The bigger dude in front of me must have wondered the same thing. He tipped his chin at her, fists still raised. “What?”
She simply blinked, and her mouth moved without words, like she was trying to find them. Eventually, her gaze moved from the three of us and focused on the guy who spoke.
She pushed her large bag further up her arm. “Two against one is kind of cheap, don’t you think?”
My eyes blinked this time. What is she doing?
Letting out a breath, she actually stepped up to the guy. “Maybe you guys should back off.”
Words couldn’t come to me at what was happening, and I felt my lips move up into a smile. This girl was maybe five two and here she was stepping up to two dudes. I didn’t need the help, but I definitely was impressed, and I didn’t impress easy.
The guys in front of me didn’t look impressed, though. Quite frankly they looked pissed the fuck off.
The short guy lowered his hands. I think we all had at this point. He cocked his head at the girl, snorting. “Maybe you should step off, bitch.”
Now, that kind of shit I didn’t tolerate. I moved in front of the girl, guiding her little body behind me. My arm brushed her hand that was on her bag, and she stiffened, clinching the bag tighter. I hoped she didn’t think I’d hurt her. We were on the same team here.
I pointed at the guy that called her outside of her name. I didn’t grow up with a momma, but I was well aware of how a woman should be treated. “Your issue is with me. Don’t say shit to her.”
I turned, looking over my shoulder at the girl. “Maybe you should get out of here.”
She gazed up, but it was no longer in fear of the situation. The look was less intense, her eyes trained on me, studying even, as they scanned. I lost that look when I heard motion in front of me. She moved to my side, and I faced forward. The guys closed the distance, and they were looking like they wanted to do more.
Shorty took the lead again. “I’d listen to him, sweetheart. Me and my boy have some time for you later though if you like.” He grinned, eyeing her up and down.
Fuck that shit. I moved to pummel the guy’s face in for even insinuating such a thing with his friend, but stopped when the girl took my attention by doing the weirdest thing.
She got even closer to the short guy, and the thing was, she didn’t look scared at all. The thought crossed my mind that maybe she was taking him up on his offer, but then she stopped, squinting hard at him.
What was she doing?
Suddenly, she smiled. “Fiery cock two fifty seven?”
What the…
The short guy looked as confused as I felt. His eyes shifted, but before he could react, the girl beside me continued.
She put her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “Fiery cock_257 it is you.”
The guy’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“That is your username,” she said, pointing at him. “I recognize you from your profile picture on Heath Center’s emergency chat line. Remember me? Roxie? I helped you with your problem last week. You had that red rash on your dick. Did that cream the nurse told me to recommend to you help?”
I covered my mouth, an attempt to conceal the fact I was about to seriously lose my shit in a fit of laugher. The guy in front of me looked anything but amused. He made to back away, but his friend behind him—who was also losing his mind in laughter—blocked his path.
The short guy whipped around. “Shut the fuck up, dude.”
He didn’t stop, and the girl, Roxie, kept on. She pointed at his friend this time. “Is this your partner?”
The guy’s laughter cut off full stop and both men looked like they were going to vomit. I, on the other hand, couldn’t catch my breath I was laughing so hard and had to hold my stomach just to get ahold of myself. Before I knew it, the guys were backing away.
The short dude pointed at me. “We’ll let it go this time, Griffin, but I suggest you and your team start playing the way you should.”