and a beet red face.
Normally, I wouldn’t resort to violence. I don’t have a violent bone in my body. That’s not how us McAllisters operate. We believe in making your wallet bleed, not your body. But I was making Joey the exception.
“Fuck me, Joey? Not only have you been cheating on me since we moved in together, but I catch you doing business with Don. After I repeatedly told you not to.” I bent at the waist, gripping his chin so his attention was on me. “Future reference, don’t fuck around on a girl when you’re working for her father. Because chances are, her dad will be more than willing to give her your banking information.” Joey’s eyes widened with shock. “That’s right, dear, as of this morning, your bank account is sitting pretty with a big ol’ round fat zero . Thanks for paying me back for the deposit of the house and all the other times I had to cover your half of the rent.”
I pushed his face away as the roaring sounds of motorcycles circled around the cul-de-sac and stopped in front of our house. “Oh, and by the way, that skank you’re screwing is John’s old lady. You know, Big John from that motorcycle club that always drops by the diner?”
Joey’s pain was long forgotten after he realized he had potentially slept with the wife of the president of one of Nevada’s most wanted motorcycle clubs. I had lied; Big John wasn’t married to the skank. “Run, run as fast as you can,” I whispered as the bikes’ engines died.
Joey scrambled off the ground and did as I told him, leaving a plume of red dust in his wake. I think that was the fastest I’ve ever seen anyone run before. Straightening my back, I turned just as Big John walked up the concrete steps.
“That boy sure can run,” he drawled, flicking the cigarette butt on the desert sand. I shielded my eyes from the sun so I could get a better look at him and smiled.
“How long ’till he figures out we ain’t chasin’ him?” he asked.
I scoffed. “Tomorrow maybe. He isn’t the brightest crayon in the box.”
Big John unleashed a heavy chuckle before stepping forward and grabbing the bag from my hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you.” We strode down the concrete path to my bike. John’s crew waited for him on their bikes as he strapped my bag on the tail of the Ninja. This was all too familiar to me.
“Thanks for doing this, B.J.” I smiled at the man who’d saved my ass countless times. John pulled on the bind one more time to make sure it was secure before he handed me my helmet, which was hanging on one of the handles.
“Any time you wanna scare an ex, I’m there.” He chuckled. “You know it was his way of protecting you, right? In his own perverse way, he did it for you.”
“No, John.” I sighed. “Don’s only looking for a way to keep me in the family business. He wants me back for his own benefit.” John reached into his cut to pull out another cigarette. He lit it before releasing a puff of gray smoke into the air.
“Does he know you’re going back home?”
“No, and he won’t be finding out, right?” I asked as I pulled my helmet over my head. John laughed—I always made him laugh—then mumbled something about imports being pieces of shit, but I chose to let it go.
“Nah, I’m staying out of this one,” he said. “You’re staying with my girl, right?” I nodded. John took me into his big frame for a hug. “You tell my girl I love her,” he said around the hard plastic. I smirked even though he couldn’t see me and nodded while I wrapped my arms around his thick neck. John laughed again, then tapped the top of the helmet. “Drive safe,” he grumbled, then threw his cigarette on the ground. He signaled his guys with a whistle, telling them it was time to leave as he jumped on his bike.
With a salute, I gripped the handles of my own, swinging my leg over to straddle the seat. As I turned the key to start my Frog, the rumbles of the five Harleys across from me quieted the
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