“You think I wasn’t going to wait for you? You fucking dumbass,” he said.
“Michael!” Terra screeched.
He was considerably bigger than I expected him to be, but the last time I saw him he was wadded up in a ball in the dark parking lot. Easily a few inches taller than me, and outweighing me by forty pounds, he would be intimidating to most men. As far as I was concerned, he was simply a larger target. I studied his fighting stance and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
He was in no way prepared to challenge me.
“Go inside, find your phone, and go home,” I said. “Because if you don’t put your hands down, this isn’t going to end well for you.”
“You ain’t big enough to talk to me that way,” he growled.
“Actually,” I said, “I am.”
He lowered his right hand and reached for his pocket. Mentally prepared for him to pull a weapon, I reached to my left side and checked Terra’s positioning.
Don’t do it.
“No, you ain’t.” He pulled a knife from the front pocket of his jeans. “Maybe I’ll just cut your skinny ass and take your little Mexican whore home with me.”
Whore?
Without thought, and in accordance with my training, I took a step to the rear, pulled off my T-shirt, and wrapped my left arm with the shirt. Standing in front of him shirtless—and with my left arm protected—I was prepared for a one-sided knife fight.
A crowd of eight had gathered, Tracy and Sheri included. Mentally in combat mode, the sounds surrounding me became dull and muffled. My entire focus was the hand holding the knife.
He swept his right hand toward me in a poorly executed slashing maneuver. I leaned back, swung my left arm upward, and forced his hand in the same direction he was swinging it. By using his own force against him, he was thrown off-balance, and he stumbled to the rear.
As he did, my right hand swung to the left, and gripped the wrist of his knife-wielding hand. Instinctively, I pressed a pressure point on his wrist with my thumb, and he dropped the knife to the ground.
I kicked the knife behind me and twisted his arm behind his back, forcing him to his knees.
The entire event didn’t take thirty seconds. Now, there was twice the crowd there was before. While he whimpered and begged for me to release his wrist, I shifted my eyes to Terra and nodded toward the knife. “Pick up the knife for me, would you?”
I glared at him. “And you’re going to call my girlfriend a whore? You don’t talk to women that way. Any woman. Now, apologize to her.”
As I spoke, I grew angrier that he had chosen to be as disrespectful as he had. The anger soon mounted, and I pulled against his arm with more force.
He groaned in pain. “Sorry.”
I lifted his wrist, placing more pressure on his shoulder. “I’ll snap this motherfucker off and toss it in the parking lot. I asked you to apologize. Try again.”
“Sorry for calling you a whore. I’m sorry, really sorry,” he groaned.
I tugged against his wrist. “Are you ever going to talk to a woman that way again?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again.”
It wasn’t enough. Maybe I was more attached to Terra than I thought. It very well might have been the whore remark. It was also quite possible I simply didn’t believe him, and knew deep down inside that he would do the same thing if given another opportunity in the future.
“Just to make sure you remember what happens when you do,” I said. “I’m going to leave you with this.”
I pulled against his wrist until I heard his shoulder snap, undoubtedly dislocating it. With him curled in a ball on the concrete entrance crying for an ambulance, I turned toward Terra and put on my shirt.
“I’m sorry for everything,” I said. “You probably didn’t need to see me do that.”
She handed me the knife. “Didn’t bother me at all. He got what he deserved.”
“Holy shit,” Tracy said, patting me on the shoulder. “You fucked that guy’s night up. Teaches that asshat about fucking with a US Marine. I’m telling you. You just whap, whap, whap, and that knife fell out of his hand. Kicked his ass twice in one night.”
I forced a grin and shrugged.
“And I figured out where I know you from,” he said. “You’re Toni’s daughter.”
“Must have me mixed up with someone else.” She tugged against my arm.
“You’re not Anthony’s daughter?”
She shook her head. “Like I said, must have me mixed up with someone else.”
“Huh,” he said. “I would have sworn.”
“Leave them be,” his wife said. “They probably need to get out of here before the police show up.”
“She’s right,” I said. “They’ll be here before long.”
“Come on,” she whispered, pulling against my wrist. “Let’s go. That guy’s creeping me out.”
“He sure thought he knew you.”
“Well, he doesn’t.”
“You positive?” I asked jokingly.
“Yes,” she snapped back. “I’m positive.”
After a quiet walk through the parking lot, we got into the car and turned to face each other. “I’m sorry about all of that.”
“I’m sorry for being a bitch. That guy...I mean the entire...the entire thing...it just pissed me off. Bad.” She leaned toward me and puckered her lips.
I kissed her and leaned away. “I’m sorry, but I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect you. Always. I can’t turn it on and off.”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “Not him, the other guy. The one who kept looking at me and saying he knew me.”
I chuckled. “Oh. Well, he’s gone now.”
“I feel like our perfect little date was ruined,” she said.
It was disappointing to hear her say, and I didn’t share her feelings. As far as I was concerned, our night out was great. My worst night with Terra would always exceed my best night at war.
“I don’t agree with you. I guess it gets down to what your definition of perfect is, and what your expectations of life are. Life isn’t perfect, and it never will be. But a bad day with you will always be better than my best day at war.”
“So you can just accept what happened tonight as being part of life?”
“I don’t have a choice,” I said. “I can’t change it. Accepting it is all that’s left.”
“I think I could accept about anything when it comes to being with you. You know, if you did something stupid or whatever. But it’s because I know deep down inside you stand for everything that’s good. As far as life goes.” She lowered her head. “I need to work on that.”
I laughed. “I’m not planning on doing anything stupid.”
She locked her eyes on mine and shook her head lightly. “Know what?”
“What’s that?”
“Life may never be perfect, but you are,” she said.
I looked at her for a long moment. I’m sure someone could find fault in her, but I couldn’t. I liked that about her.
“And, so are you, Terra.”
So are you.
Chapter Fifteen
Terra
I was sure my father wouldn’t accept Michael, but I knew deep within my being that surviving without him wasn’t an option. When I was with him, nothing else mattered. When he was away I felt like I was choking, dying a little with each hour that passed, until he returned to my side.
I desperately wanted to talk to my brother, who I believed would be more understanding than my father, but he was out of the country on business. Left with the decision to be honest with my family about Michael or simply continue what I was doing and avoid contact with them, I chose the latter.
Michael had become my
support system and my family. And I was falling in love with him a little more with each beat of my heart.
I sat anxiously at a bar with Michael, waiting to meet Cap. I was glad the day had finally come, and likened the meeting to a typical man introducing me to his family. From what Michael had said, and from what he hadn’t, it was apparent that Cap was all the family he had.
I noticed a massive man with a military-style haircut and a broad chest as he walked down the aisle toward our table. Dressed in jeans, boots and a T-shirt, he looked like someone even Michael shouldn’t cross. As his eyes fixed on us, I nervously shifted mine away.
Michael stood as the man approached. “Cap, this is Terra. Terra, Cap.”
I stood up and gawked at him in disbelief, hoping the entire time that he didn’t realize I was doing so. He was the type of man other men would describe as huge. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“I feel the same way. Ol’ Tripp here is protective of who and what he cares for.”
I glanced at Michael. “Did you tell him about the movie theater?”
He shook his head. “No.”
I wondered what Cap was talking about and then decided maybe he meant Michael was protecting each of us from the other—at least until he was sure. I decided that was probably the case, and grinned at the thought of it.
Cap sat down across from us. “What happened, Tripp?”
I sat down. Michael shook his head and shrugged.
“Can I tell him?” I asked excitedly.
Michael sighed. “Go right ahead.”
Cap leaned forward, resting his muscular arms against the edge of the table, making them seem bigger. “Let’s hear it.”
“Well,” I said. “We went to the movie, and there was a guy in front of us and he was talking on the phone. Michael tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to put it away. He turned around and said ‘I’ll put it away when I’m done, and if you tap me again, I’ll drag you outside and whip your ass.’ So, Michael...”
Cap raised his hand. “Stop right there. I can’t wait to hear how many teeth this guy lost, but not another word until I get something cold to drink. You don’t have any drinks?” he asked, motioning toward us.
“We were waiting on you,” Michael said.
“Lemme guess.” He pointed to me. “Wine?”
I smiled.
“Riesling?”
I glanced at Michael. “I like him already.”
He laughed. “Give him time.”
Cap stood up and pointed at Michael. “Doesn’t matter what foo-foo shit you drink when you’re with her. With me, you’re drinkin’ beer. Be right back.”
I turned to face Michael. “I like him.”
“He’s a damned good man.”
He quickly returned with two beers in one hand and a glass of Riesling in the other. “They’re bringing a bucket of beers and the rest of that bottle of wine.” He handed me the wine, and Michael a bottle of beer. “Okay, sorry for the interruption. In case you forgot, when we last spoke, somebody was gettin’ ready to whip Tripp’s ass.”
He raised the bottle of beer and drank half of it in one gulp. “Well, wet your whistle and get started. I’m dyin’ to hear the rest of it.”
I looked right at Cap and widened my eyes. “Well, he said the ‘whip your ass’ thing, and Michael said ‘hold this’ and handed me the popcorn. Then, he tapped the guy again. Right on the shoulder.”
“Just like the guy told him not to.”
“Exactly,” I said.
“Okay, go ahead.”
“So, when Michael tapped him, he jumped up. When he turned around, Michael karate chopped him in the neck, and he kind of went all limp. And then Michael tossed him out the back door.”
He leaned back and scrunched his nose. “That’s it? No broken arms or busted ankles? No eye gougin’ or nothin’?”
I chuckled. “I wasn’t done.”
“My apologies,” he said. “Please continue.”
“So, we watched the movie and we were going to the car. When we stepped outside, the guy with the phone—only he didn’t have his phone anymore—was outside waiting. And, as soon as he saw us, he pulled a knife and said ‘I’m going to cut you and then I’m taking the Mexican whore home.’”
I paused and took a sip of wine.
Cap’s face contorted. “So there was another girl with you? Some Mexican whore? I must have missed something.”
“No.” I laughed, because I knew he was joking. “He was talking about me.”
“But you’re not Mexican or a whore.”
I raised my glass of wine. “I’m Italian, and I’m a lady.”
“Good goddamned thing I wasn’t there. I would have snapped his fuckin’ neck. I’m sure he got his, though.”
“He did,” I said.
“Okay, so some prick with a knife calls you a Mexican whore.” He tilted his head toward Michael. “Where was Tripp?”
“He tore off his shirt and wrapped it around his arm and told the guy to bring it. Or something like that. I think he said ‘you should have gone home.’”
“Back up. He tore off his shirt? Like ripped it into shreds or just pulled it over his head real quick?”
I laughed. “Over the head.”
He pressed the tips of his fingers to his temples. “Just tryin’ to get a mental picture.”
I swung my free hand in the air. “So, the guy swung the knife toward Michael, and then all of a sudden his knife is on the ground and Michael has his arm twisted in a knot.”
He shifted his eyes to Michael. “You give him a speech on bein’ disrespectful to women?”
“Let her tell it,” Michael said.
“He made him apologize, but when the guy didn’t do it right, Michael decided to break his arm.”
Cap glared at Michael. “Got that temper at bay, huh?”
Michael shrugged. “Sounded like I might have dislocated it.”
“Sorry for the wait,” the waitress said. She placed a wine chiller on the table with a bottle of wine in it and a bucket of ice filled with bottles of beer. “Here’s your drinks.”
Cap reached for a beer and gulped down most of it before he placed it in front of him. I finished my wine and refilled the glass.
“And that was it,” I said. “We went back to my house and fell asleep.”
He shrugged and shifted his eyes back and forth between Michael and me. “So, no cops?”
I shook my head. “We left before they got there.”
“Yeah, Tripp don’t take too kindly to guys bein’ rude to women. I don’t either, but sure seems like he’s got in his fair share of fights over it.”
I was intrigued. “Oh really?”
“Yeah, but before I tell you about it, I need to back up. You said you went back to your house and went to sleep.” His soft gaze turned into a glare. “You two are sleepin’ together?”
I looked at Michael.
“Don’t look at him,” Cap growled. “I’m the one askin’ the questions.”
“I uhhm.” I took a sip of wine and shrugged. “We went back and fell asleep.”
He took a quick drink of his beer. “Ain’t what I asked you. You been around Tripp too long, you’re evading the original question. You two are bumpin’ uglies, aren’t ya?”
I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to say yes, because I was proud that we were, but I didn’t want to say anything if Michael hadn’t already told him. Without expressing emotion, he sat and stared, waiting on me to answer.
“I don’t have an ugly,” I said. “And whoever I’m bumping pretties with is none of yours or anyone else’s business.”
He tilted his beer bottle toward me and grinned. “Good answer.”
> “So what about Michael defending the honor of women?” I asked. “You were going to tell me a story.”
“I ain’t a good storyteller, but I’ll give it a whirl. There’s a million, but I’m just gonna tell one short one.”
I took a drink of wine and nodded eagerly. “Okay.”
“Which one are you going to tell her?” Michael asked.
“The great almond mystery.”
“Okay,” Michael said.
Almond mystery?
Cap leaned forward, pressed his fist into his palm, and rested his elbows on the table. “So, it was that time of year when it’s kind of winter and it’s kind of spring. One day it’s hot and the next it’s freezin’. And Tripp’s car was filthier’n fuck. In case he didn’t tell ya, he’s a weirdo about havin’ anyone touch it, so we pulled into one of them serve yourself car washes. It’s a four stall joint, but they got buckets blockin’ the entrance in three of the four stalls, so only one stall is open. There’s a dirty as fuck Buick in the stall when we pull in, but it looks like it’s abandoned. So, Tripp pulls in behind it.”
While he took a drink of beer, I wondered what kind of problems a person could find in a car wash, and decided the normal person would find none. Michael wasn’t normal, and from what I could tell, neither was Cap.
“Well, we’re behind this car waitin’ for our turn, and after a minute, it’s apparent there’s two people in it. Two we can see, anyway. And Tripp points toward it and says ‘are they fightin’?’ Well, I have a long look and I say ‘they’re either fuckin’ or they’re fightin’, I can’t tell which.’ And then I seen him raise his hand and slap this chick. And I changed my answer. ‘Fightin’,’ I said.”
I gulped down some wine. “So what happened?”
“Sit back and listen, and I’ll tell ya,” he said with a nod.
“Tripp yanks the car door open, gets out, and goes up to the car and snatches the guy out. Now, I was pretty damned sure Tripp didn’t need any help, and I was finishin’ eatin’ my bag of almonds, so I took my time. That is ’til I seen the dipshit in the backseat gettin’ out.”
“There was another guy in the car? And he didn’t help her?”