Page 145 of The Champion
We all just needed a break. Sadly, I didn’t get one.
I was standing there next to the bar, waiting for anotherround of beers when a man approached me for my autograph. I gave him one andexpected him to leave me alone when he decided to invade my personal life byasking how my son was doing. Now I don’t really have a problem with thatso much with asking about Axel, he was in the public eye now and there isn’tanything I can do about that. What I had a problem with was those who askedabout Sway. Given our history and the year we’d been having, I took that shitpersonally.
When his attempts got him nowhere, he went a stepfurther.
“You’re wife sure is pretty,” the man saidconversationally, though I didn’t take it that way by his dark tone. I didn’tlike this guy. One, he was standing too close to me and second, I just didn’tlike him.
I was aware my wife was attractive and understood othermen coming on to her. Who wouldn’t?
What I didn’t appreciate were the ones that felt the needto try their luck with her. To me, marriage is sacred. It holds a bond likenone other. I valued it greatly and to have men disregard me as though my wifewasn’t my wife was something I wasn’t okay with. Actually, it pissed me off tono end and infuriated me at times. Just like the time in Bristol with Rusty, Ilost my cool.
“Don’t.” I shook my head slowly as I reached for thethree beers the bartender handed me.
“Don’t what?”
“Threaten me.” I growled turning to look at him. “Do youhonestly think you’re the first person to threaten my family?”
“I only said she was pretty.” His words didn’t match hisexpression though. “Why are you so offensive about that?”
“Come on dude!” Bobby yelled from the table. “I couldhave gotten them faster than you.”
I nodded toward Bobby that I had the beers and washeading back to the table when the man followed me.
“I only said she was pretty. What’s the harm in that?”
Bobby and Tate caught on fairly quickly that I wasmoments away from showing this guy what the harm in that was. Instead, Iresponded with, “You’re in very dangerous territory.” I told him asthreateningly as I could. Now that I had the man back up against the wall, itdawned on me who he was. He was the same guy from Indy, Gab. But as Van hadfound out, his name wasn’t Gab Kinney. It was actually Garrett Kinney, wantedfor arrest in Atlanta, Houston and El Paso on possession of narcotics andburglary in Seattle.
“You’re awfully protective.” He chuckled. “Has shecheated on you or something?”
“You are lucky I’m even letting you say that to me rightnow.”
“Oh, so that’s a yes?”
“Listen to me, Garrett!” His eyes widened in surprisethat I knew hisrealname. I snapped slamming my beer on the table asboth Bobby and Tate stood from their place at the table. “Mywife andmyfamily are none of your fucking business, is that clear?”
His hands rose defensively. “I was only pointing out afact.”
“A fact that it none of your concern,”
Keeping my hands securely in his jacket, he struggledagainst me.
“Jameson, let him go.” Tate warned stepping closer.
“You should listen to your friend.”
I had half a mind not to let him go. Flashes of Darrinsurged throughout my blood leaving me boiling. This wasn’t Darrin, just somesmartass looking to piss me off, but it didn’t change the feeling. Throughoutthe year, it seemed everyone was testing me and they did this by threatening myfamily.
Knowing this came with fame, I tried not to read too muchinto it. But still, it was there, haunting me.
Bobby ushered the guy away from me while Tate sat me downat the table again. “Relax man.”
“Relax?” I balked. “That guy just told me my wife waspretty. How do you think that makes me feel?”
Tate seemed to contemplate this for a moment but didn’tanswer.
“Let me ask you something Tate...how would you feel if someone threatened Anna or Jake?”
“I would have reacted the same way, but he didn’t threatenyou. He said she was pretty...there’s adifference, Jameson.”
