"I'm calling you an asshole, and a coward at that. You couldn't handle going to the clubhouse where you might be outgunned and outnumbered? No, you had to come here, where the only fight you're going to get is from these women. Bet you weren't planning on me being here, were ya?" Honey spit out the words, taking a threatening step closer and Elle held her breath as the man on the bike threw one leg over and stood. He was at least six inches taller than Honey, and twice as wide and his fists were like bricks of concrete as he clenched them, taking a step towards them.
"I came here because I have a message to deliver. From the president of the Nomads," the brute said, his voice a little more strained now and Elle feared that Honey had pushed a button calling him a coward.
"Well, we don't want to hear it, so … fuck off," Honey growled back at him, raising both hands as he sent him the middle finger. Elle shifted nervously from where she stood just a few feet away, praying that Honey wouldn't push the man too far.
"I think you really are going to want to hear it," the biker said, crossing his massive arms over his chest as he stared down contemptuously at Honey, "A little pussy like you isn't going to stop be from doing my job. I've got orders from the president himself."
"Well you can take those orders and shove them right back up your president's asshole where they came from – " Honey's words cut off abruptly as he moved, faster than Elle even thought possible of a man with his bulk and size, grabbed the front of Honey's own jacket and pulled him up until his feet were dangling inches off the ground and they were face to face.
Even with the glasses and bandana covering most of his face the vicious intent that passed over the man's features was plain for Elle to read. Without thinking, she was rushing forward, ignoring Carla's effort to stop her.
A moment later she reached up, pulling at Honey to try and get him loose but it was like wrestling with a machine, so she did the only other thing she could think of. She pushed herself in between the two men, tried to use all her strength to separate them but she might as well have been pushing on two boulders for all the effect she had.
"Hey! Hey, you! Look at me. Listen to me!" Elle shouted, trying to catch the massive brute's attentions and when he turned his head to look down at her she almost regretted her decision.
"Please just, let him go and I – We'll listen to your message, okay? Just, you have to put him down first."
"Elle, what are you – "
"Shut up, Honey," Elle hissed over her shoulder, her heart racing with fear and uncertainty as she turned back to the man who still looked intent on choking the life from Honey. She wasn't about to let that happen, not if there was anything she could do to stop it.
"Why don't we start over, okay?" she said, trying desperately to keep the trembling out of her voice as she forced a cheerful smile on her face, "My name is Elle. And you are?" She held out her hand, well, as much as she could as she was still squashed in between the two men but she could see some of the rage leave the man's eyes and a curious disbelief start to take its place.
"It doesn't matter who I am," he said gruffly.
"Oh, I'm sure that's not true. You must be someone really important if your president trusted you to come out here with the message all by yourself. You should believe in yourself! Don't talk down about yourself like that. When you do it often enough, you might just start to think that it's true."
He just stared at her blankly, that disbelief growing. Elle held her breath, her thoughts jumbled and panicked and she couldn't' think of anything to say that wasn't even more ridiculous so she just stayed silent and smiled up at him for all she was worth.
Finally, he let go of Honey, shoving him back a few steps and sending a warning glance after him as Elle sighed in relief. Then he turned his gaze back to her and there was more than curiosity or disbelief in his gaze as he stared at her from behind the amber lens of the sunglasses.
"You're funny," he said softly, "But funny isn't going to save you. Here's my message. The president of the Nomads wants to make a deal with Honey Bud Farms and the Cruisers. He wants a cut of the weed you're growing, at fifty percent cost. Or else there will be consequences."
"Fifty percent!" Carla muttered in shock from behind her but Elle was too nervous to look back, too afraid to take her eyes off the giant biker in front of her.
"It's not a request," he said, and there was a sense of finality to the words that had another chill of dread shivering through her. Without another word, he turned, got back on his bike, and road away back the way he had come. They all watched in tense silence until long after he had disappeared down the driveway.
***
It was a long moment before Honey could let out the breath he'd been holding ease painfully from his lungs. He felt like he hadn't been able to draw in any air at all since Elle had put herself right in the middle of the two men. It was ridiculous, and fool hardy, and incredibly … stupid! It was the stupidest thing he's ever seen! That she would put herself in danger without even realizing made his blood boil his veins. Elle had to learn an ounce of self preservation or one of these times that she risked herself she was going to end up seriously injured, or worse.
With anger pushing his feet forward, growing with every step, Honey stalked over to where Elle was standing, her arms wrapped around herself and her dark gaze staring off at into space with a distant look in her eyes. They widened in shock as he came to a hard stop just inches from touching her. He had to clench his hands behind his back to stop them from reaching out and shaking her for being so foolish, or the grab her and hold her close to him and never let go, he wasn't sure which.
"Honey, I – "
"Don't," he interrupted harshly, his voice hard and full of anger as he spoke. He couldn't help it. The picture of her standing in front of that asshole, so small and vulnerable, so easily injured kept playing through his mind like a record on repeat.
"What are you – "
"No, you don't get to ask the questions here. I ask the questions," he was so furious, so afraid for her, so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the way her brows lowered dangerously over her dark, fiery gaze, "What the hell were you thinking, Elle? That man could have killed you with a flick of his wrist."
"But he didn't – "
"Do you even realize how much danger you were in? How close you came to being hurt? And for what? I had everything perfectly under control," he ignored Elle's snort of disbelief as he kept talking, "there was no reason for you to do that. It was just … it was stupid! That was all it was. It was stupid and foolish and dangerous and you had no right to – "
"I had every right!" Elle cut in, finally breaking through his angry ranting, punctuating her words by stabbing a finger against his chest. Hard. "I had every right, Honey. I've told you before. I make my own choices! I'm not a doll that you can put up on a shelf somewhere and take down to play with when you want, and then put me back when you're done. That's not how it works!"
Elle took a step forward, each word driven home by that damned finger stabbing at him and he had no choice to take a step back, or else risk breaking a rib or two.
"I chose to step in," stab, "I chose to take the risk," stab, "I chose to save you! And if you aren't man enough to admit it, that is not," stab, "my," stab, "problem!" Elle reached forward to stab him again but Honey grabbed her hand, holding it tight between his own.
"Ow, okay, okay. It's your choice. I get it. Just, next time can you choose something a little less dangerous?"
"I might have just saved your life, Honey! And you can't even muster a thank you? A ‘thanks'? A ‘good looking out, Elle, I really owe you one'?" She stared up at him waiting, but he couldn't force out the words she wanted to hear. He was still too full of fear for her, fear that if he encouraged her she'd do something even more reckless next time. No, there wasn't going to be a next time. He'd make sure of that. He'd keep her safe.
With a sigh of disgust Elle turned away, jerking her hand from his gasp. He reached out after her, desperately searching for what he could say, wondering how she turned the tables so neatly against him but was saved as Joel pulled up driving Carla's truck, the back loaded with supplies he'd been out picking up.
As Joel walked closer he immediately picked up on the tension still very much present hanging in the air and he went straight to Carla. They were speaking too softly for Honey to overhear but he could imagine the conversation. Carla was telling him about the message from the Nomad's president and by the look that drew over his face, Joel was none too pleased by the news.