T-Bone - L. Wilder Page 0,76
to a trashy motel, then parked and watched as Brant rushed inside to get them a room. Moments later, he came back out to his car, and the girl stumbled out, barely able to walk as he latched onto her waist and led her inside the room. The whole scene was enough to make a decent man sick to his stomach. That girl had no idea what was coming. She was too far gone to know that Brant was going to try and take advantage of her. Lucky for her, I was there to make sure nothing happened. I waited a few minutes, giving them a chance to get settled, then I got out of my truck and started towards the room. I was just a few feet away when I heard the girl cry, “Wait ... Stop. What are you doing? No!”
I heard a hard slap, followed by the sound of her crying, and that’s all it took. I lifted my foot and slammed it against the door, kicking it open. When I walked in, Brant was on top of the girl, pinning her arms above her head. “Get off her. Now!”
“What the—get the fuck out of here!” Angered by the unexpected forced entry, he shouted, “Can’t you see we’re in the middle of something?”
“You deaf or something? I said get the fuck off her!”
“Look, man. If this is your girl, I’m sorry.” Finally doing as he was told, he slowly eased himself away from her and got off the bed. As he turned to face me, he said, “I don’t want any trouble.”
“Well, trouble is whatcha got, asshole.” I walked over to the girl, and as I helped her up, I asked, “You all right?”
“Uh-huh, I think so.”
“Fuck this shit,” Brant shouted.
He started for the door but quickly stopped when I pulled out my gun and aimed it towards him. “Stop right there, Brant. You’re not going anywhere.”
“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands. “I’ll stay right here.”
I turned my attention back to the girl. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you for helping me.” Tears filled her eyes as she muttered, “I thought he was a good guy, but—”
“I know. Don’t worry about it,” I interrupted. “I’m gonna need you to go down to the lobby. Wait there until I can get someone to come take you home. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
“Gonna need you to do me a favor.”
“Okay?”
“You never saw me. Got that?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Good. Now get to the lobby.” Once she’d made her way out of the room, I turned my attention back to Brant. “You’re a real piece of shit, you know that? Bad enough that ya cheat on your wife while she’s got a newborn at home, but ya gotta rough up a drunk chick?”
“How do you know I’ve got a wife and kid at home?”
“I know all about you, Lucas Brant. Grew up in Nashville and were the star quarterback. I also know you got a thing for forcing yourself on women, and that shit don’t fly with me.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m a friend of Alyssa Hanson’s.” His eyes widened with surprise as I continued, “I know what you did to her, how you raped her and stole her innocence, and I also know you didn’t leave things there. No, you still keep coming at her, taking more and more from her every time she has to see your stupid face. That shit is about to end.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to stand there and listen to his bullshit. I reared back my fist and slammed it right into the side of his head, knocking him out cold. When he collapsed onto the bed, I took my phone out of my back pocket and dialed Hyde’s number. As soon as he answered, I said, “Hey, brother. I’m gonna need you to meet me at the Blue Nights motel on Second.”
“Now?”
“Yeah. Bring Landry’s car, and Hyde?—you need to come packing.”
“Got it. I’ll be there in twenty.”
When he hung up, I dialed Skillet’s number. I told him about the girl in the lobby and that I needed him to pick her up and take her home. Once he’d assured me that he’d take care of it, I put my phone back in my pocket and started looking around the room for Brant’s car keys. I found them, along with his wallet, on the table next to