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But they backed hiainst a truck and the blows caot hot and swollen There was a punch, a sharp pop and a crunch, then blood flooded his throat from his broken nose

Soon, the pain of his body ut and the equilibrium was blissful

I deserve this

These ers They were Mitch and Dave and Artie They were the families he’d ruined They were the lives he’d destroyed

If I’d only agreed with Mitch, just one last time…

“Hey, asshole!” Mike thrust his sweaty red face against Jesse’s He grabbed the collar of Jesse’s shirt and yanked hi doll “Where’s your smart mouth now, huh?”

Jesse didn’t want to talk, he wanted the beating to keep going So he smiled, blood filled his mouth and he spit it in Mike’s face

Mike growled, wiped the blood and spittle froainst the truck His head cracked on the h his brain and he embraced it, wrapped his whole body around it and sainst the vehicle, his body suddenly heavy

Mike wrapped his thick fingers around Jesse’s neck and squeezed, blocking off the blood in his carotid artery

Good Yes

Mike’s big, has If he woke up from this punch, he’d be surprised He lifted his chin just to improve the odds

But before Mike could get his whole weight behind his fist a truck pulled into the gravel lot, headlights slicing the night to ribbons Mike dropped Jesse’s neck and stepped back, shielding his eyes frohts trained on them

Jesse sagged

“Coet out of here,” one of Mike’s friends said and they were already sliding backward into the shadows past the light

“We’re not done,” Mike growled at him

“Yes, we are,” Jesse muttered and spit blood

Mike stepped close, as if he ht finish that punch after all, but whoever was in the truck got out and slammed his driver side door shut

It was Mac Of course

“Get hoet here,” Mac said and Mike, after one last shove, finally stalked off to his friends

Jesse didn’t turn, he stayed leaning against the truck while his savior walked toward hiravel

“What the hell are you doing here, Mac?” Jesse asked past the burn of blood in his throat

“Bailing you out,” Mac said, finally stepping into the light “Again”