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"Sale shot back in ti Poppy all black and blue like that "I wasn’t ready for it I’ll never be ready for it"

I took the straw hat off and plowed h my sweat-matted hair

"You had to know that was inevitable You’re sleeping with one sister, at sohed drily "Honestly I thought Saleotten bored by now and et this serious"

"You’re kidding yourself, Rowdy It’s been serious since the firstirl The type that is steady, kind of old-fashioned, and real faht she would be the perfect girl forto protectto leavefrolass hit the ground I saw Asa’s jaw flex and he started to et to the other side

"What brought the sister here if she has aby as I turned around on my stool and leaned my elbows on the bar as Asa stopped by uys are out of control They had one pitcher of beer and they’re acting like it enty They threo of their pint glasses on the floor and one of the the else"

Asa reached out and patted her on her ar to be here for er"

Asa had always cohtly alaraze glinting with ?"

I wasn’t just going to sit there while he tried to tangle with an out-of-control group of drunken kids that outnuhed a little and copied my pose "I used to be them"

I made a face "That bad?"

"Way worse, actually"

"I don’t think I would’ve liked you very much before those bikers beat your ass, Asa"

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye "Not toothe worst kind of guy to spend time with From the looks of her, this one took it too far There is no way her father could’ve h What’s the use in being loyal to a fa to stand by and watch you be hurt and not do anything about it?"

"That’s too bad"

"Yeah, and the fact I may orof bricks when I saw her sure as shit didn’t sit ith Salem"

"Gotta be hard for Salem She has you now but she thinks your sister still has a piece of you from back then That’s a pretty twisted tapestry of history, present and future, she’s looking at"

"Poppy doesn’t have any piece ofher today made that really clear I was shocked to see her and worried that she was all black and blue, but that was it The way Salem works me up, the way she just understands meI never had any of that with Poppy Saleravitated to, I was just too young and too scared to understand what itand then pushed off the bar as one of the guys in the group picked up a pool stick and swung it at the head of one of his friends The other guy drunkenly ducked and lunged at the attacker’s legs In a split second they were rolling around on the floor in a tangle of ar really fast

Asa ait and I quickly followed The boys were rolling around on the floor, fists were flying, and blood was pouring out of arbled threats punctuated heavy punches Asa got ahold of the kid that had started the entire mess and tried to pull hiroup moved toward Asa and I just shook my head and told him, "You don’t want to do that, friend"

The kid looked atof sords The kid he had pulled off the obvious loser of the boozy tussle had turned his rage onto Asa and was giving my friend a hard time Asa had the kid by the back of the neck and one of his arms cranked up between his shoulder blades, but whatever the kid had been drinking had nuet loose He threw his head back and tried to head-butt Asa and threw his legs back trying to kick the much taller and ave the kid a shake and looked atNot too great if his snoring and bloody face was any indication "All of you are done here Everyonewith broke free by throwing his body forward and surprising Asa enough that he let hiuy rolled over on his back and looked up at us with baleful eyes

"Fuck you I can buy and sell this bar a hundred times over"

Asa looked at me and then looked back at the mouthy kid who had worked his way up to his knees

"Well, until your naet your happy asses outta my bar"

A couple of his cohorts walked up behind the kid and helped haul hionna make me, Opie? You put your hands on me and I’ll sue you, I’ll sue him" The kid pointed at le motherfucker in this place and I’ll have you arrested for assault I know hts"