Page 24 of Law Maker

Lawless wasn’t looking for trouble.

Troubleusuallyfound him.

“Careful, son. We’re easy going until provoked, you got it? Hawk is Hawk, if he wants to stare at your pretty fucking ass, he’s gonna stare. Word to the wise, don’t mess with him.”

“Maybe he doesn’t mess with me.”

Preacher sauntered off with his jugs of beer in each big paw, muttering, “mad fuck.”

He wasn’t mad, but he could act like it when he wanted to.

The third run in came several weeks later.

Pressing his knee into the chest, he listened to the guy beneath him wheezing for air.

“Man, get the fuck off me, I didn’t mean nothin’.”

Lawless pressed down harder. This time using his thumb in the guy’s windpipe hard enough he gurgled. And scared eyes started to bulge out of the sockets.

“Is that so? I tried to rob myself, did I?”

“Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.” Oh, the litany of begging was almost enough to make Lawless smile. But kneeling on a rancid alleyway floor meant he wasn’t happy. He squeezed the throat of a two-bit dipshit who’d tried to slide his hand in Lawless’ coat.

Amateur. He ought to be ashamed of his game.

“Man, I’m sorry, okay?”

“I don’t enjoy people stealing my stuff.”

The face turned red. Eyes became bulbous and for a hot second he thought about going the extra mile and ending this fool. But then there would be a body to deal with and it was too cold to be digging graves tonight.

He released the throat, removed his knee from the chest and Lawless rose, while the boy flopped on the ground spluttering like a weakling who needed his momma.

Pity too because he had dick sucking lips, but he didn’t reward bad fish.

“I see you again, I even smell your sickening cologne, and it will go so much worse for you.”

The taste of violence has always been a clatter he cared for.

Call him sentimental, but he felt juiced as the thief hauled himself up and ran away.

Then Lawless heard slow clapping. When he spun around, what do you know… who did he see gathered at the end of the alleyway? Several of the bikers, and they appeared like they’d watched a matinee show while getting blown.

“Hawk nailed it; you are trouble.” The same big bastard he’d shared words with laughed. The beard one standing next to him in a ridiculous beanie hat cracked a grin too. “You saved us the trouble of shaking that joker down,” beanie said. “He stole from our boy’s old lady.”

Lawless shrugged and buttoned his leather coat. “It was my pleasure.”

Almost, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“Let’s buy you a beer,” one said and the other three agreed.

It wasn’t the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

But there was free beer.

And sometimes the right fit finds you whether you looked for it or not.

Smiler didn’t say a word and he didn’t for a long time.

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