Jaxon gritted his teeth. “You got one more chance to fucking apologize.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll wipe this fucking floor clean with you.”

The grin fell from the slob’s face. He looked behind him and whistled to a messy man at the pool table. The man had been observing this scene, and so had most in the bar. It quieted as the man approached the slob with a pool stick in his hand. He handed it to Slob, and then his posse of drunken friends – five of them – stared threateningly at Jaxon.

“You’re fresh meat in town,” said Slob, “and you’re probably trying to prove yourself to your little slut here who walked into me on my way to the bar. She was probably looking for an excuse to have some of this.”

I gasped in disgust. Was this guy for real? “I didn’t try to walk into you! You shoved into my back!”

“I slipped and you grinded your behind into me!”

My jaw dropped. Fucking yuck!

Slob looked back at Jaxon. “Now you got one chance, tough guy, to turn around and walk right outta here before I’m the one that’ll be doing all the wiping. You’re outnumbered and we’ll kick your ass good. And while we’re at it, I’ll take good special care of your little butt-grinder here.”

I faced Jaxon and looked at him with pleading eyes. These men weren’t worth our time. It was best if we just left. His odds of getting out of his unscathed were slim. He needed to shut his alpha side up and walk away. He knew what I was conveying, but he shook his head at it. Then he gripped me by the arm and moved me to the side.

“You fucks have no idea who you’re dealing with,” he growled at them.

Slob smiled. “And tell us, macho man, who are we dealing with? Come on, then. Show us your hot moves because I’m sure it’ll leave us fucking shaking in our boots, huh?” The men laughed with Slob like he was the king of comedy.

Jaxon smiled cruelly at them before he gripped the bottom of his shirt. In one swift movement he took it off and handed it to me. Confused by this display, I took it and held it to my chest as I eyed the drunks.

I watched as they looked at his half naked body. A few women in the back whistled in appreciation. Then something strange happened. The drunken men who had been smiling with fierce confidence were now staring bug-eyed at him with a look that bordered fear.

What the hell? I mean, yeah, Jaxon was a beast. His muscles were beautifully sculpted from years of hard work and perhaps menacing enough in a one-on-one fight, but he was outnumbered here. Unless these men were gay and doing a little appreciation of their own, I couldn’t see what the problem was.

They seemed to be fixated on one thing in particular. I moved to have a clearer shot of Jaxon’s impressive torso and followed their gaze to… Oh… Ohhhh!

The Scorpion tattoo. It sat menacingly on the side of his chest and ended at his collarbone. It was an inescapable branding that showed everyone exactly what he was a part of. Well, that made sense now.

“You touch me and you’re dead,” Jaxon snarled. “One phone call and this town’s in the hands of the Scorpions, and every one of you hillbillies will be in the ground before dawn.”

Silence.

The men just stared, dumbfounded and in his mercy. I’d never seen anything like it. The fact that just the name and marking of the gang he was affiliated with caused this kind of silence was only confirmation on how far and wide they’d spread their reputation.

“Now you’re going to give me that stick.”

Glee flowed through me when Slob stepped forward like an obedient pup and handed Jaxon the pool stick. Jaxon hid his own pleasure at this, still maintaining an intimidating façade that had given even me knots of discomfort, and I was on his side to boot!

“Good boy,” Jaxon muttered. “Now come a little closer.”

Slob hesitantly took a few steps closer. Everyone watched on with bated breath and content, smiling faces. I wondered just how much of a nuisance Slob and his tribe of bullies had been in this town.

“Look at my woman and apologize for what you did,” Jaxon demanded coolly.

Slob turned to me, his face set in purposeful determination and apologized. “I’m sorry.”

It took hardly a second before Jaxon had grabbed him by the root of his hair and shoved him to the bar. A sickening crunch sounded as he slammed the man’s face down against the counter, causing the bartender to jump back in shock.

“I can’t fucking hear you,” Jaxon breathed calmly.

“I’m sorry.” Slob repeated in pain.

Another slam and blood erupted from his nose, spilling everywhere.

“I still can’t hear you. Speak up, wide load!”

“I’m sorry!”

Slam.

“Sorry for what?”

“For – for –”

Slam!

“Stop stalling, wide load! What are you sorry for?”

“For spilling beer on your woman! I’m sorry!”

Jaxon leaned into the man’s side, inches away from his bloody face and said, “That’s good. You did good. Now you take your fat ass home and never step foot in this fucking bar again. Because if you do, one of these little pleasant regulars here will be letting the Scorpions know. And if the Scorpions know your wide load is still coming here, we’re going to have to pay you a visit. And when we pay someone a visit, it’s really not a visit. What it really is can’t be said because even we don’t talk about the kind of shit we do to the men we pay our visits to. And these men never get the chance to talk about our visits that aren’t really visits either because their mouths are filled to the roof with maggots. You want your mouth full of maggots, wide load?”

Slob shook his head repeatedly.

“Then you’re going to be a good little dog and stay the fuck away. Is that clear?”

Slob, terror stricken and shaking, nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes!”

Jaxon, still clenching the man’s hair, shoved him back from the counter and to the ground. He looked distastefully down at his bloodied hands before turning to the rest of the patrons in the bar.

“This guy causes trouble and you let us know,” he commanded. “We’ll be coming back here anyway.”

The people adamantly nodded in return.

He walked casually back to our table, opened his wallet, and threw a few bills down. Then he grabbed a few tissues and languidly wiped the blood of his hands with a bored look on his face. I walked around the Slob and to our table. Jaxon took me by the hand and steered us out of the bar. Even as we stepped out and walked the path back to his bike, not one sound was heard from there.