we
have something in common.”
“I don’t have shit in common with you.”
Tyler cocked his head. “Really? Then you
were looking for a different Bess when you showed up on my doorstep?”
“Fuck you.” He tried to shut the door, and
it stopped on Tyler’s boot.
“That’s fine, chickenshit. We can talk right
here,” Tyler said, raising his voice. “Air your dirty laundry out so that your
neighbors can enjoy it.”
Dan stared at him a moment, glancing
briefly over Tyler’s uniform, no doubt wondering if he had some kind of weapon. You bet I have a weapon. Two actually, Tyler thought, willing his fists
to not form yet. Can’t scare the guy too much if he wanted an invitation
inside.
Dan opened the door. “Get in. I’ll give
you two minutes before I’m calling the cops.”
Yeah, right.
Tyler stepped inside and looked around. Pretty
much looked like a typical apartment for a single guy, with a brown sectional that
was likely older than its present owner, and a papasan chair. The mismatched, second-hand
furniture, though, seemed inconsistent with the state-of-the-art widescreen TV
that could barely fit the wall. Between the TV and the car, Tyler was starting
to suspect Dan might be leading a lifestyle he couldn’t afford.
“What do you want?” Dan said, shutting
the door behind Tyler.
“Simple. I want to know why you were sniffing
around my house and my woman.” Tyler answered possessively, playing the role of
the protective boyfriend, which he figured would be the best way to keep the
guy away from Bess.
“I was in town. Wanted to see how she
was. We had a thing a few years back.” Dan stalked backwards a few steps from
Tyler, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yeah, and I know you beat her when you
were together. You have to know, I don’t like people who do that, Dan-Dan.”
Dan leaned casually against the back of
his couch. “Is that what she told you? You’re a fool, man. You can’t believe a
girl like Bess. She’ll say anything for attention. She likes it rough, you
know. Then she can cry about it later.”
“So if she’s such a lying bitch, why’d
you look her up?”
Dan shrugged. “You’ll do the same when
she screws you over like she did me. I just wanted to scare her a little. But
if you want her, she’s all yours. Now get the fuck out of my place before I
call the cops.”
Tyler couldn’t resist the laugh that
escaped him. “You’ll call the cops? I wonder whose side they’d take. Some
lowlife with a police record, or a decorated Soldier?”
Dan looked uneasy, probably from the
mention of his police record. “So what do you want?”
Stepping toward him, Tyler angled him a
deadly gaze. “I want you to stay away from my house and my woman. You got that?
If I see you sniffing around again, they’ll never find your body.”
“You’re fucking crazy.”
Tyler scoffed. “I’m a Ranger, asshole. It’s
a whole special brand of crazy. And we get a little pissed when guys like you hurt
women. You just keep remembering how fucking crazy I am the next time you get
the itch to find out what Bess is up to.”
Turning toward the door, Tyler knew Dan
would try to strike him when he wasn’t looking. Guys like this were so
predictable. When he felt him close in, Tyler ducked his head, spun around, and
kicked him in the gut right before planting his fist in Dan’s face.
Dan fell to the floor.
“911, buddy. Call them right away,” Tyler
advised Dan, knowing damn well he wouldn’t. “You remember what I said, Dan-Dan.
You’re being watched. I called a friend with the police. They’ve got your plate
number. They’ll be looking out for you. Anything weird happens within a five
mile radius of Bess and it’ll be pinned on you, believe me.” He stood, pinning
his boot against Dan’s chest much more lightly than he would have preferred. “You
go on with your life, and I’ll let you live. You come around Bess again, and I’ll
seriously fuck you up.”
After
have something in common.”
“I don’t have shit in common with you.”
Tyler cocked his head. “Really? Then you
were looking for a different Bess when you showed up on my doorstep?”
“Fuck you.” He tried to shut the door, and
it stopped on Tyler’s boot.
“That’s fine, chickenshit. We can talk right
here,” Tyler said, raising his voice. “Air your dirty laundry out so that your
neighbors can enjoy it.”
Dan stared at him a moment, glancing
briefly over Tyler’s uniform, no doubt wondering if he had some kind of weapon. You bet I have a weapon. Two actually, Tyler thought, willing his fists
to not form yet. Can’t scare the guy too much if he wanted an invitation
inside.
Dan opened the door. “Get in. I’ll give
you two minutes before I’m calling the cops.”
Yeah, right.
Tyler stepped inside and looked around. Pretty
much looked like a typical apartment for a single guy, with a brown sectional that
was likely older than its present owner, and a papasan chair. The mismatched, second-hand
furniture, though, seemed inconsistent with the state-of-the-art widescreen TV
that could barely fit the wall. Between the TV and the car, Tyler was starting
to suspect Dan might be leading a lifestyle he couldn’t afford.
“What do you want?” Dan said, shutting
the door behind Tyler.
“Simple. I want to know why you were sniffing
around my house and my woman.” Tyler answered possessively, playing the role of
the protective boyfriend, which he figured would be the best way to keep the
guy away from Bess.
“I was in town. Wanted to see how she
was. We had a thing a few years back.” Dan stalked backwards a few steps from
Tyler, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yeah, and I know you beat her when you
were together. You have to know, I don’t like people who do that, Dan-Dan.”
Dan leaned casually against the back of
his couch. “Is that what she told you? You’re a fool, man. You can’t believe a
girl like Bess. She’ll say anything for attention. She likes it rough, you
know. Then she can cry about it later.”
“So if she’s such a lying bitch, why’d
you look her up?”
Dan shrugged. “You’ll do the same when
she screws you over like she did me. I just wanted to scare her a little. But
if you want her, she’s all yours. Now get the fuck out of my place before I
call the cops.”
Tyler couldn’t resist the laugh that
escaped him. “You’ll call the cops? I wonder whose side they’d take. Some
lowlife with a police record, or a decorated Soldier?”
Dan looked uneasy, probably from the
mention of his police record. “So what do you want?”
Stepping toward him, Tyler angled him a
deadly gaze. “I want you to stay away from my house and my woman. You got that?
If I see you sniffing around again, they’ll never find your body.”
“You’re fucking crazy.”
Tyler scoffed. “I’m a Ranger, asshole. It’s
a whole special brand of crazy. And we get a little pissed when guys like you hurt
women. You just keep remembering how fucking crazy I am the next time you get
the itch to find out what Bess is up to.”
Turning toward the door, Tyler knew Dan
would try to strike him when he wasn’t looking. Guys like this were so
predictable. When he felt him close in, Tyler ducked his head, spun around, and
kicked him in the gut right before planting his fist in Dan’s face.
Dan fell to the floor.
“911, buddy. Call them right away,” Tyler
advised Dan, knowing damn well he wouldn’t. “You remember what I said, Dan-Dan.
You’re being watched. I called a friend with the police. They’ve got your plate
number. They’ll be looking out for you. Anything weird happens within a five
mile radius of Bess and it’ll be pinned on you, believe me.” He stood, pinning
his boot against Dan’s chest much more lightly than he would have preferred. “You
go on with your life, and I’ll let you live. You come around Bess again, and I’ll
seriously fuck you up.”
After
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