Page 74 of Black Flag

“You’re missing thepoint asshole.”

“Am I?” Darrinshrugged. “Enlighten me then rookie, what’s the point?”

“There will be noversion of this where you’re coming to come out ahead of me. Maybe you will getthe best of me, get to me when my guard is down. Maybe you’ll win...” Jameson stepped closer, his movementwarning and guarded at the same time. “But you can be goddamn sure that I willcome after you.” Jameson’s voice resonated ominously into the night air.

Tempers were flaring inthe blistering heat of the night and the heat between them seemed to beprovidinga suffocatingsmog around us.

A familiar standoff,one I’ve seen many times, began between him and Darrin.

Jameson’s eyes sweptover Darrin gauging a reaction he knew he’d have.

“That’s your plan?”

“No...” Jameson shook his head. “That’s not myplan. I’m just letting you know...youcan try and test me...take what you think youcan...but you won’t get awaywith it.”

Darrin looked towardhis buddies gathered, all of them showing amusement. “I think your—”

Jameson smiled a coldbitter smile letting out a venomous cynical laugh. “You really think I give agoddamn what you think of me?” He asked, his jaw tightened, his eyes throwingdaggers toward Darrin. “You know what...fuckyou,” he sniffed with a laugh. “Fuck you.”

Justin and Tommyremained beside me. Both seemed ready to throw down, as did Van, with anyindication from Jameson. But they were giving him space to decide for himself.

Darrin lurched towardhim with a heavy step. “You should take it seriously.” He spat looking like hewas ready to strike. “I could end your career if I wanted!”

Jameson just stoodthere like he wasn’t afraid. “Go for it.” His eyebrows rose coolly. “Come afterme and I assure you, youwillregret it.”

I’m not sure how butthings seemed to get heated between everyone and before we knew it, guys wereshoving each other and Jameson was pushing me and Ami, who’d wrapped herselfaround me like a monkey, back away.

“Go back to the haulerand wait for me there.” He pushed us gently away.

“Jameson just—”

“Leave!” he screamedtoward us.

I wasn’t waiting aroundand Van wasn’t letting us. He had Ami and me practically over his shoulder in asecond leaving Jameson alone with Darrin and Justin.

“We should call thepolice or something.” Ami suggested, pacing the hauler when the boys didn’treturn within in a few minutes. We heard the fight along with the rest of thepits who decided to scramble over there. We heard the yelling, Jameson andDarrin’s voices the loudest, but we still couldn’t see anything.

“You two should juststay here.” Van said sternly. “Jameson is fine.”

“We should just callthe police,” Ami got in his face. Well, she tried too. Van was nearly two feettaller than her.

“No.” Van remainedcalm. “We shouldn’t.”

It wasn’t but threemore minutes and Justin, Tommy and Jameson all came back, all sporting battlewounds.

Jameson ignoredeveryone and headed for the parking lot. “Come on Sway.” He reached for medragging me along. I waved a quick bye to everyone but the only one that seemedto notice was Ami who offered a sympathetic wave.

“Jameson, maybe Ishould drive us back.” We stopped short of his Mustang. “You’ve had a fewbeers.”

“So what...you’re questioning me too?” he backedagainst the car leaning into it.

“It’s not like that andyou know it.”

He said nothing so Ireached for him. His hand flung away from mine, his keys wrapped in his fist.“Get in.”

Not only was he angrybut he’d had a few drinks and I knew this wasn’t good. “Jameson, just let medrive.”

“No.” His voice fadedwhen the 428 big-block V-8 roared to life.

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