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“Yeah,” Mike said, obviously feeling no loyalty whatsoever to the son of his faet his kicked”
Josie rolled her eyes Mike ht as well be a hypeBeau said “Beau, you need to think about getting so with everything you say”
“What’d you just callstep toward her
Josie stood her ground and stared Mike down “So, what, now you’re going to beat me up, too?”
“No,” Beau said, raising his hand to still Mike before the wide receiver could answer “Like I said, this is between o on home now, Josie”
He was so sure she was going to follow his command, so sure he had her under his thumb It was hard to believe she’d ever liked Beau as a hu crush on hih, before he’d shown his true colors
She drew herself up to her full five-feet-five inches and lifted her chin “And like I said, that’s not a fair fight It’d be like Colossus beating up on Yo Yo Ma!”
Beau’s face screwed up “Who and who?”
Colin stepped in front of Josie explain “She’s referring to a comic book character and the best cellist on the planet But it doesn’t ht I’m not a coward”
Colin tried to push Josie behind hiet in front of him and spread her arms in a protective stance
“No, I’ to let this happen,” she said
Beau threw Colin an exasperated look “So you’re going to hide behind a girl? That’s how you want to handle this?”
“Jo-Jo,” Colin said behind her, “you’re e me”
“I don’t care if I’ you,” Josie shot back “You have ot in his entire body And I’ to let you risk your hands because he’s irl And when I say stupid, I mean, really, really stupid—bless her little heart, but she ain’t nobody to be fighting over”
If Josie had been hoping to ot the opposite response He stepped forward, so close she could feel his beer-tinted breath on her face when he said, “Josie Go Home Now”
And before she could protest again, Mike was pulling her out from between them
“No!” she yelled “Don’t touch me!”
She kicked Mike straight in the balls And when he fell to his knees, cupping his crotch like a movie villain, Josie used the opportunity to jump on Beau’s back “Run!” she yelled at Colin
“Get offat her like a bear
It took all of Josie’s strength just to hang on “Run!” she yelled again
“I can’t leave you,” Colin yelled back His fists were tight at his sides and it looked like his body was pri to help, but his mind didn’t quite knohat yet
Mike started trying to tug her off of Beau’s back frorip around Beau’s neck and waist like a squirrely ht me you stupid bully,” she said to Beau
“Josie, you work for ood and me can settle this like men”
“I don’t work for you,” she spat back “My , I promise you this, Beau Prescott, I will never, ever work for you”
“Get off!” he yelled, pawing her
Her glasses fell off her face then, followed by a sickening crunch
The world beyond Beau went blurry, but she hung on “I’o until you promise to leave Colin alone!”
They went on like this for a few ht! I won’t fight him”