Page 31 of Sundowners
“Watch and learn,” I said. However, he had me so distracted between his smart-assed comments and his smart ass…Roman was definitely winning.
And if we’d been able to finish our games, he definitely would have come out the victor. But a ruckus at the exit doors leading to the Boardwalk caught our attention.
Roman heard the scream first, but I sensed the fear.
Without speaking, we both fisted our golf clubs and made our way over to see what was going on.
10
CHAPTER TEN
Roman
Creed movedwith a speed and grace that probably came from years of working with fragile folks who frequently needed medical attention. He leaped over a table and around two groups of spectators while I tried to keep up with him.
The scene we found brought on some serious déjà vu.
I pulled out my phone and shot a quick text to my aunt and uncle with our code for an unsafe situation, knowing if they were local they’d use Find My Phone to get my location. I knew Rey was on duty today.
Four frat-boy-looking dudes had an Indian man backed against the glass of the display case outside the door. The man looked out of place at the Boardwalk, wearing a dress shirt, slacks, and sporting a nice watch…but then I saw a group of young kids holding balloons and a woman in a dress who could have been his wife. The kids were crying and huddled against their mom.
The tallest one of the group of frat boys had a sickening smile on his face as he pressed his chest against the victim’s. His teeth were blinding white and really big for his mouth, or maybe it was just the way he was grinning.
“Please,” the man pleaded in a lightly accented voice. “We just came to take our children on the bumper cars.”
The three other frat boys laughed like that was the most ridiculous thing they’d ever heard, but Smiley kept up his grin, all teeth, his lips pulled back for effect.
“Yeah? Just the bumper cars, huh? You think they want to see their father beg?”
The man’s knees buckled and sweat dripped down his neck. “Please, take my wallet, whatever, just leave us—”
“I like birthday parties. Can’t I come to your child’s birthday party? What kind of cake are you having?”
The other three howled with laughter as they moved in closer—and that was enough.
“Hey, why don’t you back off?” I shouted. I had the golf club. I wasn’t going to fuck around with Biff and the Bro Hoes.
He turned slowly to face me with that eerie-as-fuck grin plastered on his face. “I don’t recall asking you for advice, friend.”
The guy’s eyes were…electric. He was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Call 9-1-1,” I heard Creed say to the worker at the counter. “Let them know they may need EMS on scene.”
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and saw him drop into a defensive position with the golf club at the ready.
“Let the family go and enjoy their day,” I said, calling on my experience volunteering with the S.W.A.T. training program. I’d spent time interviewing the trainers for my master’s level thesis on hostage negotiation strategies with different personality types, and how officers can quickly assess which tools would be most effective. These four young men appeared to be after the thrill rather than any gain, as they hadn’t tried to rob the guy and there were no weapons evident, so I wasn’t sure if humanizing them would make any difference. They weren’t even touching him with their hands, just using their bodies to trap him against the window. Odd.
“We have committed no assault, the man is free to go,” the ringleader said in a calm voice. His eyes zeroed in on the man, almost like the alpha wolf making his intention clear to his pack.
“I’ll believe that when you step away from him.”
“You want to play, why not level the playing field?” Creed stood to his full height and relaxed his stance.
“How is this scenario level if you’re holding a weapon, Outsider?”
Creed blanched, but didn’t ease up the pressure. He tossed the golf club behind him and moved closer to the men, who closed ranks around their leader. The cornered father ran for his family and ushered them away.
“Creed,” I warned. “Stay back.”
