Page 70 of Beautiful Harmony

Lucas breathed in the only marginally fresher air of the building lobby as they headed toward the front door. “You can make it up to me with a beer at the Beaver. What do you say?”

“Sounds like the perfect way to end the evening,” Nix said.

They stepped out into the cold air, and Lucas zipped up his jacket. “Fuck, it’s even colder now that the sun is down. Hey, you ever had the poppers at the Beaver? Because they are… Nix, what’s wrong?”

He watched in confusion as Nix took off across the street. Nola was back in front of the Sip and Gulp, and Lucas’s stomach dropped. The three sketchy guys from earlier surrounded her, and the biggest one gripped her wrist tightly.

“Oh, fuck me sideways,” Lucas said and chased after Nix.

Adrenaline pumped through Lucas’s system, and he curled his hands into fists. Fuck, he hoped none of those assholes had a knife or a gun. He joined the small group just as Nix said, “Let go of her.”

The guy didn’t bother looking at him, smoothing his free hand over Nola’s hair as his other hand tightened around her wrist. “Get the fuck out of here, buddy. This isn’t any of your business.”

“Let go of her.” Nix’s voice was a low growl, and the hair on the back of Lucas’s neck stood up. Jesus, Nix sounded more animal than human.

“Fuck off,” the man said as he smiled at Nola. “This little sweetheart is coming home with me, and I’m gonna show her how to really find God. Isn’t that right, boys?”

The two other men laughed before the one said, “Yeah, you are. With all ten inches.”

“Take your fucking hand off of her, asshole.”

Lucas had a very bad feeling that Nix was hanging onto his self-control by the thinnest of threads.

The man stared over his shoulder at Nix, looking him up and down before saying, “You her boyfriend?”

“Just walk away, man,” Lucas said.

“Shut your fucking mouth, pretty boy,” the man said.

He turned back to Nola. “I guarantee you I can fuck better than his guy, sweetheart. And I bet underneath those ugly clothes, you got a body that just won’t fucking quit. Am I right?”

Tears were caught in Nola’s lashes, and when one broke free and slipped down her cheek, another growl of rage escaped from Nix. She tried to pull free, yanking hard against the man’s hand. With a snort of annoyance, he released her, shoving her in the head with his other hand and knocking her to the ground with a hard thud.

“Fucking bitch ain’t worth it,” he said as he turned to face Nix. “Probably don’t even know how to fuck or -”

His voice cut out with a strangled yelp when Nix punched him in the face. Lucas watched in shock as Nix, moving lightning-quick, hit the man two times in the kidneys before landing another blow to his face. The man crumpled to the ground, blood flowing from his mouth as he stared dazedly at Nix.

“Holy shit,” Lucas said.

Nix stood in the classic boxer stance, his fists raised and his feet apart as he stared at the other two men. “You can pick up your friend and get the fuck out of here, or you can get your asses kicked too. Make your fucking choice.”

Without speaking, the men scrambled around Nix and Lucas and hoisted their friend to his feet. They pulled him away, quickly disappearing down a side street.

“Holy shit,” Lucas repeated. “You just kicked that guy’s ass in three seconds flat. You’re like a professional boxer or some shit like that.”

“Not anymore,” Nix said.

Nola still sat on the ground, and Nix pushed past Lucas, took her by the hands, and helped her to her feet. She winced, and Nix flipped her hands over, studying her scraped palms.

Nix traced one finger over the scrapes on her right palm, and Nola inhaled sharply before snatching her hands out of his grip. “I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding,” Nix said.

“Just a few scratches, nothing serious,” she said.

Her stack of papers was on the ground again, although most of them had blown away, and Lucas bent and gathered what was left before handing them to her.

“Thank you, Lucas,” she said before turning her wide-eyed gaze to Nix. “And, um, thank you so much, Nix, for helping me again.”

---