“What’s going on?” Becca arrived before anyone could say word one to his rude comment and Damon swung to her.
“You f**k off too, bitch.”
“Did you call me a bitch?” Becca shrieked, instantly beside herself with fury and I got closer in an effort to defuse the situation.
“Listen, Damon –” I started but he jostled Mindy and began to move away.
“We gotta have words,” he told Mindy, ignoring me.
“Damon, I told you, we’re on a break for a week,” Mindy said softly, planting her feet, twisting her arm in his hold and he stopped and glared at her.
“Funny, you get nailed in Denver and we’re suddenly on a break.”
Mindy went solid, Becca went solid, Arlene went solid.
I, on the other hand, saw red for the third time in my life and moved.
“Take your hand off her,” I insisted, having got right in his face.
“Fuck off,” he bit out, right in mine.
“Take your hand off her!” I yelled.
He leaned into me and clipped, “Fuck… off.”
I got more in his face. “Take it off. Now!”
He took it off and shoved my shoulder, shouting back, “Bitch! Fuck! Off!”
I went back on a foot and, so furious at what he said to Mindy not thinking that, boy-man or not, he was bigger than me and his biceps were scary, I lifted both hands and pushed with all my might against his chest.
He went back two long paces and I shouted, “That’s it, ass**le, move along!”
Without delay, he took two steps forward, his arm went across, down and then swung out and around, backhanding me viciously, his knuckles connecting with dazzling accuracy at my cheekbone.
I jerked to the side and bent double, my hand going to my face, my hair flying then settling around me, my eyes blinking away stars.
I was still blinking away stars when I heard Mindy cry, “Max!” and then Max’s gravelly, frighteningly furious voice order, “See to Nina.”
Then I straightened as I felt Arlene’s hands on me and I watched Max do with one hand what I had to do with two. He planted his palm in Damon’s chest and Damon went flying. Max stalked after him and did it again and Damon went flying again.
“This ain’t your business, Maxwell,” Damon snapped, trying to evade Max’s hand but, as if it was a magnet and Damon was steel, Max’s hand hit his chest again and Damon was propelled back, right toward the door.
“You okay?” Arlene asked me and all I could think to say was, “Max.”
“Come on!” Becca shouted, grabbed my hand and Mindy, Becca, Arlene and I rushed to the door Max hustled Damon out of.
We were followed by a slew of people.
I didn’t notice because the minute we hit the parking lot and shuffled between two cars to get to the open area I saw Max’s fist connect with Damon’s face and Damon went down to all fours.
“Enough?” Max asked calmly and Damon’s head twisted up to look at him.
Then he rose to his feet, lifted his fists and said what I was guessing were two of the very few words in his vocabulary, “Fuck you!”
He lunged forward swinging, Max ducked away but righted with a powerful upper cut to Damon’s ribs and Damon went back several paces.
Max followed him and landed two more blows, left then right, both to the ribs again then another one to the face and Damon went back down to his hands and knees.