That Blue Gibson

CH 59

"Liz, what the fuck?" Dave skidded to a stop just in front of her as she waited in the parking lot.

"Everything's fine," she said calmly, nodding to Josh as he dropped his arms from her shoulders.

"I leave you for ten fucking minutes and you're attacking people?" he threw his arms to the side, completely bewildered by her behavior. "He's trying to get people to come help break your neck!"

"Fucking hell," Josh whispered under his breath and took off running for the bar.

Liz laughed bitterly. "He can't do it by himself? You should have let me leave when I first asked."

"Liz!" he stared at her, wide eyed. One minute she's charming everyone, the next she's starting a brawl in the parking lot.

"Dave!" she shot back, "I've got this handled! This is how disagreements are dealt with."

"What kind of mob boss shit is that? This isn't fucking Hollister! This isn't Sons of Anarchy or fucking Easy Rider! These are actual people that I have to go talk down from putting their fist through your face!"

"Just tell him to come out here and we'll get it over with," she grinned at him, but her eyes flashed with something other than happiness, "I'm a big girl, Dave."

His confusion turned to anger at her seemingly casual air about the entire thing, knowing that Josh was just inside doing all he could to keep Jesse from storming out here and killing her. "Do you normally start shit that your fucking biker gang buddies have to finish for you?"

Liz visibly bristled at that, "What did you just say?" her voice was almost a whisper.

"Is this about the oath or whatever?" he tried to change the subject, sensing he had really hit a nerve with his last question.

Liz turned away from him and headed for her bike, "This isn't about the books, Dave."

"Then enlighten me!" he shouted after her, "You can't fucking walk into a bar and start-"

"You think I don't know that?" she yelled, whipping around again and running back up until she was just inches from him. She dropped her voice to a harsh whisper, "You think I wasn't told about how shit works around here? You think I can just smile and act like I'm having an awesome fucking time when some fucking asshole is using a picture of my dead grandfather as a fashion statement?"

Dave paused to register what she had said. He hadn't realized it was that bad, that whatever Jesse had done was that offensive. All he had heard was Jesse screaming bloody murder from the back of the bar at how he had been disrespected by some groupie. "Liz, I-" he reached out for her, but the back door of the bar exploded open and Jesse stormed out with defeated looking Josh right behind him. Dave put himself between Jesse and Liz and just hoped he could talk him down.

"Move," Liz insisted, pressing her fingers into his back.

"Liz, you don't understand-," his eyes darted from Jesse to her when she calmly stepped out from behind him.

"This fucking bitch!" Jesse yelled, rushing up into Liz's face and pointing his finger between her eyes. Dave threw his arms around Liz's waist to pull her back, but she stiff-armed him away.

"I did you a fucking favor," she growled, pointing right back in Jesse's face, "You're lucky I'm the one that saw it first." She briefly wondered where the rest of the club members were, probably too drunk to even realize what was happening just feet from their bikes.

"What is this bitch fucking talking about?" he laughed haughtily and looked up at Josh and Dave, trying to buffer support from them.

"I knew it," she drove her finger into his chest, backing him up a step. "I fucking knew you weren't in the Jokers. You're just an asshole with a vest and a bike." Dave put just one arm around her waist this time, but let her stand her ground.