to be done with her break.”
Tiny appeared in the doorway to the back. “Carly. I need you in the kitchen.”
I walked out from behind the counter, intending to go to Tiny, but something told me it would be a mistake. If I didn’t deal with him now, I’d have to deal with him later. Better to face him here, where Max and Tiny had my back, than to risk him showing up at Hank’s later.
I gave Tiny what I hoped was a reassuring look, then moved toward Dwight’s table, stopping next to Max. “What can I help you with, Dwight?”
He placed a hand on the table and leaned forward with pure evil in his eyes. “You cost me my job, and I aim to take yours.”
“Sorry,” Max said. He sounded lighthearted, but his body was humming with tension. “But I’m not currently hiring.”
“Well, there you have it,” I said, thankful my tension hadn’t leaked into my voice. “Max isn’t hiring.”
Dwight started to lunge over the table, but Max whipped out a ten-inch hunting knife from the sheath on the side of his leg and slammed it into the top of the wooden table between two of Dwight’s fingers.
“What the fuck!” Dwight shouted, jerking backward. “You could have cut my fingers off!”
“Only if I’d intended to,” Max said. “Trust me, I know what I’m doin’. Now state your business. Then you and your crew get the hell out of my bar.”
“Her!” Dwight shouted, pointing a finger at me. “I want her! She got me fired! I need that job or I’ll have hell to pay! I’m gonna let her pay it for me!”
What did that mean? Did he plan to hurt me? Kill me?
I swallowed my fear and said, “Seems to me your less-than-charming disposition got you fired. Mobley told Hank that today was just a long list of problems he’s had with you.”
His brow arched. “Hank? He had something to do with this too?”
Tiny was now standing behind me and Max, but Dwight didn’t seem to care.
“Seems to me,” Max said in his slow drawl, “that mortuary work is better suited for the meek and mild, Henderson. Perhaps it wasn’t a good fit for you.”
“It was a perfect fit for me, and now it’s gone.” His crazed eyes swung between the two of us. I wondered if I’d been wrong about him being drunk. Now I suspected he was high. “But I’ll tell you what’s not a good fit,” Dwight shouted. “That bitch isn’t a good fit for this town, and she needs to go! Everyone knows she got Seth Chalmers killed, and now she’s using her siren ways to rob Hank blind, only he’s too grief-stricken to realize it. It’s up to us to protect ’im.”
Tiny brushed me to the side and grabbed Dwight’s arm, then began dragging him to the door. “Rule number one in Max’s Tavern is you treat the help with respect, and I’ve listened to your nonsense long enough. You are no longer welcome here.”
He opened the front door and gave Dwight a hard shove.
Dwight, the fool, tried to shove his way back in. Tiny pulled back his arm and punched him in the nose with one smooth movement.
Dwight let out a howl and covered his face. “You broke my fucking nose!”
“You were warned,” Tiny said, then turned his hard gaze on Dwight’s two friends. “Gentlemen.”
They hurried past Tiny like rats scurrying from a fire, and Tiny slammed the door on their protesting faces.
Max called out, “A round of beers on the house!”
A cheer broke out and several men complimented Max and Tiny on their intimidation tactics. Another told Max he hadn’t seen his knife skills on display since a bar brawl a couple of years prior. Max promised to give another demonstration soon, and not on a belligerent customer.
Tiny stopped next to me on his way back to the kitchen. “You okay?” he asked in a quiet voice.
I nodded, unable to speak.
“Chin up, Little Bit,” he said. “You could have taken ’em.”
I laughed, still in shock. “Thank you.”
“You bet. I haven’t had to break anyone’s nose in a few months.” He grinned from ear to ear. “Felt good. Thanks.”
I followed Max behind the bar. He turned his back to the customers. His face was red, and he was shaking.
“Max, I’m so sorry,” I said, scared to death he was going to fire me on the spot.
He swung his gaze to face me, his eyes wide with surprise. “What the hell are you sayin’ you’re