Free Cade Creek 11 - Race Against Time by Stormy Glenn

shot up when he saw the well-dressed man standing just inside the bar entrance. The two rather large men behind him were similarly dressed.
    “Is that him?” Ari asked.
    “He’s the one in front,” Race whispered.
    Vinnie assumed as much. The other two goons had obvious bulges under their jackets. Vinnie could tell they were carrying weapons. The guy in front seemed to be rather self-important. The way he looked around the bar with a disgusted curl to his lip clearly showed his thoughts on being in a country bar.
    The way his eyes were roaming showed he was definitely looking for something…or someone. Vinnie was pretty sure who he was looking for. When those beady little eyes landed on Race, and the man’s lips took on a sinister twist, Vinnie knew they had problems.
    “Stay frosty, Ari,” Vinnie warned as he glanced around for Harvey. The man might have only been a member of the Dirty Dozen Motorcycle Club for a short amount of time before he got out, but he was still built like a brick shit house. At six and a half feet tall, bald, and tattooed, Harvey James was as intimidating as they came.
    Vinnie didn’t spot Harvey, but he did catch Joey’s eye and motioned the man over. When Joey reached him, Vinnie gestured for him to move closer. Joey bent down and Vinnie whispered, “Get Harvey. I think trouble just walked in the door.”
    Joey gave one barely noticeable nod before walking away. Vinnie hoped Joey was going for help. He was pretty damn sure they were going to need it. Terrence Flannery and his goons were headed right for them.
    Race whimpered.
    Vinnie moved closer to the man. He noticed Ari do the same on the other side of Race, sandwiching the frightened man between them. He wanted this jackass to know Race was no longer on his own. He had friends in his corner.
    “Racine,” the man said when he reached their table. His smile was without humor. “I am very disappointed in you, boy.”
    Boy?
    Vinnie was two seconds away from smacking the guy. Just the way he looked down his nose at them made his hackles stand up. Vinnie might not be rich and famous, but he was proud of being a fireman in the small town of Cade Creek. He had a nice home, friends, and hopefully soon, someone else to share the life he and Ari had built together.
    “Is there something we can help you with?” Vinnie asked, trying not to show his anger.
    Terrence’s nostrils flared as his gaze narrowed in on Race. “I am not happy about having to leave the city, Racine.”
    The insane urge to stick his tongue out at the overbearing man was almost more than Vinnie could contain. It was clear that Terrence believed he owned Race. Nothing could be further from the truth.
    “You know what happens when I’m not happy,” Terrence continued.
    “Is that a threat, Mr. Flannery?” Vinnie asked before glancing at Ari. “That sounded like a threat. Did that sound like a threat to you, too, Ari?”
    “Yes, it did.” Ari’s voice was firm, but Vinnie could hear the underlying anger.
    “Excuse me,” Terrence said, “but I do not believe I was talking to you. It is rude to interrupt a conversation you are not a part of.”
    Ari—the darling that he was—snorted rather rudely. “It’s also rude to interrupt a date you are not a part of.”
    The man’s beady little eyes swung back to Race. Okay, they weren’t beady exactly, but they could have been. To tell the truth, Terrence Flannery was actually a very nice-looking man. Too bad his soul was as black as Hades.
    “A date?” Terrence shouted so loudly, those around them stopped what they were doing and stared. “You don’t have my permission to go out on a date.”
    “Who died and made you god?” Vinnie asked. Not that he really cared, because he was pretty damn sure Terrence Flannery had a self-inflated ego, but he was curious why the man thought he had a right to dictate anything Race did.
    Those—somewhat—beady eyes turned on Vinnie. “Do you know who I am?”
    Vinnie did,