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Screams came from the house next door. The kind that came from a woman terrified for her safety. It was the first time I’d heard them since hanging out at Hailee’s home.
I pushed my chair out. “I’ll come with you.”
Bronze scowled. “I’ll go on my own.”
“You should both go,” Jean said. “He’s been drinking today, Aaron. You might need the help this time.”
The guy sounded like a real piece of work.
I followed Bronze outside and across the yard to the neighbour’s house. We didn’t exchange words until we reached the front door. The screams had stopped, so Bronze took a moment to say, “You think you can control your urge to punch him? Because the last fucking thing I need here is you letting loose and him filing a report against us.”
My fists clenched by my side. Lifting my chin at the door, I said, “Let’s just get this shit over with so we can get lunch over with and then you can go home.”
“I can go home? You think you’re staying or something?”
“Jesus, Bronze—”
A scream from inside drew our attention back to the job at hand, and Bronze banged hard on the front door. “Police! Open up!”
Silence.
And then the front door was yanked open and a pissed off guy stood glaring at us. “Yeah?”
Bronze pushed his way inside and I followed behind while the asshole protested after slamming the door shut.
We found a woman cowering in the corner of the kitchen with a bloody nose and bruises on her face. Bronze went to her and crouched while saying, “He hit you again, Maria?”
She stared at him through fearful eyes that darted between Bronze and the asshole who’d hit her. She didn’t appear to want to tell Bronze what had happened, and when the asshole started yelling at us, she ducked her head and covered it with her hands.
“We don’t fucking need your help,” the asshole yelled.
Bronze stood. “Yeah, see I’m thinking you do. Just like every other fucking time you get your drink on and lose your shit with her.”
The asshole snarled. “What you need to do is mind your own damn business. She’s fine, and I just want to watch the fucking television in peace without any of you fucking interrupting me.”
My carefully controlled temper snapped, and I stepped forward to get in the guy’s face. “She interrupt your peace, did she, asshole? Is that why you punched the fuck out of her?”
His eyes glinted with hate. “Yeah, matter of fact she did. What’s it to you?”
Without a second thought, I swung my fist straight into his face, knocking him flat on his ass on the hard tiles of the kitchen.
“Fucking hell, Devil, I told you to keep your goddam shit together,” Bronze roared.
I ignored him and stepped over the guy so I could grab his shirt and reef him up. Once I had him standing, I spun him around and slammed him hard against the pantry door, taking care to smash his head hard against it. I then punched his face again. Twice. When he hit the floor for the second time that day, I crouched down next to him and said, “That’s what it is to me, motherfucker. I’m practically living next door to you now. If I so much as think you’re taking to her with your fists, I’ll be over here. And what you’re feeling now? It’s fucking nothing compared to what you’ll get off me next time.”
I left him and stalked outside, barely able to stomach being inside his house. When I was almost back to Hailee’s front door, I stopped and bent, resting my hands on my knees. Taking some long deep breaths, I attempted to get myself back under control. I didn’t want to go back inside while in this state of anger.
“What the fuck was that shit?” Bronze yelled.
“I was just doing what you can’t,” I yelled back. “And besides, that kind of cunt only responds to fists and threats. He’s hardly gonna listen to anything you have to say.”
Hailee ran outside. “Did everything go okay?”
Ignoring her, he looked at me and said, “As far as you practically living here, you know where I stand on that, so I suggest you reassess that statement.”
He left us alone, stalking back inside.
Hailee looked up at me with a frown. “What did he mean by that?”
