them than what was about to happen. It was hard to hear what was going on over the loud music and the chattering hum of voices in the bar, but what I saw with my eyes was more than enough. The one named Sam towered over the three men by at least a foot, but that didn’t seem to do anything to intimidate them. Instead, they were bowing up to him, their arms gesticulating rather aggressively as they spoke. I glanced at the one called Johnny, the vice president, and noticed that he was composing a text message on his phone.
Shit.
He stuff his phone back into his pocket just as the fists started to fly. The big guy named Sam was taking all three of them at once . He had one in a headlock and was wildly thrashing his huge fist around trying to hit the others. A huge space had cleared where they had began scuffling, but not more than a minute or so later the doors burst open again and more leather clad bikers came spilling into the bar, also covered in the patches of an outlaw motorcycle club, though I couldn’t tell which one. In any case, they didn’t waste any time diving in and before I knew what was happening the entire bar had erupted into a full blown brawl.
A pint glass came hurtling through the air in my direction, and I ducked just in time to have it shatter into the shelf of liquor bottles lining the wall above my head behind me. Shards of glass and liquor came cascading down all around me as I covered my head with my arms and shut my eyes.
“Aw, shit. Really?” The Iron Disciple named Johnny muttered as he was shaking his head. He came around to the end of the bar and put his hand out to me. “Come on.”
Normally I would have told him to get lost, but with half the bar beating each other senseless and bottles & glasses flying through the air, my instincts were firing on all cylinders. I took his hand and he yanked me up to me feet and pulled me around the corner, into Harry’s office. Harry wasn’t there, of course. He was out at the square shaking hands and representing the bar because he was so sure that I would be able to handle things.
Johnny shuffled me inside and then slammed the door behind him, locking it shut.
“What in the hell was that?” I said, my voice coming out shakier than I would have liked it.
“Those guys that came in were with the Bloody Bastards MC. We may or may not have done a few things in the past couple of weeks that would cause them to be… not so friendly with us.”
“And you brought me in here because…?”
“Just trying to keep you from getting hurt. Looked like it was starting to get rough out there.”
“I see. So you must think you’re some kind of hero now.”
“Just doing my part,” he said, flashing a cocky smile and lighting up a cigarette as casually as if he were running a hand through his air after coming in out of the wind. I could hear more bottles shattering and people shouting from outside the office door.
“My knight in shining armor,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I may not have gone to college, but I’m not stupid, you know.”
“Sorry. I’ve just had bad experiences with your type before.”
He just shrugged and flicked out his cigarette on the ground, then stepped forward, drawing uncomfortably close to me.
I flinched, “What are you doing?”
“Hold still,” he said, running his hand across my forehead. “I think a piece of one of those bottles cut you.” He drew his finger back, showing me the red blood that coated it.
“Ow, alright, I feel it.”
“Don’t move, “ he said. He pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his leather kutte and leaned in close to dab at the cut. His face was inches away from mine , so close that I could feel his breath against my cheeks. He had a masculine scent – like the scent of leather and a mechanic shop all tinged and tied together with the smell of one of those old woodsy shaving soaps. It surprised me, actually. I don’t know if it was the adrenaline or what, but the next thing