Ring of Fire by Taylor Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

stared at Sam as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. Nate almost sympathized with the evil bastard. Sam had so outclassed him, Jeb was virtually speechless. Instead Jeb turned back to Nate, who in comparison must have seemed like an easier target. No longer aiming for subtlety, Jeb went for the jugular, the bull’s eye, the place sure to get a response.
    “Nope, Nate. As for that woman of yours, you’d be better off doing what I do. Stick with blondes. You don’t want to take a chance on Jew blood. I ain’t shittin’ you, man. Least you should do is stick with blondes.”
    Jeb sat up straight in his chair and pointed at Sam.
    “Like Stud here.”
    Pinning an evil eye on Sam, Jeb added with a low growl, “I hear tell you like white meat. Is that true, Stud?”
    Sam started as if surprised.
    “Uh… no. Actually, I’m a vegetarian.”
    Jeb sat back, his eyes widening in disbelief.
    Sam chortled. “Ah hell, Jeb. I’m just joshing you.”
    Jeb flushed an ugly shade of reddish purple. His voice was grim.
    “That your sense of humor again, Stud? You’re a regular comedian, aren’t you?”
    A soft smile crossed Sam’s face.
    “Damn straight.”
    Nate pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. Sam did likewise.
    Nate studied Jeb for a long moment, then drilled him with a hard glare.
    “Jeb, you referred to Erin a minute ago. Hear me and hear me well. I swear to God and on everything that is holy, if you or any of your sub-human pieces of road kill go near her, or hurt her in any way, I’ll hunt you down like a dog. I’ll chop you in so many pieces, Jeb, you’ll fit in a junior sized tackle box with room to spare. You got that?”
    Jeb rose unsteadily to his feet and made a feeble attempt at copying Nate’s harsh stare.
    “You threatenin’ me, Nate?”
    Nate grinned at him.
    “Damn straight.”
    Nate glanced at his partner. “I think we got what we came for, don’t you, Sam?”
    Sam nodded. Like Nate’s, Sam’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
    “We most certainly did, Nate.”
    Jeb’s voice was cloaked in bravado, but the quaver gave him away.
    “What exactly was it you came to get, Nate?”
    Nate hooked his thumbs on his jeans’ pockets and said casually, “Why that’s simple, Jeb. We came to size you up. Came to see how easy it was going to be to take you down.” He grinned at Sam. “Whadda you think?”
    Sam chuckled. “Piece of cake, man, piece of cake.”
    They walked across the patio together without a backward glance. When they got to the corner, Nate turned and held Jeb with his gaze. His voice was low, soft, shrouded in danger—but loud enough for his old friend to hear.
    “This isn’t high school, Jeb. It ain’t basketball. A dunk or a hook shot isn’t gonna win this game. Nope, this is life and death, bro. There’s only gonna be one winner. One man left standing. And, Jeb? You’re looking at him.”

Chapter 6
    “I gotta tell you, I don’t know what I enjoyed more. Jeb practically throwing a temper tantrum he was so pissed; or Hollywood here, laying one insult after another on the racist prick—and Sam never lost his smile.”
    Nate raised his bottle of beer and saluted Sam. All the others joined in with a hearty cheer. Nate tipped his bottle to Annika, Sam’s Scandinavian sweetheart.
    “I’m telling you, girl, you would have been bursting with pride. Your guy put that White Alliance asshole in so deep a hole, I’m not sure when he’ll crawl out. I’m betting he’s thanking whatever perverted gods he believes in that none of his imbecilic followers were there. Talk about getting schooled.”
    Annika smiled up at Sam but her concern was apparent. Her sparkling blue eyes glinted with anger.
    “I’m sure I would have been proud, Nate. But I hate it all the same. Sam is just a nicer person than I am. If I’d been there I would have kneed that asshole in the balls and then backhanded him across the face with my Walther! And then bootkicked his ass