Betrayed Read Free Page B

actually have a smart discussion with a woman besides his sister. Plus, both of them were enjoying the view. Ginger was captivated by Justin’s emerald green eyes and his three-day growth of manly stubble, and he was mesmerized by her full lips, dimples, and dancing brown eyes that twinkled when she smiled.
    The two were having a wonderful time, something neither one had had for a long time. Unfortunately, their time for “getting to know you” butterflies would be limited as a tragedy was unfolding. It would start with the ring of Justin’s cell phone later this evening.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
    “Hey, Lily, where’s your worthless fiancé?” Trick asked.
    “Right here,” Connor answered as he walked through the office door at Big Red’s.
    “About time, dick face.”
    “Hey, lay off my baby. He had a fever this morning. You feeling better, babe?” Lily asked.
    “Yeah. You feeling better, baby?” Trick teased in a phony falsetto.
    “Yes, I am,” he said to Lily. “And fuck off, Trick.”
    Big Red walked in from the waiting room where he had been visiting with a few customers, his portable oxygen tank trailing behind him.
    “You been ill, Connor?” Big Red asked.
    “No, Dad, just a 24 hour bug. I’m ready to get at it.” Although Big Red wasn’t his biological father, the boy asked if he could call him “Dad” when he was 8 years old. Big Red felt honored that Connor would bestow that privilege upon him, so the moniker continued into adulthood.
    “Are you sure?” Red asked Connor. “You can take the rest of the day off if you need to. You’re a hard worker, and you deserve it.”
    “Naw, I’d be bored. Besides, I’ve got to keep an eye on these jerks so they don’t try anything with my girl.” The men were in the shop, just beyond the doorway from the reception area.
    Lily laughed. “Don’t worry,” she shouted out from her desk, “I can take care of myself…and these boys know better than to mess with me.”
    But Trick didn’t see the humor in Connor’s remark. “Who you callin’ a jerk, Mr. big shot, teacher’s pet, asshole?” Trick was a big, scary-looking dude, but he was not very bright. His arms were covered in lewd and gruesome tattoos, and he had a rap sheet as long as his scraggly beard before Justin took him in. He stood chest to chest with Connor, looking down on him, and spoke softly and deliberately. “You sayin’ I’m a jerk, jerkface?”
    Connor couldn’t show that he felt a little intimidated by the bigger man. “Fuck off, Trick.”
    He pushed Trick away with two hands to the big man’s chest. Trick charged back, grabbing Connor’s shoulders, and they began to scuffle.
    At that moment the front door opened, and Justin and Ginger walked in.
    “You boys cut the crap!” Big Red hollered, wheezing and breathing with difficulty.
    Justin put both of his hands on Ginger’s arms and stooped a bit to look into her concerned brown eyes with a reassuring smile. “Hold on a sec.”
    He strode through the doorway into the shop and pushed the two men apart. Connor stopped immediately, but Trick was still trying to get his hands on Connor.
    “Connor…” He motioned to the front lobby with his head. “Go talk to Lily.”
    “Get out of my way, Justin,” Trick said angrily.
    Justin was just an inch shorter than the big biker and grabbed the collar of Trick’s leather jacket, pulling him in, face to face. “Cut the shit, or I’ll knock you into next week, Trick.”
    Trick just grinned with his broken smile. “You ain’t never been in a fight in your life, Justin.” He moved his face even closer to his boss and issued a challenge. “You really think you could knock me out?”
    Justin never spoke of it, but he had more than a little experience as a street brawler, and he earned a stack of medals for his martial arts skills in high school and junior college. He was strong and trained, but most of all, he was fearless. He tightened his grip on the