Just Ride: Legion of Guardians Read Free Page A

pain and rejection.
    I thought about my safe place and took the stage. Shay and Lori were there cheering me on and so was the entire town. Where did all these people come from and how did they fit into Wiley’s?
    Wiley’s Bar N Grill was mainly a bar, and during the evening and weekends, they would grill outside, no matter the weather. They’d done it for years, and it was one of the best places to get pulled pork. Wiley’s wife made most of the food and had taught a few other people their secret recipes as they were getting up in age.
    The old place still looked the same, except there was an actual stage with room enough for a band to play. When I began, I started the set with a song I wrote after Jaz broke my heart to smithereens. It was an angry, mad and sad woman song, but the crowd went wild, and as I looked into some of their faces, I saw tears and tissues. Those were the same feelings I had when I caught Jaz fucking Tasha, my goddamn backup singer, doggy style, while he held her face down. The kicker was the son of a bitch didn’t even bother to stop when I made my presence known in the room.
    “Now for my next song, just to lighten the mood, here's an oldie, but goodie.”
    I sang Back on My Feet Again by The Babys.
    Since the gig was done on such short notice, I provided the instrumental music with the recorded singers and sang the lead. Holding the mic loosely in the palms of both of my hands, I belted out the words as they washed over me as well. No more Jaz, no more band and I was aiming to get back on my feet again.
    When I finished, I yelled, “Thanks for the good old Manor welcome! I love and appreciate you all!”
    As I left the stage, everybody was screaming in applause. When I met up with Shay and Lori, they screamed too and then they embraced me with a huge group hug. I’m sure they were a little tipsy as well.
    “You still got it!” Shay exclaimed.
    “Yes, you had me in tears,” Lori said. “That's how I feel like about Apollo.”
    Shay shook her head and said, “Come on. Let's get a drink.”
    “Nothing for me guys.” I said.
    “What, did you go away and sober up?” Shay asked.
    “Something like that.” I headed towards the bar.
    I had to be sober just in case something happened with my mom. Susan Rutgers did not want anyone to know she was in a state of weakness. Hell would freeze over before that happened. She was a proud woman who made things happen, no matter what. I always admired her for that.
    The three of us were at the bar chatting when a guy came up behind me while sliding his arm around my neck. My entire body froze as he grabbed my breast in his large hand, then said, “My, you sho can sing.”
    He was pissy drunk and wreaked of alcohol.
    “What the fuck?” Shay said to the guy.
    My instincts clicked in and I grabbed his arm, pulled it towards the ground and twisted it around, forcing his body to turn so it was pulled behind his back as I held on tight. He yelled out in pain, as another drunk guy came over and slid both arms around Lori and Shay.
    “Fuck!” My guy yelled.
    Lori and Shay were both cussing and pushing him off of them. He barked, “Y’all some stuck up bitches!”
    The guy, whose arm I still had twisted like a pretzel, yelled out once more, then kicked me in the shin with his cowboy boots. Screaming out in pain, I twisted his arm more, causing him to yell loudly.
    “Get off of him!” his friend yelled.
    I didn’t move fast enough, and his hand flew across my face, shaking the guy from my grasp and knocking me into the bar stools. The man had literally slapped the spit out of my mouth, and it hurt like a bitch.
    A gunshot rang out, and I knew it was Wiley or one of his workers giving their normal warning shot.
    “Get the fuck outta here and don’t ever come back,” Wiley growled.
    He lowered the gun towards their lower regions and both men backed out of the bar as everyone in attendance was about to take a piece of them. A few guys followed them