Page 45 of Wounded Dance
“He didn’t lay a hand on her,” Ted says. “I would have broken him in two.”
“Theodore Banks!” Blitz says. “I was hoping they would send you!” They smack each other on the back. “How’s life as a heavy?”
Ted shrugs. “Keeps me working.” He sits back on his stool.
Blitz pulls me close, his arm around my waist, as he asks, “So what the hell happened?”
Ted sniffs. “The buffoon is walking out on the sidewalk when he spots your girl here in the SUV. I think he’s going to approach us, but then he goes in the building instead. He makes a big scene, yelling and screaming in the halls, until the chick that owns the place calls the cops. She had me stand guard until they closed. Livia stayed with me.”
“Shit,” Blitz says. “Did he get arrested?”
“Nah, he took off.”
Blitz holds me tighter. “Livia, what did Danika say?”
“She’s getting a restraining order on him and hiring security until it blows over.”
Blitz kisses my temple. “I’m sorry, baby.”
Ted sips his coffee, then says, “You going to get a protective order for her too?”
Blitz shakes his head. “I think it’s pointless and will make her name part of the public record, which could make things worse.” He frowns. “I want to keep her under wraps as long as possible.”
“You think he’s got some loser pals he might bring along next time?” Ted asks.
Blitz looks at me. “What do you think, Livia? Would Denham call in reinforcements?”
I shrug. “I don’t know anything about his life now,” I say. “But he was always very good at making fast friends. Loyal friends.”
“Ride-or-die types,” Ted says. “Assholes with nothing to lose who get a charge out of stirring up trouble.”
“He’s only been out of jail a few months,” Blitz says. “Do you remember the timeline from the list the lawyer sent? He could be on probation and violating it would send him back.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t pay that close attention. But he shouldn’t know anybody here in San Antonio. I’m pretty sure he drove up here from Houston.”
“And we have no idea where he went,” Ted says.
“No,” I say. “And I don’t have any way to contact him either.”
“Don’t do that,” both Ted and Blitz say simultaneously, then laugh.
“Same as old times,” Blitz says.
“How do you two know each other?” I ask.
“Wrestling,” Blitz says. “We were both on the high school team.”
I look back and forth between them. Blitz is muscled and strong, but has a lean dancer’s body. Ted is like a brick wall. “How did that work out?”
Ted answers. “We didn’t compete against each other. He was a totally different weight class.”
“I could have taken you,” Blitz says.
Now Ted’s laugh is a roar. He’s lost all the gruffness he’s had with me all day. “I could squash you like a bug.”
Blitz holds up his hands. “I could wriggle out of those sloppy meat-hook hands of yours any day.”
I lean my head on Blitz’s shoulder. It’s nice to have an easy moment after these horrible two days. He squeezes my waist again. “I think we’re going to head out,” he says to Ted. “I should be able to take it from here. Thanks for watching out for her.”
