Unleashing Sin - A. M. Wilson Page 0,72

it to this fucker, and without a pause, I plant both palms into his chest and give him an almighty shove. He goes back three feet and nearly takes a knee as he loses his balance.

“Hey!” He shouts at me.

I give him a second to take his feet. But only a second.

“What do you want with her?” I snarl.

He holds his palms up. “I’m just an old friend.”

“Yeah? How old?” I give him another shove toward the door.

“Does it matter? Who the hell are you anyway?”

“Her new friend.” My fist flies at his face, knocking into his cheekbone and sending his head twisting to the side.

“Fuck you, man!” he yells and stumbles into the exterior door. I slam my hand into it and send him falling through.

Someone shouts my name as I follow him outside, but it sounds as if my head is underwater. Everything is buzzing as I peer at this piece of shit. There’s no way with Shelby’s reaction that this man ever was a friend.

He called her a name I’ve heard her mention only once before, and his mere presence scared her.

Which means he’s a … a rapist. A predator.

He falls to his back on the concrete walkway, and I take the opportunity to dig out my cell and snap a photo of his face before I demolish it. Foresight I’ll thank myself for later.

He throws his hand in front of his head, but it’s too late.

I grab the collar of his shirt and haul him to his feet. Spinning, I slam his back into the brick exterior of the bar.

“She doesn’t exist for you.” I swing at him with my right fist. “Not now.” Another punch. “Not in the past,” I grunt as I swing again.

“Never again,” I snarl into his bloodied half-conscious face before tossing him to the side.

“Now get gone. If I get wind that you’re talkin’ shit about this or askin’ about her,” I lean down, “to anyone, I’ll tell everyone you get your rocks off paying for underaged girls to fuck.” I spit the last part in his face. “That includes sending your picture to the fuckin’ cops.”

He slowly rolls over onto his elbows and knees, coughing and spitting blood and saliva onto the concrete.

“Knock it off. I don’t have time to clean that shit up.”

Using the brick wall, he pulls himself to his feet and walks to a black car parked by the curb. I take a picture of that and his plate too, making sure he sees me do it. The more info this guy thinks I have on him, the more likely he is to keep his mouth shut.

As the adrenaline wears off, the twinge in my right hand gets stronger. I turn to go back inside. Bill is standing near the entrance, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Been there long?” I grunt as I walk past and into the bar.

“Long enough to know you take care of your own better than your pop. Seen him throw out a drunk a time or two, but never was as satisfying as that was to watch.”

“Glad you enjoyed the show,” I grind out through a clenched jaw. The partition is open, so I step through, giving a chin lift to Earl as he fills a couple’s drinks. I pour another shot from the bottle left out and make quick work of filling a clean towel with ice. Not that I need it, but I’m about to go find Shelby, and there’s a ninety-nine percent chance she’ll demand I ice it.

Bill sees what I’m up to and snorts.

“Smart man.”

“Why don’t you grab yourself a drink, on me, and help Earl out behind the bar. I’ll be right back.”

Bill gives me a sober nod and sets about doing just that.

I don’t bother knocking when I reach the upstairs office. I swing open the door, and Elias and Shelby look up from the couch where they’re sitting. It strikes me at that moment that the last time all three of us were in this room together was the day she was dumped on the doorstep.

“C’mere,” I mumble and brace for her impact.

She launches out of Elias’s grip and into my arms. I bury my face in the soft crook of her neck and breathe in deep.

“Are you okay?” She beats me to it.

“Fine, blossom. You want to share what you know about that man?”

I set her on her feet but keep an arm wrapped around her shoulders as I