Maurice. Holt hissed under his breath as he took in the pathetic excuse for a man in front of him. Christ, the dude looked like that geek from The Big Bang Theory, except his forehead was even bigger, his head even rounder, and his hair so pale he almost looked bald. Although he couldn’t be more than thirty, his shoulders slumped forward, he had arms like sticks, and he had the beginnings of a paunch. And those fucking thick glasses … Where had she dug this loser up? Geeks R Us? And what the fuck was on his legs. Were those … cords?
“Thank you for looking after Naiya. She means a lot to me.” Maurice stuck out his hand, but Holt made no move to shake it. Like fuck she meant anything to him. If she did, he would never have let Naiya go alone to the cemetery. He would have been the first one out to rescue her. He would never have had an affair or sent his friends to tell her and break it off. And, although Holt couldn’t even bear to think of Naiya with another man, this cord-wearing freak would never have satisfied her the way a real man could.
Shaggy glanced over at Holt. “Is this her boyfriend?”
“Was.”
“Is.” Maurice corrected him, proving just how stupid he was. “That’s why I’m here. Naiya called and begged me to come. She’s alone and afraid and she needs someone to protect her.”
Ally frowned. “That’s not really what happened.”
Shaggy snorted a laugh, speaking as if Maurice wasn’t standing right in front of them. “He’s gonna protect her? From Viper?”
“Seems so.” Holt pinned Maurice with his gaze. “She must have real faith in your ability if she called and begged you to come. Let’s see what you got.”
Maurice glanced over at Ally for help and received a smirk. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“What are you packing?” Holt pulled out his Smith and Wesson Model 500. “I carry this, along with a Glock 17 and a SIG P226. I also got a Ruger P Series across my chest, a .22 on my left leg and an assortment of blades.
“I don’t carry a gun.” Maurice took a step back. “I’m actually anti-gun.”
“He’s anti-gun,” Shaggy said, amused. “That might be a problem, son, ’cause Viper is pro-gun. In a very big way.”
“Don’t give him a hard time.” Holt tucked away his weapon. “Maybe he’s got some fight training, or maybe he knows marital arts.” He held up his fists, turned to the side. “C’mon. Gimme your best shot. Show me what you’re gonna do to Viper when he comes at you.”
Maurice held up his hands, palms forward. “No fighting. I’m a pacifist.”
“Jesus Christ. He’s a pacifist.” Shaggy laughed. “He’s gonna make love to Viper, not war.”
Ally stepped in front of Maurice, and glared at Holt. “Stop this right now. It’s like watching a cat toy with a mouse. You just want an excuse to hit him because of what he did to Naiya.”
Shaggy’s brow furrowed. “What did he do to Naiya?”
Holt rocked his head from side to side and his neck made a satisfying crack. “Well, let’s see. He led her on. Told her they were gonna get married, have a life together. All the time he was fucking someone else. He was so busy with his little honey that he couldn’t be bothered to go with her when she went to her momma’s funeral or help her when she escaped from Viper. Instead he sent her friend to tell her about the affair and break it off.”
“Son of a fucking bitch.” Without warning, Shaggy plowed his fist into Maurice’s stomach, sending him sprawling on the sidewalk.
“That was my hit,” Holt protested. “She’s my girl.”
Shaggy shook his hand, spat on the sidewalk beside a whimpering Maurice. “Sorry about that. Got carried away. I’m anti-cheating on nice girls who belong to my brothers.”
Holt felt a prickle at the back of his neck. Christ. Had all the Sinners changed as much as Shaggy in the short time he’d been away? The dude had gone from barely tolerating Holt’s presence to becoming his new BFF.
“You want me to hold him so you can have a go?” Shaggy moved toward Maurice, and Holt shook his head.
“We’re wasting time. We gotta get her some place safe before that fucking ATF agent finds her.”
“The ATF?” Maurice scrambled backward, cupping his jaw as he stood. “What have you dragged her into?” He turned to Ally and scowled. “Why didn’t you tell me she was in serious trouble? I don’t want to get involved with the ATF. I have a reputation to protect. I’m up for tenure in a few years. I don’t want my name smeared all over the news, or associated with bikers or drugs.” His face twisted in disgust. “That’s it, isn’t it? She’s back with the bikers. Two years she held out on me but really she’s just like her mother.”
Holt lunged forward, grabbed Maurice by the collar and slammed him up against the brick wall. “You ever talk shit about Naiya again, I’m gonna break your skinny arms and legs and wrap them around your neck.” He flicked Maurice’s glasses off and Shaggy ground them into the sidewalk with his heel.
“Leave a piece of him for me.”
“No way.” Holt drove his knee into Maurice’s stomach. “This dipshit is all mine.”
*