Page 22 of Betrayed

“Sorry, baby—Iwas out back, taking out the trash.Butit looks like we have more trash up here that needs taking out.”

The three men take a look at him and their faces change from arrogance to unease.Ican’t say thatIblame them.Kanelookshugelooming over their table.

He has taken off the apron he had on earlier and the black t-shirt he’s wearing is soaked—probably from washing dishes—and clinging to his muscular torso like a second skin.Thesleeves are high enough that you can see his tattoos.Hisbig body is coiled with tension and his hands are curled into fists at his sides.Helooks like a man who’s spoiling for a fight.

“Hey, man,” the ringleader says uneasily. “Wejust came in for lunch—that’s all.”

Kane looks at me.

“What did they do?”

“Talked nasty and grabbed my ass,”Itell him. “Look.”Inod at my uniform where, sure enough, there’s a grimy gray handprint on the powder blue skirt, right over my left butt cheek.

“What?”Kane’sface gets as dark as a thundercloud. “Whichone of them laid hands on you, baby?He’sgoing to fuckingdie.”

Now it’s my turn to be uneasy.Whatwill happen if he gets in a fight and the authorities are called?Nothinggood,I’msure.

“No,Kane—please,”Ibeg him softly. “Youdon’t want to go back to prison!”

“Prison?”Theman who grabbed me now looks genuinely afraid.

“That’s right, asshole—prison,”Kanegrowls, leaning over him. “AndIdon’t mind going back if it meansIget to fuck up the bastard who grabbed my baby sister’s ass!”

The man’s face has turned as gray as his grimy work clothes and he holds up both hands in a “don’t shoot,” gesture.

“Look, man,Isincerely apologize,” he says in a wavering voice. “Ididn’t have any idea she was your sister.”

“But ifIwasn’t around to protect her, then it was just fine for you to grab her?”Kanedemands. “Isthat what you’re saying?”

“No!No,Ididn’t mean it like that!” the man protests. “Hey, just let us go—we’re leaving, all right?”

“You’re goddamned right you’re leaving, asshole!”

Kane grabs him by the collar of his dirty shirt and hauls him to his feet.Hestarts dragging the man towards the front door.Theguy stammers and begs for his life the whole time and thenKanepushes him out and gives him a boot to the ass.Witha muffled scream, the guy falls down the front porch steps and onto the sidewalk.

As soon as he’s done with the man who grabbed me,Kaneturns to the other two men who are sitting silent at their table.Bothof them look scared to death.

“Did either of you touch my baby sister?”Kanedemands, his voice a harsh, almost inhuman growl of rage.

“No, man—no, we swear!”Theyhold up their hands in protest.

“Gary’s just an asshole,” one of them says. “Itold him before he shouldn’t fuck around like he does but he won’t listen!”

Kane looks at me for confirmation.

“Did either of these two touch you, baby?”

I shake my head.

“No—just the jerk you already threw out.”

“All right.”Kanenods at them. “Thenyou can go.Butdon’teverfucking come back here again!Andtell your friend he’d better learn some manners or someone’s going to fuck his shit up permanently.”

The other two men hurry out the door, apologizing as they go and keeping a wary eye onKanewho’s standing there at the door like the biggest, scariest bouncer you ever saw.

They help the guy who grabbed me up—whose name is “Gary”Iguess.He’sstill lying on the sidewalk moaning that he fell wrong.Possiblyhe twisted an ankle because they have to grab him under the arms and drag him, half-hobbling, towards the parking lot.

“Shut your whining—your big mouth almost got us all killed!” one of them snaps.

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