Page 70 of Obey

As long as everybody keeps to themselves, we’re fine. The bikers look like they’re ready for a night of booze and bad karaoke, judging by their joking around. I keep my eyes on them, but I thankfully don’t recognize any of them.

Unfortunately, Hank does.

“Hey. Tommy. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Hank yells to one of the guys.

Tommy stops halfway up the ramp to the entrance and turns. “What?”

Just walk away, I mentally beg Hank.

Hank approaches him with an angry strut. “I know what you did to my sister.”

Fuck. Fucking hell. We need to get out of here before shit hits the fan.

I finally find the keys, and Maddox gets Jim out of the way enough for me to very silently open the door. I’m so fucking glad it’s a regular key and not an electronic keyfob that would make noise.

“What I did to your sister is none of your fucking business,” Tommy says. He points to his biker friends. “We own this town now, and all the bitches in it.”

Jim makes a sound while I force him into the truck. Maddox gets in on the other side, and I’ve got one foot ready to get in myself.

“You fucking don’t. You think you’re… you’re hot shit, but I know you’re going down. The feds are onto you, and I can’t wait to see them arrest all of you.”

Motherfucker. I squeeze my eyes shut.

“What? What feds?” one of Tommy’s friends asks.

“You think you’re so secret, but they know all about your operations, and your—” I hear the sound of flesh pounding against flesh, and Hank cries out. His girlfriend starts screaming.

I meet Maddox’s eyes. “We can still go,” I whisper.

Maddox grits his teeth. He’s obviously torn, but it somehow doesn’t surprise me when he shakes his head. “I’m not running from a fight with them again.” Before I can say anything, he adds, “And my shoulder is fucking fine.”

He turns, stalking toward where Hank and Tommy are getting into it.

I sigh and go join him.

“Please! Just leave Hank alone!” his girlfriend says. “Tommy, it’s fine. He didn’t mean anything?—”

“I meant every fucking word!” Hank shouts, standing up only to get punched in the face again.

The other guys are standing in a protective ring around the two brawlers.

“You brats want to pick on somebody your own size?” I say as I approach them in my lowest, most intimidating voice. I’ve been told by quite a few people they don’t want to meet me in a dark alley.

This isn’t an alley, but it’s dark. Everybody inside is enjoying their drinks and singing. They won’t hear the fist fight going on outside.

Tommy does a double take, though I think it’s more because he didn’t expect to see two men coming out of the shadows than anything else. He’s not a small guy either, more Maddox’s size, and he doesn’t look like he’s going to be easy to intimidate.

“Back the fuck off,” Maddox growls. “Just get on your bikes and go back to where you came from.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Tommy asks. He gets into a defensive stance, and it’s decent enough that I think he’s had some formal training.

“We don’t want trouble,” I say steadily. “Leave Hank alone, and you can go on your way.”

“Maybe Hank shoulda kept his mouth shut then,” one of the other guys sneers. “No one in this town gets to tell us what to do.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I hear Maddox mutter. “Last warning. Back off, dickhead.”

Unfortunately, Hank suddenly yells and rushes forward, crashing into Tommy. The other guys immediately go to help Tommy, and I have to step in to keep one from kicking Hank in the head.

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