Page 19 of Master's Rise
Raid laughs. “It is now.”
The derelict walks around the truck like he owns it, one hand stuffed in the pocket of jeans that would walk away themselves if he took them off. “Go get your drink on.” He dismisses us as if he’s royalty. Yep, arm out to the side wrist rotating and fingers splayed just right. We have a noble derelict here.
I smile at Raid. “There is nothing wrong with him that reincarnation won’t fix.”
“I love the fucking quotes.”
Nodding for him, I keep my eyes on the derelict. “It’s good to know they’re appreciated.”
Sharp comes for the last box but hangs back watching.
“What did you say?” Our noble derelict with an attitude, as well as ownership issues, asks like he’s DeNiro looking in a mirror.
I speak loud and slow so he doesn’t miss it this time. “There is nothing wrong with him that reincarnation won’t fix.”
Sharp starts laughing and I have to look. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him laugh for more than a second. It’s loud and bordering on obnoxious. Not something you’d ever forget. Now Raid is laughing at Sharp’s laugh. I just shake my head.
“A funny man? I’m in no mood for funny. The bar is that way.” He points to the door like we can’t find it.
“Thanks for pointing that out.” I lean my arms on the hood getting comfortable.
“Get your fucking hands off the truck! No one touches this truck, get back on your bike and screw, asshole!”
I put my hands up laughing. “It’s a nice truck. It’s good to know you’re vigilant in keeping it looking good.”
His eyes narrow. “Vigilant.” He tries out his new word softly. When he looks up, his brow is furrowed and body tenses. “Anyone comes near it andI’mthe law.”
“That’s a vigilante. Vigilant is watching it diligently,” Raid tells him.
Confusion is all over my derelict’s face. The way his nose wrinkles you’d think a skunk just sprayed him. “Are you drunk? Is that what this is?” he asks like he’s never taken a drink and the thought disgusts him. The noble high and mighty doesn’t fit with his confusion and monthly laundry schedule. Even his ball cap is grungy. If he had a crown, it’d be broke.
Fucking Sharp is laughing so hard he’s going to cough up a lung soon. It’s getting kind of annoying.
“Are you drunk?” I ask seriously. I think Sharp is laughing enough for the whole fucking bar. I try to give him a quickshut the fuck uplook, but he’s bent over. Turning back, I finish my damn thought. “I ask because you seem to have an unhealthy attachment to the truck.”
He’s getting pissed and walks close to the driver’s door feeling brave. “You said it, it’s a nice truck. Get the fuck away from it!”
“As if that’s an option at this point. You know what Krav Maga is?” I ask feeling excited that I’ll get to use Seren’s moves on him. I hope I can do it as fast as she did. That’d be some shit to live down. The derelict has a dumbfounded look on his face. “I’m thinking a performance is in order ifyoutouch the truck.”
He steps closer. “You're challenging me? Like what, old-fashioned racing or something soyoucan take the truck?”
Sharp is off again. If I felt I could take my eyes off this dickwad, I’d shoot him with the laser just to shut him up.
“Oh, I’m taking the truck.” I smile at the moron.
He looks in the bed, I’m assuming for a weapon. “Fucking bikers think you can just take shit from hard-working men! You’re all a bunch of fucking assholes! I’ll call the cops! How do you like that?” The weapon hunt is given up for cops at his back now.
Raid is bent over holding on to the tailgate, Sharp is making a fucking racket with his obnoxious laugh and Trask McCabe strolls over, crossing his arms in front of him with a big smile like he’s watching the three stooges. I think that because this feels like an episode I’d love if it wasn’t my fucking life. “Call an ambulance. Sharp may not make it.” I look back at the derelict. “You got insurance?”
“What like we torch it? I bet the card is in there.” His fingers hit the door handle and I’m moving.
With a half spin, I push up, slamming into his nose. The step he takes with his hand out, like he’s blindfolded and searching for a wall, works in my favor. I spin pulling him off balance by his arm and raise my knee up, snapping the humerus. Thinking that was slow, I go lower and snap the radius or maybe it’s the ulna. I can never remember those lower bones. I step back while he screams, then falls like his legs broke too.
“Was that slow?” I have to yell over this dickwad and Sharp’s laughing.
McCabe is still smiling. “You broke his nose and arm in two places, in like six seconds. Pretty fucking quick, Boss. Let me take a stab here. The truck isn’t his?” Fuck, six seconds.
I pull my keys annoyed about the six seconds and hit the alarm. She was way faster. “No. Let me get the file. Rex gave it to me to look over.” Moving the derelict with my foot has him screaming that high-pitched sound a cougar makes. Reaching in for the file, I open my mouth wide to pop my ears. “That shit goes right through your head.” I can’t take that laugh anymore. “Sharp, get the box and go in before you pass the fuck out!”
