Page 6 of Callow

It wasn’t until the crowd parted a little as two of the guys started to lead the black-haired girl away from the rest of the group, that I realized that this particular girl was not only not twenty-one, but likely barely in her mid teens.

I glanced toward Toll, seeing if I could push the task off on him, but the argument was getting more heated over in the corner, so I sighed and climbed off of my stool as I saw one of the too-old guys snake his arm around the black-haired girl who turned uncertain eyes toward her friend at the table.

The “friend” shot her a thumbs up, oblivious to the girl’s uncertainty.

The guys seemed to pick up on it, though. The one holding onto her tightened his grip as the other rushed forward to open the door.

“Great,” I grumbled, moving across the bar and getting out the door when they were halfway to their car.

“Hey!” I called, voice taking on that authoritative edge that I could never shake after I’d left the military. “Yo,” I called as the guys tried to shuffle faster. “Get your fucking hand off of her,” I snapped.

“Mind your fucking business, man,” the one not holding onto the girl said.

“Couple of predators trying to take an underage girl in their car, that’s my fucking business,” I said, shoving him back intohis car, taking a little pleasure in the cracking sound and the pain that sliced across his face before the anger replaced it.

I knew what was coming next and was quick enough to duck the punch while bringing my own up and colliding hard with his side, aiming just low enough not to hit his spleen. Not because the fuck didn’t deserve a rupture, but because I wasn’t interested in spending time behind bars because of a couple of assholes at a bar.

The idiot doubled over in pain. These were not the rough and tumble sort of guys. I’d bet good money on the fact that neither of them had ever been hit in their lives.

Which made it all the sweeter when the other tried to come to his buddy’s aide only to get a bloodied nose and lip.

He was trying to keep the blood from flowing down his face when his friend finally recovered from the punch to the gut and came back at me.

Unlike some of the guys in the club, I was slow to fight. I always tried to think of another way around it if possible. That didn’t mean, though, that I didn’t enjoy the fuck out of one when it came up.

Adrenaline surged through my system, making my movements faster.

Right hook.

Upper cut.

Spin to grab the wrist of the other guy as he tried to grab me.

“Ah!” he screamed as I twisted his hand in the wrong direction, stopping just short of hearing that crunch, some sick part of me really wanted to make happen as he dropped to his knees, gasping for air. “No!” he cried, tears literally filling his eyes.

“You’re gonna get your asses in your car and get the fuck out of here. And while you’re at it, you’re gonna text your otherbuddies to fuck off as well. Or they get to meetmybuddies. Who might not show them as much mercy as I’m showing your asses.”

“Okay, okay!” he panted.

The second I released him, he scrambled to the passenger door. His chickenshit friend was already in the driver’s seat, trying with shaking hands to stick the key in the ignition.

Turning back, I saw the girl who, up close, looked even fucking younger than I thought. Maybe the effect was due to how wide and innocent her eyes looked right then.

“Give me your phone,” I demanded.

She didn’t even hesitate as the car peeled away from us, holding out her hand and giving it to me.

She was terrified. The hand shook as I took the phone.

Maybe I should have adopted a kinder demeanor to ease her nerves. But, fuck, she’d nearly been taken out of a bar by guys too old for her to have them do whatever the fuck they wanted with her.

She should be scared.

I scrolled to her emergency contacts and foundMomthen hit dial before bringing it to my ear.

“Daph, is everything alright?” the sluggish female voice answered, sounding like maybe I’d woken her up.

“Daph is at a bar and almost got taken out of the bar by two men way too old for her,” I said, figuring she’d panic at the sound of my voice, and wanting to give her the facts as quickly as possible.