Page 72 of It's Always Been You

“Fuck!” Duke yelled, staggering back. Caitlin swung again, but this time he was ready for her and grabbed both her arms, slamming them to her sides.

Caitlin reared back and head butted him.

“Goddamnit!” he roared. He released her and grabbed his forehead. Caitlin scrambled down, a bit dizzy from cracking her forehead against him, but she was ready for Marnie and Star. She side kicked Star in the gut and sent her flying into one of the stalls. Marnie came at her with her nails. Caitlin blocked her claws and rammed her elbow into the other woman’s cheek, carefully avoiding her nose. Caitlin always felt guilty fighting with women.

Caitlin’s hand was at the door when she was jerked up against Duke’s chest. Her feet were dangling, her arms locked to her sides by a massive arm.

“Get the door,” Duke ordered. One of the women complied. Caitlin didn’t know which girl, because another hand covered her mouth and her nose, forcing her head to tilt up. She couldn’t breathe. He was hauling her toward the rear exit.

Oh no! Travis!

“You’re such a wildcat. I love it,” he muttered in her ear, pleased. “I’m claiming you, pretty girl.”

Caitlin tried to bite his hand, but it seemed Duke was an expert with this tactic of abducting women. When he had her outside, he lowered her to her feet, and started dragging her to where a group of motorcycles was parked.

“Are you crazy? This is kidnapping!”

“Well, sweetheart, we’re outlaws around this town, so that’s a moot point.”

Caitlin was beyond pissed. She twisted the arm holding her with all her might, surprising Duke, and with her free hand, she jabbed him in the throat, sending him to the ground choking.

Star and Marnie, shocked to see Duke go down, could only stare at her. Caitlin took the opportunity to escape, but when she turned, she ran smack into an even bigger, scary-looking biker who grabbed her by the shoulders.

“What the fuck is going on here?” he roared into her face.

“Take your fucking hands off my wife before I break them,” a chillingly calm voice said.

Travis’s eyesfollowed Caitlin to the ladies room as he handed his credit card to the server. As if on cue, the bikers dispersed from their table. He didn’t like this one bit. His eyes returned to their server as he impatiently waited for her to finish running his card through her mobile payment device. Minutes ticked by until finally, he signed off the credit card receipt and handed the waitress a cash tip.

He made for the ladies room, noting that Caitlin was no longer in line. A biker and biker chick blocked him.

The woman stepped forward, her tits almost spilling out of her tank top. She had the confidence of a woman who knew she looked good. Unfortunately for her, Travis was not impressed, because although he still knew how to appreciate the female form, that was all it was, like an impersonal assessment of art.

“What’s the rush, handsome,” the woman said. She flicked her mane of dirty blonde hair, batted her smoky eyes, and parted her pouty lips for full effect. “I’m Bella, and I can show you some fun around this small town.”

“Get out of my way,” Travis said through gritted teeth.

Bella laid a hand on his arm. She leaned into his personal space, her breasts almost flush with his chest. “You look like a man who could use a proper fuck.”

Travis gripped the woman by her shoulders and set her firmly aside. “Not interested.”

The biker dude stepped up. “I wouldn’t do that, man.”

“I just did. Fuck off.” The biker was a couple of inches shorter than Travis, and the last thing he wanted to do was start a bar fight, but he was quickly losing his temper.

The bartender leaned across the bar and said, “Bella. Damn it. Are you and Duke up to your old tricks again? Stop harassing the tourists or I’m calling your father.”

“Duke?” Travis narrowed his eyes.

“My brother,” Bella said furtively.

Not waiting a second longer, Travis shouldered past the biker.

“Prospect, don’t just stand there, or Duke will have your head,” Bella screeched at the biker with her.

A hand clamped down on Travis’s shoulder, but he quickly turned and grabbed the hand holding him. Before the biker was able to figure out what was going on, Travis had twisted the man’s arm and swept the guy off his feet, forcing him to land flat on his back.

Some of the patrons started clapping and hooting. Travis sprinted to the hallway by the restrooms where there appeared to be a commotion.

---