Part 16 (2/2)
”If you weren't Summer's husband I'd give you a lesson you wouldn't forget,” Clay threatened.
All the unfairness of his situation, all his antagonism toward Blackjack for taking away his livelihood, toward Debbie Sue for blackmailing him, toward his mother for getting sick and his sister for getting pregnant, and the s.e.xual frustration of lying night after night beside a woman he wanted but couldn't have, needed an outlet.
Clay had given it to him.
But he wasn't going to strike first. Billy didn't want Owen-the-lawman to be able to say he'd started it. He needed Clay to make the first move. The smug sonofab.i.t.c.h was just standing there, certain he was safe so long as he had his brother to protect him and his sister to keep Billy in check.
”Go stand over there, Summer,” Billy said, gesturing toward Clay. ”Your big brother wants to hide behind your skirt.”
It wasn't much as insults go. Billy had said worse. But it was enough. Clay swung without warning.
Clay's fist seemed to move in slow motion, and Billy parried the blow long before it reached his chin, countering with a quick punch to Clay's stomach. Surprisingly solid muscle gave way under the force of his jab, and Clay doubled over. Billy followed with a driving upper-cut that straightened Clay up and threw him backward onto the ground.
Owen stepped in front of him. ”That's enough, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
It was a poor choice of words, and even though Billy could see Owen had realized his mistake, he didn't give him a chance to take it back. ”No, not nearly enough,” Billy said, his fist driving toward Owen's chin.
Owen's reflexes were better, and he dipped his head aside so Billy's knuckles only grazed his cheek.
”G.o.ddammit. Cut it out,” Owen said as Billy's other fist caught him on the ear.
”What the h.e.l.l's going on here?” a bellowing voice demanded.
Billy was like a wounded animal besieged by predators, knowing only that he had to keep fighting or be lost. Still, he wouldn't have hit an older man, or a weaker one, if it could have been helped. The problem was, Blackjack stepped between Owen and Billy's fist at a point when it was too late to pull his punch.
His bare knuckles smashed into Blackjack's jaw, causing him to grunt with pain and stumble backward into both Owen and Clay, who was rejoining the fray. The two men kept Blackjack upright, but the enormity of what he'd done struck Billy in an instant.
He turned to locate Summer, who stared at him with horror. He looked around and saw a crowd had gathered, all of them with condemnation in their eyes and contempt on their faces.
He didn't need them. He didn't need anyone.
He started to back away, but he wasn't given a chance to escape before attack came from another direction.
”This is all your fault,” a shrill female voice cried.
Billy turned toward the accusing voice, but the well-manicured, pointing finger wasn't aimed at him.
It was aimed at Blackjack.
Billy took a halting half-step backward and turned to stare-along with everyone else-at the expensively dressed and elegantly coiffed woman whose gaze pinned Jackson Blackthorne like a hog-tied bull calf she planned to castrate.
”What do you expect when you invite your b.a.s.t.a.r.d son to a party where the rest of your family is gathered?” Eve Blackthorne said in a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone there.
”We can talk about this later, Eve,” Blackjack said, eyeing the crowd.
”We'll talk about it now,” she said, taking another step toward him.
Billy saw Owen and Clay move toward their mother, as though to intercept her, but she either sensed or saw them, because she turned to them and said, ”I'm sorry you boys have to witness this, but I've taken all of your father's bad behavior I can stomach. I'm surprised he didn't invite his lover-that Creed woman-here this evening.”
Billy heard a gasp from the crowd, but it was Blackjack's face he found riveting. His teeth were clenched and his jaw muscle worked and his eyes had narrowed in fury.
”I excused your fling, even though it bore fruit,” Eve continued, sliding a glance in Billy's direction. ”But I won't tolerate flagrant adultery. I deserve more respect than that.”
He felt Summer's hands grip his arm, her fingernails biting into his skin. He turned to free himself and saw her face was parchment pale, her lips pressed flat. He gathered both her hands in one of his and turned back to the train wreck that was happening before his eyes.
”This is not the time or place-” Blackjack said.
”When is the time?” Eve interrupted. ”When you're lying in bed with that woman? When you're f.u.c.king her?”
The obscene word was shocking, coming from a mouth as delicate as Eve Blackthorne's. But it had the desired result. Blackjack started toward her with his hands outstretched as though to strangle her, and it was only the intervention of his two sons, each of whom grabbed one of his arms, that kept him from doing it.
”You foul b.i.t.c.h,” he spat. ”I should have gotten rid of you years ago.”
Eve suddenly looked frightened, the way a little girl looks when she realizes she's lost, surrounded by a dark and dangerous forest, with no idea which way to go.
She faltered backward, and several women rushed to surround her, leading her away.
Blackjack shook off his sons like a big buffalo bull shaking off a few irritating rat terriers. ”Get the h.e.l.l away from me,” he said. ”Show's over, folks,” he said to the crowd that lingered, ghoulishly hoping to see more carnage. ”I don't know about you, but I need a drink.”
The crowd agreed heartily with that suggestion, and Blackjack headed toward the keg of beer and the buckets of champagne and the jars of iced tea that had been set up for his guests.
”What a fiasco,” Clay said.
”It's been coming a long time,” Owen said. He put his arm around Clay's shoulder, shot Billy a ”Stay where you are!” look, and said, ”Let's go get a drink.”
Clay looked one last time in Billy's direction, but at Owen's urging, followed the rest of the crowd toward the makes.h.i.+ft bar.
Billy let his arm drop from Summer's waist and stood waiting to be condemned for his part in the disaster they'd all just witnessed.
”How could you, Billy?” she said in a soft, agonized voice.
He kept his eyes focused on the retreating crowd as he said, ”I didn't have any choice, Summer.”
”You baited Clay. You caused that fight.”
He turned to her and said, ”You knew who I was when you married me. Bad Billy Coburn, the meanest junkyard dog in town. Always was and always will be.”
”What does that make me, Billy?”
His throat ached just looking at the hurt in her eyes. ”A fool, I guess, for marrying me.”
He wanted her to contradict him. He wanted her to fight.
But without a word, she turned her back on him and walked away.
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