Billy's point of view
"Hell fire Brennan! What did you do!? What will you do?"
The ideas rang loudly in my mind as I jogged towards my truck.
"We will talk." I resigned with a despondent shiver.
"Sweatshirts first, warm coffee second, then kis- No! wait… Does she want that?"
Lightning struck my libido.
"Oh boy, do I want that…" I shifted my belt.
"Hell Fire Brennon! One little kiss and you are waist deep in the gutter with thoughts of your friend."
I set the empty mug on the back of Winston's tail gate. I searched for a blanket and clothes enough for us both. My mind wickedly courted thoughts of Jo's skin under one of my shirts. My eyes lost a little focus when the morning sun glinted light into my eyes. Something in the distance shone.
A filmy window of a dirty white van lay at the edge of sight. Its driver door opened and empty.
My heart pounded as I connected some dots.
Van. Empty. Jo Alone.
In the spine prickling silence, A sharp pained cry broke across the camp.
I ran, my stomach heavy with worry.
Joanna's point of view
The pleasant tingle from Billy's kiss had now completely faded away.
"Hey Johnathan! We have gotten off on the wrong foot. I apologize for my part in that."
Unfazed he continued towards me with slow dark steps. Shadows playing oddly against his face. He carried a weight of danger I had not seen before.
"How about we call ourselves even.. Yeah?... Me from my prank and You…" I gestured a wave towards him "The nefarious shadow lurking bit.. I would call us square. Right?" I spoke with cordial confidence
"Wrong. Yous and Brennen thinks I a fool. Now its I who has a advantage." He said with a leering frame and dark predatory eyes.
Hmm.. "Advantage" He's using big words today.
"Of course, you are a fool. A fool who fell for really the dumbest prank and spent the most of a good morning stalking me. Would you call that a wise way to start the day?" I paused for affect, at two yards away I could see his face take on a lost form as he pondered through my question.
"Look you pulled the creep card, cut your losses and get the hell out of here." I pressed.
Ugh.. He smells of vomit and spinach! I tried to keep the disgust from my face and voice.
"Leave the phone, Go and get yourself cleaned up, No one will know you were here." I continued lightly trying to give him an out.
His eyes flashed in anger. In an instant he'd closed the space between us with his long legs.
I talk too much… I thought grimly
Lifting me by my wet sweatshirt and growling "Everybody knows! I was sick all night cos of yous and Him." His smile was wicked. With breath reeking of bile with green bits forming borders of his teeth. "Now is my turn for fun..." He said with a chuckle.
I would have dry heaved at the smell had there have been time. I glared through the oppressive odor and demanded "Get the fuck off me, and beat it Johnson. Now."
Pulling me closer "Now looks whos dirty.. beat and fuck. Rude to not start with a ki-" Johnson huffed in pain from a solid knee to his groin.
Violently shoving me to the ground. He doubled over upon himself in whimpering.
I gave out a surprised pained scream at contact with the dusty ground. Damn it all if a long brittled ceramic shard from a shattered cup wasn't angrily causing blood to pour from my palm. I cradled my hand to my chest. Looking from it to Johnson trying to hide the pain from my features.
The fucker actually grinned as he looked at the blood.
"That the best you got bitch." Unfolding himself with hasty shaking steps towards me.
One step. Then two. And with a the best Spartan kick I could muster from my less than optimal stance. Boot met groin..
If the shoe fits, Why change a method that isn't broken?
He collapsed in deserved agony.. Albeit, directly. on top. of me.
His whimpering mass twisting the shard deeper into my hand.
I bellowed at the flames in my hand "Stars above! Get this idiot off me!"
Then I was free. Crushing weight and vile stench no longer oppressing. A gentle wind to for senses to see Billy's concerned face. His strong hands guided me into a sitting position.
I smiled gratefully and pulled him into a hug. Wincing at the pain… dumb hand.
His eyes took in the blood and his features froze. He wore all the calm a raging bull might the silent moment before release of its pen.
"Just a scratch." I said with a smile tenderly pinching Billy's arm for extra measure and his eyes only softened a little.
We look towards Johnathan, a few meters off. He'd been stifling whimpers as he pushed himself across the ground away from us. He met Billy's eyes and abandoned all containment of sound and openly begged unintelligibly under his sobs as he continued to crawl away.
Billy swept his gaze back over me with a soft calculating look. His thumbs rubbing circles into my shoulders.
With a decisive nod, he rose, and so did I with the help of his strong supportive arms.
"I will not let him get away with it." Billy said.
"He deserves what's coming to him. I bequeath the wrangling to you this time."
Billy pushed a warm kiss to my temple and slowly stepped away.
Billy smiled a reply "Well, now that I have your permission."
He stepped away releasing the bull from pen.
Shaking with anger now in focus, and rolling off in waves. It was Billy's turn to take strong menacing steps.
John held up his arms in a defensive motion full of twitching fear sputtering " Looks man. It wasn me.. she came onto me the bi—oof!."
A solid punch to the gut ended conversation with Johnathan and Billy plucked Jo's phone from him as he crumpled down.
Billy unlocked it and dialed a number waiting for it to connect he asked.
"And what exactly did you expect to get away from you son of a bitch."
He responded with groans and gags.
The line connected.
"Its an Emergency Tommy. Need you and campus police at the site to pick up Johnathan. He just attacked Jo, She's bleeding but not with the four wheel drive with an ambulance kind. Yeah just hurry up."
Johnathan thrust himself up with a final attempt at a wild haymaker.
A effortless right jab from Billy knocked Johnathan flat again. The weasel now openly crying and screaming through blood that poured from his nose.. Billy continued on the phone.
"I got it covered. I'm not going to kill him. But all the same you should hurry. Thanks Tom." Billy put the phone into his back pocket.
"You should go into your dad's camper with the med kit. I can be there in a moment after I secure him." Billy said hauling Johnathan by his reeking shirt towards his truck.
"I am going to follow." I said stubbornly.
"I know but it was worth saying." He said over his shoulder.
Billy dragged the blond bumbling baboon all the way to the truck. Strong muscles on clear display from my wonderful rear view.
What?... I had to focus on something other than the pain. Don't judge me.
Johnathan was tossed into the bed of Winston.
I walked up towards Billy his macho vigilante persona an aphrodisiac and a pain killer of sorts as blood traveled to other parts of my body. I leaned my head against the muscles of his back.
This is uncharacteristic behavior... Maybe I have lost some blood or something.
Billy jumped in surprise at the soft touch and turned to me concerned.
I picked up a coffee mug off the tailgate. My face heating, I studied it for a reason to not look into Billy's eyes.
Sobering up, pain prevailing. I wanted to apologize for the morning turning so sour. For being stubborn to not call for help the moment I needed it. For being rude to a person that ended up being dangerous. I could have put Billy at risk. And damn it all if each throb in my hand didn't call me a fool in a taunting painful beat.
Billy pulled my face up and kissed me quick but deeply.. "You are a pretty girl you know that?"
And I laughed.
From behind Billy's shoulder Johnathan had apparently recovered enough to lunge again. Reflex lessons of backyard baseball with dad flared and the empty coffee mug rocketed away connecting with force.
Johnathan's acrid body thumped, a still mass on floor of the dusty truck bed, unconscious.
"Before today I wouldn't have thought a coffee mug a means for a violent weapon." Billy said with surprised open eyes and a chuckle. He gathered some loose clothes off the ground.
"What doesn't have a violent capacity in my arms." I laughed tiredly. Adrenaline is sweet, and oh so handy but it withers you down, with little bites.
Billy only hummed in non-committable agreement. How wise of him to not answer on the matter. With a deep tone he spoke
"Speaking of things in my arms.." And with a slight movement I was pulled into a bridal carry. I sighed but didn't complain and we moved towards the trailer.
When I was situated inside on the dusty and aged kitchen table I was able to really focus on the disturbing cut. It was deeper than I had thought and I grimaced.
"Stitches?" I asked Billy.
Billy nodded. He placed a bowl of water and med kit on the table. He pressed a warm wet rag into my hand.
"Hold this. Let's get you out of the wet bloody stuff." He said gently.
Hissing at the rag. "Ugh please. I feel like Johnathan smells…"
Billy helped ease the sweater sleeve over my hand and pulled it up and over my head. By design my shirt went with it. My cheeks reddened to the color of dark cherries. My bra was a simple and grey with large blue polka dots.
Billy stared for a second, then two, then 10. I had to pinch him in the stomach where upon he shook his head and pulled a t-shirt over my head.
Exhausted, embarrassed, and it wasn't even breakfast time yet. I leaned back into the bench seat cushion and breathed in. The shirt was Billys and it had a warm safe smell to it.
He took a seat at the table next to me. I leaned against him with closed eyes as he cleaned my hand. There was silence between us as he wiped away blood.
"I'm sorry." Billy said softly.
"No big deal. I would rather have been less gross with a prettier bra on but-" I said.
"Hahaha" Billy chuckled deeply but his tone dropped serious. "No, you are beautiful but I mean I am sorry for dismissing the notion of you being followed earlier."
"Hey, Don't you go being serious and sad now." I said mimicking his stony expression. I laughed and kissed his shoulder. "haha, you can't predict stupid you know? I mean if I could, I would have seen myself kissing you ages ago- Ow!"
Billy pulled the sliver out of my hand and it dropped into the bowl with a plop. He pressed the gauze into my hand and wrapped it tightly.
"What were you saying about me?" He said with a coy smile.
I growled through gritted teeth. "To high of a praise."
Billy laughed and gave my pained face a kiss on the cheek.
"That will take care of it while we wait for Tommy." Billy said
He rose to take care of the bloodied items and I missed the warmth of him.
I leaned my head back into the cushion and close to nodding off into sleep. When vapors from blessed coffee wafted into my nose. I opened my eyes two blue pills, a dinosaur shaped mug, and a handsome warm face.
This man is heaven.
Hey readers, this is probably my last chapter. Sorry it took so long.