Free Hellbender (Murder Ballads and Whiskey Book 2) by Jason Jack Miller

said, Danny, tell me you got my back."
    Danny, perhaps for the first time realizing there wasn't an easy way out of this, shook his head and said, "I got you,” like his heart wasn’t in it the way Levi’s was.
    “Do you?” Levi snapped.
    “Yeah, I’m not going to let you get arrested out-of-state and on-the-job for some stupid shit like this.” Danny put his beer down and rolled up his sleeves.
    Levi poked Duff in the chest. “What if he hits me first?”
    Duff exploded in a fit of contempt, grabbed his wrist and said, “I could slap you right down to the fucking dirt and not a single person here’s going to say I took the first shot. Look around.”
    “Danny,” I said, finally overwhelmed by the drama that’d been swirling around me all day, “just get him out of here.”
    Over my shoulder Rich yelled, “Take a shot, Henry. All these pussies want to do is dance and talk.”
    The screen door slammed and Levi’s gaze shifted to something over my shoulder. I turned and saw Darren Lewis coming through the crowd. He had dark hair and dark little eyes and didn’t look nearly as mean as he was trying to. “Back up or you’ll be the next Collins they bury.” He pulled his jacket aside to show me and Duff his gun.
    The whiskey exploded in me like methane in a mine. I leapt at him, swinging, but Duff held me back. “Darren Lewis brought a gun! Fucking drop me then, motherfucker!”
    I swung again, but Alan pushed me toward the edge of the patio.
    I yelled, “Should’ve brought a dildo, you fucking pussy. If you’re going to bring a gun at least pull that shit out.”
    Darren made like he was actually going to do it and ran his thumb along the butt. All the attention I threw his way made him pause.
    Not today .
    I figured he was about to call my bluff. Fear made my belly flop and my groin pull tight, like my nuts were trying to retreat to higher ground.
    I ain’t going to dodge two bullets in one day .
    From out of nowhere Chaz wrapped Darren up with a pool cue and lifted him off the ground. Chaz’s mouth curled into a snarl, and he said, “Is this your house? You think you’re king of this fucking castle? Try again. You boys need to get your boss the fuck out of here.”
    Darren’s feet shuffled on the flagstone, back pedaling just an inch or two above the ground. His eyes bulged and a stream of hisses and spit fell from his lips. He clutched at Chaz’s ropy arms, arms that wouldn’t let go of a kayak paddle in a flood, let alone a maggot like Darren Lewis.
    Danny said, “C’mon, that’s enough,” with his palms raised in a plea.
    Chaz said, “Was it enough when this mother fucker was about to start pumping rounds into my boy?” Chaz adjusted his grip on the cue and squeezed even harder.
    At that moment, I thought for sure Darren was as good as dead. And I wouldn’t have felt a thing. If I thought for a second Darren was innocent, I would’ve intervened.
    Instead, I held my breath.
    Danny said, “Let me have a chance to get him out of here.”
    As soon as Chaz let go, Darren dropped straight to the ground and didn’t twitch a muscle.
    Chaz poked Darren with his boot. “Don’t come back. None of you. I even see one of his trucks up here I’m cutting tires and smashing windows.”
    Danny reached down to assist Darren, and Chaz poked him with the cue. “He can get up and walk out of here himself.”
    Danny looked at me. I didn’t have anything for him.
    Darren slid onto his knees and wobbled for a moment. His eyes were red, and his face looked really flush and swollen from all the blood rushing back in. When he finally got to his feet he stumbled back a few steps. Levi steadied Darren, and led him toward the parking lot. Once they were out of earshot of Chaz, Danny said, “Henry, it ain’t going to be like this next time.”
    “I know it won’t.” I put my hands in my pocket. They were still trembling.
    He pointed to the Lewis Lumber logo on his chest and shrugged. “Just doing my job.