No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology by Elizabeth Knox (black authors fiction TXT) 📕

in his forehead pulsates. It’s done that since we were kids, but only happens when he’s livid. “Rocky, I suggest you get your ass out of here before I beat your damn head in.”

Rocky stands up from where he sits and as he does the bottom of the chair skids against the floor, causing a shrieking sound to ripple through the bar. “What did you just say?”

“Fucking hell,” Noah mutters under his breath and makes his way around the bar, trying to get between the two of these guys before they end up in a tussle. “The last thing I need to deal with today is you two measuring dick sizes. You came here, did your thing, now leave.”

Rocky raises his brows and smirks. “I don’t let men talk to me like that, Noah. You of all people should know that. We don’t take shit at the Toxic Warriors. Certainly not from our errand boys.”

“The fuck did he just call us?” the guy who came in with Kaden asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kaden completely ignores what Rocky said and comes marching over to me, grabs ahold of my arm, and squeezes me tightly. It’s firm, but it doesn’t hurt. “What the fuck are you doing out here, Charlee? You following me or somethin’?”

My eyes go wide at that. He didn’t seriously think I’d be following him. With my free hand I grab what’s left of my mojito and throw it in his face. “Why the fuck would I want to follow you!? I came here for a damn drink.”

“Yeah, okay.” His tone tells me he doesn’t believe me at all.

“What’s so hard to believe? I came out here for a couple drinks, away from all the city bars so I wouldn’t have to deal with assholes like the two of you?” I point to him and his buddy Rocky, loud enough for everyone to hear me. I won’t have anyone thinking I’m here to follow Kaden around like a lost little puppy. I’m not one of those women who feel the need to replace the men in their lives every week. I left my husband, and I can be alone. I don’t need a man in my life to make me happy.

“Oh, you bitch,” Rocky huffs and heated footsteps head in my direction. The guy who came in with Kaden steps in front of Rocky and tries to stop him.

“Rocky, I wouldn’t, man. It’s just gonna cause shit between the clubs.” He tries to chill Rocky out even though he’s part of Kaden’s club, which is interesting to me.

“Not worth it? I’ve never let a bitch speak to me like that and I won’t be spoken to that way. Woman needs to learn her place, on her knees with my cock choking her.”

“Fuck.” Kaden’s friend practically drops his head in defeat and Kaden goes ghost white. Releasing my arm, he turns on his heel and marches back to where Rocky is. It all happens so quickly I don’t realize it.

They get each other on the floor and lay punch after punch into each other. I see specks of blood on the floor, coating Kaden’s fist and then Rocky’s. Frozen in shock, I sit here, not sure what to do besides cover my mouth with my hand in horror.

An arm wraps around me and a cool feeling is pressed up against my head. Glancing to the right, I see the barrel of a gun and slowly start to lose my cool. “Kaden!” I scream out, terrified as ever. My heart pumps heavily in my chest, so hard I can feel my jugular pulsating under my skin.

Kaden and Rocky stop their scuffle and Kaden’s friend stands in between them, while Noah looks at me in shock. He holds his hands up in the air, trying to talk to whoever’s grip I’m in. “Dude, settle down. There’s no need for that. She’s just a chick. We don’t have to escalate shit. The Waterhole is neutral ground for you all, right? Why start a war here? What’s the fucking point of that?”

“Seems like she’s the reason two clubs might go back to war, so if you ask me, I can handle her right here, right now,” the mystery man says from behind me with a gravelly tone. He’s obviously irritated, seeing me as the problem.

Kaden inhales deeply and his nostrils flare. He balls his fists up at his sides and his friend clears his throat, “Dime, put down the gun. That’s not just any . . . she’s not just a random girl.” Kaden’s friend tries to talk some sense into him, but Dime’s grip only tightens around me.

He pulls me to the left and walks with me a few feet, and the click of a safety being pulled tells me this guy isn’t fucking around. “Please, please, don’t hurt me. I have a daughter.” My words barely come out in English from the way my voice cracks with emotion.

“She’s my ol’ lady,” Kaden declares. I don’t understand the meaning, but given the look of surprise on Rocky’s face, it must be something important.

“Bullshit,” the guy immediately denies his claim.

“Yeah, ask her who the father of her kid is,” Kaden speaks to the man who still has a gun on me.

“Why the fuck does it matter to me?” He cackles in my ear, showing how he doesn’t give a damn. This guy wants bloodshed and right now I’m wondering if I’m even going to get out of this alive.

“She’s the mother of Kinetic’s kid. Dude, put down your gun before your club can’t come back from somethin’ it won’t ever be able to,” Kaden’s friend speaks up.

“Who was speakin’ to you, Vader?!” the guy holding me snaps to Kaden’s friend, who I now know is Vader.

“She’s my ol’ lady, and our clubs made a vow. We made a promise to never go after the other’s families. Surely you can honor that,” Kaden speaks up, but while he speaks his voice cracks a