Victoria’s mouth opens but then closes and then opens again. “He has a car and could have a gun on his seat just waiting or something.”
“Okay, Boyz in the Hood, we’ll play na?ve little dolls for a minute. The ice cream shop is a few stores up, we go inside.”
Nothing else is spoken until we step in.
Victoria spins in front of me so she can discreetly look into the street.
“They parked across the street. What do we do?”
“You buy me ice cream and we take our time.”
“Because that makes creepy cars leave,” she deadpans.
“No ... but it does make pissed-off Maddoc appear.”
Her frown is instant and then a laugh bubbles out of her.
We order something small, and like clockwork, not ten minutes after my ‘allotted time,’ a familiar SUV is rolling slowly down the street.
“There they are.” I burst from the booth and building, not waiting for Victoria to catch up, and dash into the middle of the road.
A car going the opposite way, swerves around me, honking its horn while Maddoc slams on his brakes and the doors fly open. Both him and Royce practically jump out, glares in place.
“Get his keys!” I shout, nodding my chin at the car quickly trying to pull from the curb at the side of them – they’ve unknowingly blocked him in.
Royce spins, and darts forward, attempting to knock the guy across the jaw, but the seat drops back, and he misses.
He goes for the keys and the guy grips his arm, but he’s able to elbow him from that position and his head snaps back slightly. Royce yanks the keys from the ignition.
He steps back and Maddoc wrenches the door open, pulling the guy out and throwing him against the side.
He shifts and dips away, ready to charge in again but Maddoc and Royce come at him from both sides, and he’s fucked.
He tries to swing at one then the other, but the move leaves him open to be gripped by both.
“Get your fucking—” the guy shouts, but they cut him off with a grip to the throat and a knee to the ribs.
Both pair of eyes hit mine.
“He was following us.”
Maddoc’s eyes tighten and travel over me.
“I’m fine.” I can’t help but grin. “We went into the ice cream shop and waited.”
“Wait.” Victoria steps beside me, gaping at them. “They just went caveman and they had no idea why they were doing it?”
They sure did, didn’t they?
Maddoc glares, looking from me to her.
He shifts, kneeing the guy in the nuts, and he tries to collapse, but Royce moves to hold him up as Maddoc releases him.
People start to gather outside the business, but with one look at who’s out here, they turn blind eyes and head back in.
“Wow,” Victoria bites and I glare at her.
She lifts her hands, her mouth clamping shut in amusement.
Maddoc reaches into the guy’s pocket, but before he can pull out his wallet, tires screech behind them and they jerk around to look, a truck has stopped and another guy rushes forward.
“What the fuck,” Royce yells.
Maddoc moves just in time to meet the dude’s blow.
They start swinging like crazy, and then Royce and this guy start full-on fighting again.
“Damn it!” I shout and rush for the vehicle.
“Is this shit normal?” Victoria shouts after me.
“Get over here!” I yell at her and throw the trunk door open, pulling out two bats.
I toss one to her and her eyes pop open.
“Basketball players just happen to have two bats in their trunk?”
“No.” I glare. “They have four. Now shut up and help!”
But right as we round the back, we’re bulldozed by two newcomers.
The bat falls from my hand and the blonde chick who bum-rushed me kicks it away.
With a growl, I look to her.
“Oh shit,” she mumbles, bracing herself, and I spin away kicking her in the stomach, making her fall to the ground, but she grips my foot and yanks, taking me with her and rolls on top. I’m able to throw her tiny ass off just as fast.
I scramble for the bat, but right as I lift it, it’s ripped from my hand and I’m gripped from behind, the guy who had Victoria stopping me from slamming it across this chick’s fucking face.
“Captain’s here!” Victoria shouts and the guy holding onto me curses, pushing the girl behind him when she stands to try and shield her.
Victoria lifts the bat and aims it at her while keeping her eyes on the guy at my back. “Let go of her or blondie takes a hit to the head!” she shouts, and he instantly lets go, stepping back.
To my fucking surprise, Victoria pulls back, ready to slam her with it regardless, but Captain appears and yanks it from her hand doing a double take when he sees who it is.
He grips my wrists and yanks me behind him, but I move to stand beside him.
Cap holds the bat with both hands, speaking to the tatted-up guy.
“Tell them to stop,” he says of the others still boxing Maddoc and Royce.
“Fuck you, tell them to stop,” dude throws back.
“You’re not from around here.” Cap takes a step forward. “Here, you do what we say. Tell them to stop, or we’ll have half the town here in minutes to take all four of you out, not that we need the help.” He eyes him suspiciously. “But something tells me you don’t wanna be seen. You’ve already got one on the ground and the other won’t be far behind. Your fucking call how bad of shape they are when you try and leave.”
The guy’s glare intensifies, but a whistle leaves him in the next second, so Cap calls out to Maddoc and Royce and all the grunting stops.
“Who are you?” he asks.
“Fuck—”
An arm snakes around my neck and I’m dragged a few feet to the right.
“Maddoc!” Cap shouts and Victoria picks up the other bat.
The grip tightens, so I lift my legs and drop all my weight, while pulling on the arm and the guy is forced to bend his back.
Maddoc comes rushing, but I swing my leg forward, then back, kicking him square in the dick and he collapses behind me, his grip falling so I spin, but I’m shoved away in the next second and Maddoc starts pummeling him.