Page 28 of Undefeated

“It’s an extra fucking large. You’re just too god damned big. She’s fucking bleeding and can’t speak. Zip the damned thing up. Son of a bitch, Ripp. I told you she has anxiety. She can’t talk because you’re fucking intimidating her,” he started laughing as he spoke.

He zipped the hoodie up to his neck, turned and walked to the upper wooden deck.

I exhaled.

I closed my eyes and nodded my head slowly. I took a slow breath and exhaled. I opened my eyes and pointed to the deck. Shane turned and put his right arm over my shoulder and his left behind my legs. Swiftly, he picked me up and carried me toward the deck. As he walked, I laid my head on his shoulder.

He lowered himself into a lounge chair on the deck, and sat me down beside him. He scooted across the lounge a little bit, and looked at my face. His lips started to quiver again.

“Go get a shirt, Ripp, and give me my hoodie back,” he said as he pointed to the back door of the house.

He reached up to his chest and rubbed his dog tags.

“So, what happened? Slowly, Kace. Tell me slowly,” he almost whispered as he spoke.

“Joth came home drunk. He was being an athhole. We argued about thome beer he was mithing, and he hit me. He knocked me on the floor and kicked me in the fathe. When I woke up, I got a thkillet and hit him in the head,” I paused and took a slow breath.

“Hard,” I smiled.

Shane shook his head from side to side.

“That motherfucker. He’s alive, right?” he raised his eyebrows and nodded his head once.

I thought about what Josh looked like on the couch and how hard I hit him.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Probably?” I said, wondering.

He laughed and patted my knee, “You did good.”

The other man came through the back door and tossed Shane his hoodie. He was wearing a pull over hoodie that said “Gold’s Gym” on the front.

“Ripp, this is Kace,” Shane said as he leaned back and pointed to me.

“Pleasure to meet you. Mike Ripton. Call me Ripp or Mike,” he said as he held his massive hand in front of me.

I leaned forward and shook his hand.

“You’re huge,” I said.

“Ith he mean?” I whispered to Shane.

Shane laughed.

“She wants to know if you’re mean, Ripp” he laughed over his shoulder.

“Ripp’s like a pit bull puppy. He’s a hell of a lot of fun until you piss him off.” Shane chuckled.

Ripp slid a chair across the floor and sat in front of us with a plate of chicken and a bottle of water.

“Water?” he asked as he handed me a bottle of water.

“Thank you,” I responded as I reached for the water.

Quickly, he pulled the water close to his chest.

Holy shit, he’s fast.