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“Guess you couldn’t see that there with me standing in front of it, huh?” I ask his groaning body before he passes out cold.
His son is quicker on the offense now, and with his fists swinging he charges at me as I turn to face him.
His best right hook connects with my jaw.
I hear something snap, and Brynn screams. Begging me not to. Pleading with me to stop.
Can’t do that right now honey, too busy defending myself.
“That first punch?” I ask the kid before returning one of my own. “It means this is self-defense as well as night-night. Oh, and if I see you near either of us again, I’ll give you a repeat prescription, your dad too,” I let him know.
His eyes move away from mine to Brynn’s, his face already wincing just before my fist shatters his jaw.
A matching pair now, with the broken wrist he gave himself from hitting me.
Both are out cold, Brynn shrieks again and leaps from the car rushing over to me, asking if I’m hurt.
“There they are,” I tell her, jutting my chin down at the unconscious bullies. Cowards really.
“You don’t have to worry about them ever again, or anyone else like ‘em. Okay?” I tell her. Ask her again until she nods yes.
Until I can see they have no power over her anymore.
“And what about your mom?” I ask her. “Is she likely to be a part of any of this?” I ask, but Brynn shakes her head.
“I think I was done trying to stick up for her years ago,” Brynn sighs. “If she thinks Steve and Brad are gonna make her a happy family, she can have them,” she says, not even a trace of emotion in her voice until I take her hand in mine.
“Can we go?” she asks, her lower lip starting to tremble slightly as I thumb her chin, catching the single tear she sheds before I bring it to my lips.
“My little stowaway, huh? I like it. I like it a lot.” I beam, leaning down to kiss her, then picking her up as I do, spinning her around as I kiss her harder.
Hugging her so tight, holding her so close she couldn’t ever think I’d let her go for another second ever again, and proving to her that nobody will ever say a harsh word to her ever again either.
Some other people ask if we’re okay, vouching for us and what happened.
I brush it off, not needing to prove anything to anyone or explain myself either.
I carry Brynn back to the car and close her door, striding back towards the cashier.
“Where are you going now?” Brynn calls out, an edge of concern in her voice.
I turn slightly, my lip curling a little as I signal her I won’t be long.
“I just had to get these,” I explain once I come back, having kept my eyes on her the whole time.
“They’re beautiful,” she sniffs, holding back another set of tears as she takes the flowers I’d picked out before.
“You’re beautiful,” I remind her, leaning down to kiss her again.
Not even noticing the sirens as we pull away from the gas station, or bother to pay attention when it’s on the evening news. We make our way back into our life, Brynn and I.
I didn’t fight her battle for her either, not really I just brought her bullies down a peg. The real victory is Brynn being able to see bullies like that for what they are.
Scared. Sad and ultimately broken.
The best revenge is to leave them exactly how they are.
If they’re mean. Twisted and cruel, then that’s all they’ll ever be.
What a waste of a life. But the life we have in front of us doesn’t have people like the Riggs’ in it.
We drive in silence for a while, until it’s obvious to Brynn I’m not heading to the office after all.
The familiar streets of her old neighborhood. Her old life gives way to the country roads in front of us.
“I thought you had something to take care of?” she eventually asks, reaching out for my hand and kissing it better. Not that it’s hurt.
“I think we just did,” I grin, feeling her own tiny fist bumping my shoulder.
“I mean it, Pearce… You had something really important to do, about that Whitman guy and that weirdo secretary?” she asks, glancing at me sidelong, almost like she’s annoyed she missed another drama unfolding.
“Already fixed,” I explain. “I had my broker beat Whitman at his own game, turning the takeover into a profitable merger which leaves Whitman libel for attempted insider trading… But as I just learned, the best revenge sometimes is to leave people exactly as they are.”
“After you’ve broken their jaw?” Brynn asks, making me laugh out loud once I realize she’s blown a hole in my whole defense.
