Chapter 16
45 minutes passed after the little performances and the 4 friends were ready to head home for the night.
"So, will you guys play with the band again?" Shannon asked.
"I don't know. Maybe," Seth answered.
"You guys did great," Kayla commented. "I say if they ask you back, go for it."
"We just might. What do you say, Dean?"
"I'm game."
Just as the 4 individuals were walking past the bar area, Kayla a little slap to her rear end.
"Ow."
The exclamation brought them to a stop.
"What?" Dean said standing on her right side.
"Why did you smack me on the butt?"
"What?" Dean answered confused. "I didn't touch you."
Kayla looked up at him a little confused herself. "You didn't?"
"No," he answered truthfully.
"Oh. Well, who did?"
Dean looked at the men at the bar drinking their beverages until he saw a man looking their direction. The tattooed man, black hair, 30's turned his head to the left in an attempt to hide his snickering. Dean told Kayla to stay with Seth and Shannon before approaching the guy at the bar.
"Did you just tap her?"
"Oh come on, man. It's no big deal."
"It is a big deal. She's my girlfriend."
"Oh...your girlfriend huh? She's one fine looking female. Hey, baby. Why don't you come over here and sit on my lap?"
The guy laughed as Kayla turned her eyes to the floor.
"Hey, hey, hey. Maybe...when she done with you, maybe she could waltz on over to me and get some lovin' from a real man instead of a puny little leech like you."
Dean turned his eyes to Kayla, who was still looking down at the floor. Seth pulled her close to his side.
"Listen, pal," Dean said looking at the man. "You can say whatever you want about me. But show my girlfriend some respect, alright?"
The man, all 6'8 and quite muscular, stood toe-to-toe with Dean, whom only stood 4 inches shorter than this mountain of a man did. Yet, it didn't matter to Dean. He didn't back up a step.
"What are you gonna do about it, punk?"
The bar tender stepped forward. "Hold on, Braun. We don't want any trouble in this place."
"Braun?" Dean asked.
"Strowman. Braun Strowman. And I will confess. Yes, I tapped your girlfriend on the rear. I have no problem kicking yours. In the parking lot."
Oh boy. This mammoth of a man known as Braun Strowman was challenging Dean Ambrose to a fight.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Braun," Dean stated.
Braun cocked his head to the side. "Really?"
-A hard right hook to the face sent Dean stomach first to the gravelly parking lot outside the pub. People surrounded the two opponents, some cheering for Braun, others for Dean. Seth had the girls standing under the doorjam of the pub out of harms way.
Dean began rising from the pavement shaking his head back and forth, trying to relieve the cobwebs. He stood wobbiily to his feet and faced Braun.
"Wow," Braun laughed. "That punch opened you up, man."
Dean felt blood run down his left cheek. "This ain't my first scuffle, trust me."
"Even against a guy as big as me? Come on. I'll give you a free shot." Braun pointed to his jaw line tauntingly. "Right here. Bullseye. Easy target."
Dean balled up his fist and swung. Braun's head snapped back at the force of the blow. He looked back at Dean laughing, rubbing his jaw.
"What was that? That was weak. Is that all you've got? Please...tell me you can do better than that."
Dean balled up his fist again and took another swing. Braun caught Dean by the wrist. Dean took another swing with his left fist, but Braun blocked that one too. He now had Dean by both wrists.
"Wow. You really are pathetic."
Braun released Dean's wrists, then backhanded Dean hard across the right cheek sending him down to the ground again. Dean tried to rise, but his back was stomped on causing him to cry out.
-"Can't you do something to help him," Shannon asked Seth.
"I would, but..."
"But what?" Kayla asked.
"He gave me specific instructions."
"Which were?"
"He wanted me to stay here with you girls."
"That's all," Shannon queried.
"Plus, he also said that no matter how bad it got that I was not to interfere in anyway. No matter what."
-Dean tried rising again only to have Braun deliver a hard kick to Dean's midsection, rolling him across the gravel. Dean coughed and groaned and couldn't draw a proper breath.
-"AND YOU ACTUALLY LISTENED TO HIM?!" Kayla asked frantically.
-More groaning escaped Dean as Braun lowered himself to Dean's level. He balled up his right fist and socked Dean 3 times hard in the face. Braun rose to his feet chuckling wickedly. He then reached down with both hands around Dean's neck, pulling his opponent to his feet. He slammed Dean back first into the driver's side door of a black dodge truck, not letting go of his throat. Dean gagged and coughed as the grip around his throat got tighter.
"Like I said, boy...why would that girl want to be with a puny, scrawny, little leech like you, when she can be with a real man like me?"
Dean began to loose focus. His vision began to blur. He almost blacked out...wait. He had one last opportunity. His last resort. Dean brought his foot up between Braun's legs. Braun cried out at the blow to his groin. Dean kicked him again and Braun went down. Dean got behind Braun and wrapped an arm around his throat in a sleeper hold.
"I told you, Strowman, that it wasn't a good idea to do this. You just assaulted a police officer. And to answer your question about my girlfriend loving a real man, she is loving a real man. Me."
Dean didn't release the hold until Braun had passed out completely. He had instructed a couple of guys to used their belts to tie Braun's wrists and ankles together. He instructed another guy to call the police. He walked back to his trio of friends. Seth and Shannon approached him and he looked at them silently before stepping past them. He walked up the steps to the front door. Before walking back inside the pub, he glanced at Kayla. She had tears in her eyes at the sight of his bloody cheek, busted lip, bloody nose and an already bruising left eye. With his right thumb, he reached up and wiped a falling teardrop and caressed her cheek before walking through the door of the pub.