Page 17 of Encounter

He used all his strength to overpower me, trying to stab the knife into my chest. “You fucker!” he growled.

I tried to see his face, but he promptly kicked me in the side—hard enough for me to lose my grip. I dodged the blade and rolled away, but not before he slashed the air, catching me above my hip.

Jumping on my feet with my arms ready in defense, I finally had the time to take a proper look at him as he stood across from me. “Who the fuck—” I paused.Is that the guy from the bar?“Who the fuck are you?” His ugly, pale face could have been one of thousands of street trash I had dealt with in the past few months.

He spat at me, pulling his hood down. “Don’t remember me, bitch?!” Spreading his arms out, he grinned, like he did something.

Ah shit. Those fucking swastika tattoos.

It took me a few seconds, but the memories came flooding in. “You’re the skinhead trash I beat into a pulp a last week,” I said, clenching my teeth. The bruises and scabs were still there, faint. “Karin’s bitch-ass woman-beating ex-boyfriend who don’t know his fucking place.” The anger quickly came back, still alive from the last time. “Thought I told you that if you turn up here again, I’d fuckin’ kill you.”

I was reaching for my gun when I heard the commotion from the main area. His face turned even more insufferable as he gave a smug grin.Dammit, what has he done?!

“You better think long ‘n hard about that, you brown fuck. I brought friends, and they ain’t big fans of your kind,” he said, sleazy and arrogant, as he tilted the knife in his hand.

The skinhead stepped back and opened the curtain covering the booth. I heard the bouncer’s voice now as he argued with someone.

“Follow me there, and nobody’s gonna get hurt. Besides you,” he said, watching me carefully. I frowned and listened to the low whimpers coming from the girls. I had to play ball, at least for a bit.

While he backed away, I followed until we got to the main area.

Three more of those stupid budget-Nazis stood together in the middle of the room, all aiming their guns in different directions. Larissa stood the closest to us, immediately fixating her wide eyes on me, trembling. One of them held another girl—Alma, or Alia?

The third had his gun on Mike, who had a bigger gun, but knew all too well not to do anything, outnumbered like that. Everyone else in the club, as well as those at the bar were frozen in time, barely breathing.These fuckers really came in here, guns blazing, like some action stars. Goddamn degenerates.

“Not so much of a big man now, are ya?” Karin’s ex-boyfriend barked as we got close to the others.

A movement to the right made us all jerk in that direction. Galen and Karin slowly walked out of their booth, and the moment they saw the situation, the color drained from their faces.

I promised him a good time, and now this. Fuck.

“Jack?!” Karin yelped, mouth half open. “What—”

“This has nothing to do with you, bitch! I’ll deal with you later!” he barked at her. The way he paused when seeing Galen and clenched his fists worried me. He knew well what they did in there.

He’s never gonna stop coming back to her. Someone needs to put an end to this maniac.

“Enough of this!” Mike’s deep voice echoed through the room. “Someone would’ve called the cops already, you—”

“Oh, don’t worry. We’re plannin’ to take the party outside. Right?” the bastard glanced at me, and then at the man holding a gun to Larissa’s head. Grinding my teeth, I quickly looked at Galen to make sure he hadn't passed out, and then met Jack’s eyes again. “You didn’t think I was just gonna let this slide, did ya? To let you think you’re some kind of a hero, helping that ungrateful little whore.”

“Jackie, please!”

“Shut the fuck up!” he screamed, aiming the knife in Karin’s direction.

Still keeping my eyes on him, I lifted my right arm up to signal her to stay quiet. She wasn’t going to talk him down—he already made up his empty little mind.

“So, you’re gonna do... what?” I asked, giving him a crooked, loathing smirk. “Take me to the back and let your pals shoot me in the back of the head? What a tough man you are.”

It was too easy to get under his skin. Like the last time, the anger boiled behind those wide set, blood-shot eyes, and his hand with the knife twitched.

“Oh, I’ll kill you myself,” he said, grinning. “They’ll just help a bit. Make sure you ain’t got an unfair advantage. Now, if you don’t want anyone here to get hurt—and be held responsible—you better drop your gun and anythin’ else you’ve got.” Pointing the tip of the knife at my waist, he arrogantly cocked his brow.

Little rat.

I liked the place—there was no way I was letting anything bad happen to anyone here. Even if I tried to use my gun to shoot this Jack-motherfucker, Mike could probably only take one of them down, or they would get him. I didn’t want to see Larissa’s or anyone else’s brains splattered on the floor, and I didn’t want Galen to see it, either.

I took out my gun and held it in front of me safely before putting it on the ground. Next, the army knife. I kicked them both aside and lifted my arms, staring at him calmly.

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