Free The Debt 10 (Club Alpha) by Kelly Favor

“You can’t talk smack unless you know
you can back it up.”
    Todd closed his eyes and laughed.   “Holy shit.   I just lost to Chase freaking
Winters.”   Then he opened his eyes.   “My life is so awesome right now.”
    Chase shook his hand.   “Let me buy you a beer, okay?”
    “Absolutely.”   Todd walked over to the bar with him and
Chase bought him a beer, then looked around thoughtfully and turned back to the
bartender.  
    “Actually bartender,” Chase said.   “Why don’t you put the next round on my
tab—for everyone in this joint?”
    The whole place went wild, screaming and
yelling and you’d have thought the Nationals had just won the Super Bowl from
the reaction in the bar.
    Chase locked eyes with Faith, laughing at
the scene around him, and she smiled back at him, feeling so lucky to be
connected to him like this.   They
were somehow able to share an entirely private moment together, even in the
midst of this madness.
    God,
this might actually be real.
    Please
let this be real.   Please don’t turn
out to be another lie.   I can’t take
anymore disappointment.
    A few minutes later, Chase was back by
her side, chatting with her friends like they’d all known each other for
years—like he was one of them.
    She was seeing a different side to Chase
now, and she loved it every bit as much as she loved the private, sexy side
that he’d already displayed to her.
    This was exciting in a whole new
way.   Standing next to him, feeling
his protective aura as he cracked jokes and then looked at her to see if she
was smiling or laughing, sometimes grabbing her hand or touching her arm, her
shoulder.
    Every look gave her a thrill, every
smile, every graze of his hand, made her shiver with delight.
    And then it was over, as Chase announced
that he’d had a blast, but needed to get home to rest up for practice in the
morning.
    “Kick their ass on Sunday,” Todd said,
raising a cup.
    “Will do, partner,” Chase said.
    “Bye, Haley—I’ll call you,” Faith
whispered to her friend, as Haley grinned from ear to ear.
    “Love you, babe.”
    The entire rest of the crowded was still
cheering Chase Winters enthusiastically, as he pulled Faith outside, moving
quickly through the throng that was waiting in line still to get inside.
    People called out to them.
    “Chase, can I get a pic bro?”
    “Take a selfie with my phone, Chase!”
    “Chase, let me suck your cock!” one girl
shrieked.
    As they arrived at his car—a black
Lexus that was slightly lower profile than his other sports car—a couple
of drunken men approached them.
    “Chase buddy, would you sign my hat?” one
asked.
    Chase shook his head as he unlocked the
car, and it whooped twice, lights flashing.   “No can do, boys.   Me and the lady have to get going.”
    “Come on, man, don’t be a stuck up
fuckin’ prick,” the other drunk said.
    Chase escorted Faith to her side and
opened up her door.   “Get in,
quick,” he whispered, and she did as she was told.
    As he walked toward his side, the other
guy called out to him.  
    “Winters, you fucking pussy!   Miami’s going to crush you.   Fucking Green Bay exposed you, asshole!”
    “Okay, buddy.   Whatever you say,” Chase told him, opening
his door now.
    As he stooped down to climb inside, one
of the two threw a beer bottle.   Faith heard it shatter against the outside of the car just next to
Chase, and then he straightened up and went after the two men, who were already
running away.
    Faith screamed, as Chase managed to grab
the slower one by his coat.   He
literally picked the man up off the ground, flipped him upside down, and then
let him drop on his head.
    She screamed yet again as she saw the man
hit the pavement and his arms and legs spasm like a beetle that had just been
crushed underfoot.   She had to close
her eyes at the sheer brutality of it.
    A moment later, Chase was back in the car
and pulling out, and then they were leaving the bar behind