Page 28 of Easy Rider
I aim my gun at Cletus’s head and step beside him. Keeping my aim straight, I press the barrel against his temple. The asshole smells like weed and puke. His grungy sweatshirt, about five sizes too small, is wadded up around his belly. Rolls of fat hang over his belt. I try not to think about this filthy fuck’s hands all over Emma. I can’t, because I’ll probably lose my shit and plug him in the head.
“I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully. Put Emma down, slowly.”
Cletus jerks, lifting her, repositioning his arms.
“Careful now, asswipe.” I straighten my arm, keeping the gun directly on his head.
“Fucking rodeo prick,” he snarls, before easing Emma off his shoulders. When her feet hit the ground, she rushes beside me. I finally let out the breath I’ve been holding for who knows how long.
I tilt my head toward Emma, keeping my focus on the ugly-ass target. “You okay, baby?”
“Yeah. I’m good.” Her voice trembles.
“He’s alone,” Shane shouts as he strolls out the front door.
Chase yells from the other side of Cletus’s truck. “Confirmed,” he says, peering into the cab.
“Hey, assholes,” Cletus has the nerve to spew. “Who do you think you are, fucking up my date?”
Mydate? I spin on a dime, adrenaline working overtime. “What the fuck did you say?”
“Easy, Ryder.” Shane’s voice is steady and calm.
“You got knocked on your ass too many times, rodeo boy,” Cletus spits. “I said”—he draws out the words and sneers—“Emma and I were having a little fun. She likes it rough, don’t you, Emma?”
“Shut your fucking mouth!” I snap. Icy cold-blooded rage rips through my system like shards of broken glass.You fucker.I shove my gun down the back of my jeans and charge Cletus at full speed. His eyes grow wide in shock, but he doesn’t have time to react. I slam into him with my shoulder, using the full force of my body to take him to the ground in one move.
I’m seething, seeing so much red anger I’m autopilot, not thinking, only punching. And punching. The thought of Cletus touching Emma,takingher, terrifying her, races over and over through my brain, putting power into every hit.
“Hey, hey,” I hear somewhere in the distance, but I can’t focus on anything but pummeling Cletus’s godawful fucking mouth. How dare he fucking say that about Emma?
“Hey,” the voice becomes louder. And in a beat, Shane has hold of me on one side, Chase has the other, and I’m being pulled off my target.
I breathe hard, trying to catch my breath. My eyes are locked on Cletus’s bloody face as I lick my lips and wipe sweat off my brow with my arm.
Emma rushes to my side and wraps an arm around me. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” she whispers. “He didn’t do anything to me. Really he didn’t.”
“Thank God.” I try to sound upbeat, turning to Emma. I draw her close and hold her as relief floods my heart. She’s safe,she’s safe, and that’s all I need to know.
My heart is pounding. I’m still so pissed off with that dangerous dumb fuck that I have to talk myself out of punching him again.
Chase and Shane drag Cletus to his truck. But I’m too far away to hear what they’re saying. I watch as my brothers shove the fucking inbred into his vehicle. Shane slams the door behind him. The engine starts, and I keep my stare on Cletus as he pulls out.
He straightens his truck and sticks his smashed-up face out the window. “Don’t worry,” Cletus yells, flipping us the finger. “You’ve got another big surprise comin’, pricks.” He hits the gas and skids, taking off down the driveway.
