Dead Outside (Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

out of my pocket. As I
waited for the bartender I caught a glimpse of Rodger, an ass hole who went to
high school with all of us and used to date Sarah. He was my height, with a
stockier frame. He had gained some weight in recent years. I could hear him
talking to two other guys. His mere presence was enough to bring my blood to a
boil. Sarah only dated him for a few months after high school, but during that
time he'd been both physically and mentally abusive toward her.
    “And
here she is now! I knew you’d come crawling back to me Sarah.” Rodger slurred
his words, he was far from sober. Sarah ignored him. He wasn’t worth the
trouble, until he turned in my direction.
    “Hey
Sam, long time no see.” He walked over to me and placed his arm on my shoulder,
leaning in and talking only inches from my ear so Sarah couldn’t hear him and
said in his usual condescending way, “You know you don’t have a chance at
getting in Sarah’s pants. She’s way out of your league, but she wasn’t out of
mine, and let me tell you, she’s one fine piece of…”
    I
cut his little rant off by swinging my right hand right into his face, hitting
him in the cheek and knocking him off his bar stool. “You need to shut the hell
up before you say something stupid,” I said as I rubbed my knuckles.
    A
fist that wasn't Rodger's connected with my right jaw out of nowhere, shooting
stars across my vision. Before I hit the ground, somebody caught me. I noticed
it was Nick as I got back to my feet. I nodded to him as soon as I got my
bearings, he responded with a nod of his own and punched The guy who must have
sucker punched me. I recognized him as Dave, another alumni from our old high
school. He used to play on the football team with Rodger. Unlike Rodger, he
hadn't lost his football figure, luckily he was a wide receiver and not a
linebacker.
    I
looked over at Rodger and he had also gotten back to his feet. Before I could
get my hands up he ran at me and tackled me into a table knocking it over,
along with the drinks that were on it. We both hit the ground and rolled in
opposite directions. It took me a second to get my bearings. I stood up about
the same time Rodger did. He charged me with a bar stool, but I grabbed it and
used it as leverage to swing him into a wall. While I'm sure there were plenty
of people near our scuffle, I had tunnel vision. If I didn't know any better 'd
say Rodger and I were the only people in the room.
    He
was a little dazed on his knees, so I grabbed his shoulders and helped him to
his feet. But it was a ruse, he punched me in my ribs. My breath was leaving
me, so kneed him in the abdomen, and threw him back against the wall behind
him.
    I
glanced over to Nick and saw he was standing over Dave who was unconscious now,
staring at James, another friend of Rodger's who was shaking in his boots, too
scared to get involved. I wasn't surprised. James was on the scrawny side, and
couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds soaking wet.
    “Don’t
you ever talk to her, look at her, or even think about her again. You hear me?”
I threatened Rodger.
    He
spit in my face then asked, “And what are you going to do about it?”
    I
punched him square in the jaw, knocking him off his feet. He hit the floor hard,
and didn't try to get back up right away, just writhed around. “I’ll embarrass
you in public again, you piece of shit.”
    Rodger
got up after a few seconds, around the same time Dave was coming to and they left
the bar in a hurry. The fight only lasted a minute or so, and didn't draw as
much attention as I thought it had. In fact, half the bar didn't even notice
it. If Nick and I weren't so friendly with the staff we'd probably have been
kicked out.
    Roxie
and Sarah ran over to Nick and I. “Are you guys okay?” Roxie asked. “Rodger is
such an ass hole.” Both girls had really concerned looks on their faces.
    I
let out a long drawn out groan, hunched over, clutched my side and said, “I
think I