“Lorrie!” He spat the name. “You call her Lorrie? Are you fucking him, Lorrie? Is that why you left? Him?” He gestured at Malichai contemptuously.
“I left you because you beat me up every few days.”
“All you had to do was stop being such a lazy bitch,” Tag said.
He ignored Marie now that he had a real target. He didn’t walk around the tables, he simply walked a straight line toward Lorrie, shoving or kicking tables and chairs out of his way. Diners got up hastily, moving out of his way, rushing toward the walls to stand there, phones out, recording his menacing progress.
Malichai stepped smoothly in front of Linda and Lexie. To his shock, Craig, Burnell and Jay also joined him. Malichai silently applauded them, but they were going to be in his way when the fight started, and there was no doubt in his mind that one or more of them was going to get hurt.
“Step back behind me,” he said softly to them. “Keep Lorrie behind you and Linda. I need fighting room.”
The three men moved quickly out of harm’s way, but they did what he said, standing directly in front of the Montclair sisters, forming another line of defense. The few diners left in the room continued to press against the wall silently, trying to be as small as possible and not call attention to themselves.
“That’s so you, Lorrie, probably blowing all of them so they’ll come to your rescue when your real man comes to take your worthless ass home.”
“If you feel that way about her, Tag, why don’t you leave her alone?” Linda demanded.
Amaryllis had made her way around the room, signaling to Marie to keep back, and then she kept moving, her eyes on her target. Those eyes of hers, two bright blue jewels, had gone feral, predatory. Her eyes nearly glowed, turning silvery as she approached, coming in on Tag’s left side.
Tag was almost to Malichai, his eyes burning with anger. He was used to being the biggest, baddest guy in the room. He didn’t like that Malichai showed no fear or respect for him. He caught sight of Amaryllis closing in on his left.
“Another bitch, needing a lesson in manners,” he snapped, and took one step toward her, swinging his fist.
Amaryllis ducked and kicked him in the belly, putting her entire body weight behind the kick. Tag grunted hard and doubled over for a moment, folding in on himself. When he straightened, there was fury in his gaze.
Fire exploded through Malichai. He moved almost before he thought. He caught Tag’s shoulder, swung him around and smashed a fist into his face, using his enhanced strength without thinking about it. Bone crushed beneath his fist, the jaw and cheekbone shattering, even turning to powder in two places. Tag dropped like a stone just as the police burst into the room, weapons drawn.
Malichai stepped back, hands in the air. Amaryllis raised her hands and everyone behind them did the same. Tag was known to the local cops and they ignored those with their hands in the air, intent on securing him before he could fight them.
“He needs medical attention,” one said, looking up at Malichai.
“She kicked him,” Craig offered helpfully, pointing to Amaryllis. “Right in the gut. You should have seen it. He folded over like he was bent in half. Amaryllis, my hat is off to you. That was a thing of beauty.”
The diners clapped their appreciation.
“I don’t think her kick destroyed his face,” the cop said. “He’s having trouble breathing properly. Too much blood going down his throat.”
Malichai tried to look innocent as Craig stepped up, in spite of the police surrounding Tag, so he could get a better look. Craig nodded in satisfaction.
“He was threatening everyone, but particularly Lorrie. Marie asked him to leave and Linda said there was a restraining order out against him, but he kept coming like he was going to kill her. It was brutal. We were prepared to try to stop him, but you see how big he is. Malichai hit him with one punch. That was all. To save Lorrie. It was self-defense for all of us.”
The cop turned his head to look at Malichai, a frown on his face. “What did you hit him with?”
“His fist,” Craig answered before Malichai could. “We all saw him.”
“We have recordings. Video,” one of the diners called out helpfully.
Malichai nodded and showed the cops his knuckles. “I just hit him with one punch. He’s a big man and I didn’t want him getting to Lorrie. He was threatening to beat her. He threatened all the women. He swung at Amaryllis. Maybe the adrenaline was rushing, I don’t know. More likely, whatever he was on, and he was higher than a kite, might have weakened his bones. I think his jaw broke when I hit him.”
“All of you stay right here in this room. I want to get your statements,” one of the cops said and directed the medical people into the room to take care of Tag, who was continuously groaning, the sound coming out more like that of an animal in distress.
Amaryllis slipped under Malichai’s shoulder, fitting tight, her arm circling his waist. “He was really jacked up on something. I know all the bodybuilders that work out around here. None of them act like that.”
One by one each occupant of the dining room gave their account of what had happened. Amaryllis was fearful Malichai would be arrested, but he knew, even if he was, Ezekiel would be there immediately, and a call would come in from Major General Tennessee Milton and he would be walking away a free man. Of course he might be ordered home and he’d have to leave, but he resolved that he wouldn’t leave without Amaryllis.
In the end, everyone in the dining room told similar stories, all included that they were afraid, not only for Lorrie but for all the women and even themselves. They maintained that both Amaryllis and Malichai had defended themselves as well as everyone else in the room.
They all slumped gratefully in seats around the largest table and Amaryllis and Marie brought out celebratory ice cream.
“I’ve never seen such a big man,” Burnell said. “And so mean. He didn’t have to be so mean to you, Lorrie.”
She’d been crying and her makeup made little tracks down her face. Lexie and Linda were trying to wipe it off. Stefani pulled makeup wipes from her purse and offered them to the three women.
“Thank you,” Lorrie said tearfully. “Thanks, all of you, so much for standing up for me. He won’t stop. I’ve done everything the police have told me to do, but he won’t stop.”
“He gave her a broken arm,” Lexie said.
“In two places,” Linda added. “He knocked out two teeth. Broke her jaw once. Gave her black eyes several times and a cut lip multiple times. He broke her ribs twice. She got away from him twice, but he’d always find her and drag her back. Then she came home to us and we got the restraining order against him. We knew he was still looking so we rented out the main house and couch surfed with friends for a few months. I don’t know how he keeps finding her, but every few weeks, he calls on a number she just got, letting her know he’s coming for her.”
“He’s going to have a very long stay in the hospital,” Malichai said. “And probably several surgeries. Hopefully, by the time he is out from under his now-major medical problems, he’ll forget all about you.”
“I never thought I’d say I wanted a man to forget about me,” Lorrie said, “but I totally do. I want him to forget he ever knew my name.” She reached over and patted Burnell’s hand. “You risked your life for me. All of you.” Tears welled up again and spilled over. “I can’t believe you did that for me. You don’t even know me and I’m not always a nice person.”