The guy never had a chance. Steve ripped his hand free from the doctor's grip and swung the stick in his hand in a wide arc. For an instant he wondered where he had gotten the stick; they never let him near anything he could use as a weapon. The thought fled his head as the stick hit home and the white-suited doctor - torturer - crashed to the ground. Steve dove after him.
You're not getting away that easily.
Around him, people were shouting and fighting. Steve dimly sensed Bo was somewhere in the middle of the melee - when did they take Bo - but Steve's focus was entirely on the doctor who had grabbed him. Steve still had a hold of his stick, and he shoved it across the man's neck with one hand. With the other, Steve punched the doctor's in the face. His fist struck the man's nose and Steve felt bones break from the force, but he continued to pull back and strike again.
The doctor had been screaming, but they became weaker. His face seemed to change color. Steve did not care. You deserve to die for this, he thought. He was yelling, but could not hear his own words. He continued to pound the man.
Then, people were grabbing him and he was being pulled away. Still yelling, Steve struggled against their grip and tried to break free.
"I won't let you take me!" he screamed.
He hit the ground and someone was holding him down. No, it was two men.
"Steve! Snap out of it!"
Hearing his name caused him to focus. Steve looked up to see Bo pressing down on his chest. Jimmy was holding his shoulders.
"Steve?" Bo asked.
"What?" Steve glanced around confused. He was outside - on the ground of the parking lot. "What's going on?"
Jimmy looked at Bo, and shook his head. "Just get him out of here. I'll take care of the mess inside. Patch is just lucky that guy has a couple warrants out on him, otherwise the cops would be crawling all over this place."
Bo nodded. "Steve . . . man . . . you went nuts in there. You nearly killed that guy."
What guy? Steve wondered. He had no real memory of anything. For a second, he recalled being in that room, being beaten for resisting. But that was not right. He was in the parking lot of the Cheating Heart.
"Come on. . . ." Bo said. "Let's get you out of here before the cops show up."
Steve allowed Bo to lead him to his car. "What are you doing?" Steve asked, as Bo dragged him to the passenger side.
"You don't think I'm going to let you drive right now. Jeez, Steve, you barely know where you are." Bo shoved Steve inside and walked around the car to the driver's side.
What happened? Steve asked himself. He was shaking a little. Then he realized that he was still holding his pool cue. I was playing pool, he thought, trying to piece things together.
Bo got in and held out his hand. "Give me your keys." Still shaken and confused, Steve complied. As Bo started the car, he said, "I'm taking you home. I don't know what's going on or what's gotten into you, but you need some sleep."
Was that it? Was it just lack of sleep? Steve felt plenty amped up. "Wait," Steve said, remembering something as Bo pulled out of the parking lot. "Stephanie . . . we've gotta go pick her up." He saw Bo's look of doubt. "Oh, come on, Bo. I'm not going to do anything crazy with Stephanie. Let's just go to Kim's and get her. Then you can drive me home."
Bo seemed to debate it.
"Come on, dude. I need to get Stephanie. Kayla's coming home tomorrow morning."
"Fine," Bo muttered. "But then - home."
Steve nodded, even though he felt like Bo was talking to him like he was a child. "Yes, mother dear." Steve shook his head. "Hey, what about your bike?" If Bo was driving Steve's car, he must have left his motorcycle at the Cheating Heart.
"I'll get someone to give me a ride over to pick it up," Bo snapped. "I just wanted to get you out of there. Man, I thought you were going to kill that guy. And for what? A lousy twenty bucks?"
Steve fell silent as he mulled that over. He remembered trying to play pool and being unable to. Then the guy had gotten in his face over the money. The next thing Steve knew, he was in the parking lot. How did that all happen. It could not have been about the money.
He tried to mull everything over in his head, but nothing was getting clearer. Bo seemed to recognize that Steve did not want to discuss it, so they drove in silence until they pulled into the driveway of Shane's house.
As Bo stopped the car in front of the entrance, he glanced at Steve. "I can go get Stephanie if you want."
Steve scoffed at that. "I'm perfectly capable of getting my daughter." He climbed out of the car, headed for the front door, and rang the bell. When the butler answered, Steve had a slight flash of the snooty butler at Shane's house in England.
"We're just here to get Stephanie," Bo said.
"Yes, sir," said the butler. "I think she's in the library with Master Shane."
What? Steve felt a surge of anger. Kim had said Shane was working late.
"Steve," Bo cautioned.
Uh huh, Steve thought. Before Bo could grab him, Steve pushed forward, passed the butler, and rushed into the library.
Inside, he spotted Shane, with his back to the door, carrying Stephanie. Steve could not hear the words, but Stephanie was watching Shane and smiling at him. That's my daughter, Steve thought, as the fury consumed him.
Shane must have heard him come in, because he turned to the door. "Steve," he said, his expression calm, though perhaps showing a hint of surprise.
"That's it, Donovan," Steve growled. "Get the hell away from my daughter."