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“I don’t want any trouble, so ignore them, please.”
He had a feeling there’d be trouble regardless of her wants. “Are they always there?”
She kept her attention on the apartment building. “Or their ilk. It’s not like we’ve had introductions so I can’t say for sure if it’s always the same men.” She sorted through her keys. “So far it’s been fine. No big problems.”
Little problems, he knew, could sometimes escalate into a tsunami of threats. While Rowdy waited impatiently, Avery struggled to get the key to work the old rusted lock.
One of the men must’ve been feeling brave, because he took a few steps closer and called out to them in a drunken slur. “Ain’t had no ponytail in a while. Maybe I can be up next?”
The other two chortled, offering their encouragement and egging on the drunken bum. The comments continued, going from Avery’s hair to her ass, getting more crude by the second.
When another bottle broke, that one too close to be an accident, Avery nearly dropped her keys.
“Let me.” Rowdy took the keys from her and opened both locks, then pushed the warped door open.
The guy moved closer, probably no more than three or four yards behind them. “What will five bucks get me?”
More hilarity, some cheering on. “Might get you a handy,” his buddy called out.
“Or a least a flash peek of that bod.”
“Yeah,” the nearest man demanded. “Five bucks for a peep show! Prove you’re a real redhead.”
And Rowdy decided aloud, “Fuck it.”
Oftentimes it was better to confront a problem head-on instead of trying to avoid it. This was one of those problems.
As he shoved the bag of apparel back at Avery, she said, “Don’t you dare!”
He gave her one stern look. “Get inside. Lock the door behind you.”
“Damn you, Rowdy Yates—”
Shaking off her clutching hands, he moved farther away from her while assessing the group.
What he saw was no challenge at all, not as long as Avery went in and secured the door so he’d know she was safe.
The group looked to be late thirties, early forties.
Drunk and dumb.
He understood both firsthand.
Staring at the leader with dead eyes, Rowdy walked toward him. “Got something to say?”
Too wasted to understand his precarious position, the fool gave a loud laugh. “If the honey is taking on customers, I’ve got some change I can spare.”
Eyes narrowed, Rowdy kept up a steady but unhurried approach. As he drew closer, the man balked, dropping his hands from his hips, looking back at his buddies. As one, they crowded in with silent support, chins out, shoulders squared, mouths sneering—and strides staggered.
Rowdy curled his mouth in a mean, provoking smile. “I know you’re firing on liquid courage, but you really might want to rethink this. Whatever bullshit you’re considering, I’ve been there and done it better.”
“I’m thinking it’s three against one.”
“Lousy odds for you.” Rowdy stopped only inches in front of the other man. “You’ve shown your ass and had your fun. But nothing else is happening here. Not this time. Not ever with her.”
One of the men, heavily bearded like a damned yeti, tried to move to Rowdy’s side. Rowdy stopped him with a look. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
The brazen one laughed. “You seriously want to fight all of us?”
“There wouldn’t be a fight.” The burning urge for violence uncoiled inside him. “I can prove it if you need me to, but it’d be easier on all of us if you just moved on.” Easier on Avery, for sure. He knew when this ended, she’d give him all kinds of hell.
Soured beer breath assaulted Rowdy when the man bumped closer to him. “We’re allowed to be here.”
Rowdy didn’t budge an inch. Sometimes men just needed to let off steam. He got that.
Hell, he felt it himself right now.
“Here in the lot, sure.” He leaned in—forcing the shorter man to lean back. “But you’re not allowed to disrespect her or bother her, and you sure as hell aren’t allowed to get near her.”
In a belated bid for control, the guy lifted both hands to shove Rowdy back.
Bad move.
Using his momentum against him, Rowdy pulled the fool forward, off balance, and clipped him in the face with his elbow. The drunk sprawled to the ground, landing on the rough gravel with a painful curse.
The yeti swung but Rowdy dodged the fist, then delivered one short jab to the bloated beer gut. On a sharp exhalation, the bigfoot went down hard over his buddy.
“Fucking asshole,” the third man said, charging forward.
Rowdy leaned to the left and brought up his knee, catching the shorter man in the chin. He stumbled backward, stood frozen for a second and then crumpled to the ground.
The first man showed signs of life, groaning from beneath the ape. Rowdy stood there, fists clenched, wanting him to get up. He still sizzled with unspent tension.
He wanted, needed, a real fight.
What happened instead left him very dissatisfied.
The third guy slid on the gravel until his feet found purchase, then he lurched away, a hand to his nose to stem the flow of blood. He literally fled the scene and never once looked back.
Well, hell.
The second guy sat up, grumbling and holding his big gut. Calling Rowdy names in a low, whiny voice, he got to his feet. Meaty arms wrapped around his belly, he staggered off after his buddy.
The first man down stay sprawled on his back.
Rowdy crouched beside him. “You’re a disappointment, man. I really wanted to take you apart, but you’re drunker than I realized.”
“Fuck you,” he grumbled in a very slurred voice. Unbelievably, he curled to his side and stopped moving.
Narrowing his gaze, Rowdy waited—and heard the drunk’s breathing even out. “No way.” He nudged the guy, but only got a snuffling groan that went back into a near snore. Rowdy shot to his feet. “Goddamn it.”
“I take it you wanted more sport?”
Jerking around, Rowdy found himself facing three other guys. This group was younger than the first, physically fit and from all appearances, clearheaded.
A slow smile lifted his mouth.
Maybe he’d get the fight he wanted after all.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE YOUNG MAN who’d spoken smiled right back. Watching the drunks retreat, he said, “Relax, man. We’re innocent bystanders, just taking in the show.” Stance relaxed, he shrugged. “Not that there was all that much to see.”
“Unfortunately.” Rowdy did a quick evaluation. This guy looked to be early twenties, maybe six-two. Dressed in jeans, sneakers and a flannel shirt, with a stocking cap pulled over his hair.
The worn clothes didn’t hide a ripped physique.
The smile showed confidence, and maybe even amusement, which meant he wasn’t worried about handling himself.
The two behind him looked more ragtag, and while also fit, more on the average side. One of them held a cola can and an expression of boredom. The other crossed his arms over his chest in a show of antagonism.
They weren’t intimidated by the pathetic beat down they’d just witnessed, and why should they be?
Rowdy hoped like hell that Avery stayed put in the apartment building. “Out for an evening stroll, huh?”
Cockiness widened his smile even more. “Something like that.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and nudged aside a broken bottle with the toe of his shoes. “Loudmouths and litterbugs. What’s the world coming to?”
Poverty had carved false daring into many personalities, maybe even his own. Rowdy would disabuse the young men of any forward intent right now. “They can be as loud as they want, and trash the place for all I care. But they won’t—”
“Go near the lady? Yeah, I got that.” He looked over his shoulder at his pals. “You guys mind picking up these bottles? Some kid will come through here and shred his feet.”
To Rowdy’s surprise, the backup came forward and began picking up broken glass.
“I’m Cannon Colter.” The talker gestured with his shoulder to the apartment building. “You live around here?”
The door to the apartment squeaked like a horror movie when Avery tried to sneak it open. Shit, shit, shit. Should he lie? Should he say he was with Avery each night to deter any thoughts of bugging her?
Cannon leaned forward. “We don’t do that, so relax.”
Feeling like an unscripted extra in a very bad play, Rowdy said, “Do what?”
“Hassle women.” Cannon shook his head. “Not our thing.”
“So what is your thing?”
He withdrew a little, looking up at the lightening sky, then the convenience store, before giving Rowdy a direct stare. “We grew up here. I hate seeing those creeps foul the place up more than it already is.”
“Is that so?”
“And I have a little sis.” He lifted his brows as if that explained everything.
Being a big brother himself, Rowdy supposed it did. Cannon—and here he thought Rowdy was an odd name—didn’t want his sister bothered by the scum. He dared a quick glance back, but luckily, even though Avery had poked her head out the door, she’d stayed inside as he’d...asked. Okay, so it’d been more of an order. He’d apologize for that as soon as he got this wrapped up.
Cannon looked at Avery, too. “Sorry, man, but she sticks out like a sore thumb.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“She’s gonna draw drunks like flies to manure.”
Glad that Avery hadn’t caught that comment, Rowdy fought off a grin. He could only imagine how she’d react if she heard that particular comparison. “Yup.”
“You’re the first guy she’s brought here.”
Good info, even if it wasn’t any of his business. “You noticed?”
“I pay attention.” His brows lifted. “And she’s pretty noticeable.”
Rowdy couldn’t help but be curious. “How long has she lived here?”
“About a year or so. Something like that.”
“She’s always on the lookout, too,” another offered.
“Yeah. She is,” said the smallest of the three, which didn’t really make him small. “She’s real cautious.”
Rowdy would call that smart, given the area. “Have you actually seen anyone bother her?”
“Nah, but if you want, we can keep an eye out.”
Cannon grinned. “She keeps that li’l bottle of pepper spray in her hand and she mean mugs anyone who looks her way.”
“You?”
Cannon lifted both hands. “Not me. We already settled that, right? But I’ve seen other dudes looking her over.”
Rowdy scowled. It took him less than three seconds to make up his mind. Pulling out his wallet, he took out three twenties, one for each of them, with an equal number of business cards for the bar. His cell was listed below the bar number.
Holding out the bills and cards, he said, “Think of this as a down payment. You ever see anyone bothering her, call either of the numbers. Ask for Rowdy. I’ll pay you for the trouble.”
The temperature dropped about ten degrees in Cannon’s expression. “Keep your money.” He took all three cards. “I don’t need to be paid not to be an asshole.”
Slowly, Rowdy withdrew the offered bills. “All right.” He’d rather bust his knuckles on a hardheaded bully than insult an honest man’s pride. “Sorry for the misunderstanding.”
“Forget it.” He studied the card. “You’re Rowdy? As in the owner of the bar?”
“You know it?”
“I know you kicked a bunch of dope dealers to the curb when you took over.” He met his gaze. “Appreciate that.”
