in behind me. I told them to stay out of it. I wasn’t a coward. I was gonna fight him on my own. One on one. They stayed back as I asked, but that didn’t stop the cops from arresting all three of us and now we are back at the police station. And although I am very much sobered up, I still have a pounding headache.

“What do you think this does to the charges you pressed against him?” Jake asks.

I shrug. “I don’t care.” He got what he deserved, and I’d do it again. The bastard deserves to die for laying his hands on Tabatha. How could anyone want to hurt her? I know he did; but I don’t care how mad I get at her, I would never lay my hands on her.

“Hey?” Blake turns around to face the police officer sitting at his desk. “Where’s our one phone call?” he demands, and the cop completely ignores him.

“Take it easy,” I say stretching my sore neck from side to side. “We’ve only been in here for like an hour.”

Jake sighs. “You two are a bad influence. I just wanted to drink.”

We all laugh. We hear a phone ring, and we all look over at the cop who sits behind his desk. He picks it up and nods his head a few time. “Yes, sir,” he says before he hangs up.

He stands quickly as he rattles his keys in his hands. He comes over to the bars and unlocks them. “You two are free to go,” he says pointing to Jake and Blake.

They both turn to look at me as if I need them to stay and hold my hands. “Go ahead.” I nod to the door.

They quietly stand and walk out and the cop goes back to his desk and sits down. I frown as to why he left the door to the cell open.

I look down to my bloodied hands resting on my jeans. I knocked him around pretty good. I even saw a tooth fly at one point. I wasn’t a complete asshole. I allowed him to get in a couple of punches on me. I let him build up his ego when he thought he was gonna kick my ass, and then I let him down slowly when I knocked him to the ground.

“You think you can treat her like trash?” I yell as my right fist connects with his jaw. He stumbles back, and his arm knocks over a lamp. “Answer me,” I demand, before I land a punch to his gut.

He falls to his knees as he wraps his hands around his waist. “You’re no better than me,” he says as he spits blood onto his white carpet. “And she knows it.”

I kick him in the face and watch as his head snaps back. He rolls over onto his side as he cries, sobbing like a fucking child as he holds his face. “I’m nothing like you,” I spit out.

He rolls over onto his back and looks up at me. Blood runs down the side of his face. “I know you used her for your own satisfaction. Don’t make it sound I’m the only one who fucked her over.”

I let out a laugh as I tighten my fist down to my side. “You fucked her. And I…I love her.”

He laughs and it causes him to cough and then moan at the pain. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you had seen her at the bar earlier that night.”

He swallows. “All the men who were dancing up on her…”

“You followed her?” I demand.

“Of course, I did.” He places his hands on his chest as he takes in a deep breath. “I’ll never let her go.”

Just what I thought. I take a step toward him. “That’s why I’m here,” I say with a smile right before I straddle him and let my hands go to work on his face.

I couldn’t stop beating the shit out of him. He fought for a while and then he ended up just lying there unconscious as I pounded my fists into him over and over again. The guys finally had to pull me off him. And, of course, the police showed up. But I was expecting that since I had tripped his alarm system when I knocked down his front door. I was actually surprised at how badly he already looked from Tabatha. I smile, proud of her. Finally standing up for herself.

“So…” I stand from the bench when I hear a familiar man’s voice. “It’s like déjà vu,” Mr. Knight says as he walks right into the cell.

“You don’t seem surprised to find me in here,” I say casually.

“I’m not.” He unbuttons the top button of his suit jacket and sits down on the bench across from me. “I had a feeling you would do something stupid.”

I arch an eyebrow. “Beating the shit out of your daughter’s ex is stupid? The bastard deserved to die for what he did to her.”

“I agree,” he says without hesitation. “That was why I knew you would do what you did. But I hate to tell you; I just came from the hospital, and he isn’t going to die.”

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