And then all hell breaks loose.
Bullet shoves me back, out of the way, and climbs up on Chain’s back, wrapping a forearm around his neck and pulling him off the mayor. But that’s the least of it. Elsewhere in the bar there are screams and thuds as the Heartlands MC starts fighting with the members of Hell Fire. There are screams, people are running. Some of them push past me as they make their way outside, and in the commotion, I’m knocked to the ground, letting go of the leash as I raise my hands to defend myself from running feet.
“You fucking…little…bitch…” The police chief is in my face a moment later, gasping for breath, his eyes red from the strangulation but fierce with anger. “You think we…don’t know…what you did? I’m going to…fucking kill you, little…whore.”
Chapter Fourteen
Chain
“…little…whore.” The words make my ears prick up, and I see red.
Swiveling on the spot, I fall back, slamming Bullet into the mayor so that both of them are sandwiched between me and the door, before letting them drop to the ground. The bar is complete chaos, my own brothers fighting with the members of Hell Fire. Most of them are grinning, it’s been a while since we had a proper fight, but there’s a lot of blood on the floor too.
But I have no time to worry about anyone else. Meadow is on her back on the ground, her leash at full stretch, and the police chief is crawling all over her.
He draws back an arm, and I see a glint of broken glass in his hand, but he doesn’t get a chance to use it.
Dropping Meadow’s leash, I grab his shoulders with both hands and yank him away from her, hearing him squeak with surprise as he’s hefted into the air. I don’t waste a second as I slam him down into a table beside me, face first.
There’s a laugh, and I turn, ready to slam a fist into the face of the next fuck to come near my girl.
“Shit, Chain, it’s me, kid.” Troy laughs as he stops my fist with a raised hand. “Haven’t had this much fun in a fucking long time.” He draws his arm back, and I think he’s about to punch me, but his fist goes wide of my face and I hear a squelch beside me as a spurt of blood sprays the left side of my face. “That’s on me.”
I nod, then look down, expecting to find Meadow. But she’s gone.
Glancing around me, I see that the mayor and Bullet are also nowhere to be seen, and it doesn’t take a genius to work out what’s happened.
“Follow me,” I say to Troy, then stomp out through the door, into the parking lot.
Bikes are stood in a line against the front of the bar, and I see Meadow being roughly carried towards a big black Harley. She’s kicking and screaming, but Bullet has her tight and he’s no pushover.
The mayor is right behind them, but when he sees me and Troy he nearly loses his balance. A second later, he’s taking off towards a shiny new Mercedes Benz, fumbling in the pocket of his bloodied suit pants for the keys.
“Stop him, man,” I say to Troy, and he nods as I turn towards Bullet and Meadow.
“Let her go!” I shout as I start to run, and they both look my way.
Bullet pushes one of the parked bikes, knocking it over, and it crashes into another as they both fall into my path. “Leave it, Chain, you don’t want anything to do with this. She’s nothing to you, just let these guys have their fun. I’ve got business with them.”
I ignore him, jumping the first bike and dropping into a crouch as I slam into him shoulder first. “She’s mine,” I grunt, as my fist lands in his face. “I protect what’s mine.”
Another fist to his gut leaves him gasping for air as I stand and grab Meadow’s hand, roughly pulling her to her feet. From behind me, I hear whoops and hollers, and turn to find the other members of the Heartlands MC, along with a few stragglers from the bar, standing watching me. I snarl at them, turning back to Meadow.
“Are you hurt?”
“A little. Nothing serious. This collar is a bit tight.” She pulls it away from her throat, and I relent, detaching it from her.
“Don’t go running off.”
“Chain.” I turn to find Troy marching across the parking lot with a slightly bloodied Mayor Frank held in a full nelson in front of him. “What do you want to do with him?”
I growl and take a step forward, ready to deliver a few choice blows to the fuck’s face, then feel a hand on my arm, holding me back. “What is it, Meadow?”
“Let’s get out of here.”