Dan laughed from across the table and cast his eyes over the front of the establishment. Chloe had long ago gotten used to Dan’s need to face the entrance of wherever they went, she liked that he wanted to see potential danger coming.
Chloe shrugged off her coat and folded it on the bench-seat next to her.
‘Jesus,’ Dan said.
The subdued lighting put them slightly in the shadows but enough of Chloe was on show to still cause a riot.
Chloe ran one finger across the tops of her breasts and put it coyly in her mouth and fluttered her eyelids at him and said, ‘What?’
Dan laughed and reached one hand across the table, Chloe met him half way and they linked fingers.
‘Once we’ve eaten I want to sit next to you for the rest of the night, it’ll be cosier that way,’ Chloe said with a sheepish grin.
Abbie brought their beers over and handed out two menus, Dan caught the woman staring at Chloe. Abbie made her excuses and left them to scan the menu.
Dan laughed again and Chloe asked what was so funny.
‘I think your competition just gave up, she took one look at how you look in that dress and I figure she knows she has no chance.’
Chloe raised her beer bottle and said, ‘I propose a toast, to our new life in Montana.’
‘I’ll drink to that.’
They had delicious locally produced beef burgers with side bowls of fries, salad and coleslaw and by the time the band had taken to the stage Chloe had worked her way through several beers and when the waitress next came over Chloe requested a bottle of tequila and two glasses.
‘Unless you don’t think you’ll be able to keep up with me,’ Chloe said giggling as she burped. Dan said he’d be fine, he didn’t have the heart to tell her that he was as nigh on impervious to alcohol as it was humanly possible to get, and most times he just preferred a coke.
The band were good, a mixture of old time classic rock mixed with some modern indie tunes, the perfect sort of music for this type of place.
Chloe made Dan scoot around in the booth so that she could sit with him, both of them facing out towards the dance floor and band. By ten o’clock the place had really began to fill up, mostly folks wanting alcohol and to dance; at some point during the evening, after the last diners had left, the ground floor was cleared of tables and the area became a dance floor too and the place really began to jump.
There were toilets near the stage and on two occasions Chloe had needed to “freshen-up” and he had smiled at her as she had shaken her ass away from the table to cross the dance floor to the toilets. Dan noticed that she didn’t once look around her, the place could have been empty save for the two of them; it was one of the things he loved about her, she was never interested in anyone else. Dan wasn’t the jealous type, but if he had been then Chloe was the perfect partner; oblivious to anyone else of the male gender.
Dan also noticed the looks that men gave Chloe and on the most part he let them go, she wasn’t his property, if they wanted to look let them, he was the one taking her home at the end of the night. However a small group of men near the corner opposite the stage and right against the bar were a source of Dan’s attention, during the night he had seen them leering, and as they got drunker he could see the group making jokes and gestures. Chloe had seen Dan getting anxious and she had hugged him in to her and told him not to worry, they were just drunk, she wasn’t taking any notice of them and nor should he.
Barnie stopped by at about half ten with his wife Ruth; one of their nephews played guitar in the band on stage and they’d popped in to show their support. By now the place was deep in shadows, and in the booth Dan felt comfortable enough about Chloe’s dress that not too much would be visible to Barnie and Ruth.
Barnie lowered his head to Dan and said, ‘Dan, are you okay? You look a little tense?’
Chloe had pushed in and said, ‘My husband is fretting about the Neanderthals in the corner.’ She meant it as a joke, to break the ice but Ruth surprised her by saying, ‘Chloe, he’s right, they’re bad news, the tallest one, he’s called Chuck if you can believe it, he’s just got out of prison for rape, the others hang on his every word, they live out on the south road in a bunch of trailers, sheriff Watts has tried clearing them out but Watts is a little too old for fighting and they sure like to fight.’
‘Is that right?’ Dan asked and Chloe could hear the bite in his voice even over the music.
‘Yeah, they’ve been barred from every joint in town, lord alone knows what they’re doing in here tonight or how they’re even allowed in here; you want my advice you’ll stay well away.’
Barnie and Ruth stayed with them for a drink and then left.
By midnight Chloe was pretty tanked and she flirted outrageously with Dan and when they danced she made it clear to him that she wanted him. It was all good fun. Other dancers were also by this late hour pretty well dosed up on the alcohol and a lot of the younger couples rubbed and gyrated against one another and Dan no longer felt as self conscious about him and Chloe and was really beginning to enjoy himself for the first time all night.
The band broke in to a John Mellancamp song and Chloe dragged Dan once more up on to the dance floor and linked her hands behind his head and pressed her body against his and sang along to the music.
‘...two American kids growing up in the heart land...’ she sang.
Dan smiled at her and kissed her, she opened her mouth and their kiss grew passionate and Dan had to fight with himself not to grab her ass and escalate things.
‘You know this music?’ Dan asked.
‘Are you joking, my dad loves him, I grew up with this.’
They finished the song out and Chloe said, ‘I need the loo, can you take me, I’m a little unsteady?’
‘I’m not surprised; sure, I’ll use the men’s at the same time.’
‘My hero,’ Chloe said chuckling and she walked in front of him, his hands on her waist to keep her steady and they moved through the dancers to the toilets.
‘Meet you right here in two,’ Chloe said and pushed through to the ladies. Dan could see the group of men still by the bar, they looked away but he knew that they had been watching Chloe. He went in to the men’s room; he needed to be back first for when Chloe came out.
There was a queue at the urinals and Dan had to wait a couple of minutes before he could relieve himself. He finished up and washed his hands and opened the gent’s door.
Even as he stepped through the doorway he could see Chloe nearby, the men, Chuck included were circled around her and from their hand gestures were making lewd suggestions. Dan started for them and as he reached the group the song ended and during the lull it was easy to hear what was being said. Fact; everyone could damn well hear what was being said.
Chuck was doing all the talking, ‘Come on lady, all’s we want is to see ya dance, hell you been flaunting it all night long.’
‘I’m here with my husband sir; I’d appreciate it if you left me alone.’
Dan heard one of the bar men say, ‘Chuck, leave her alone, she hasn’t done anything wrong.’
‘Fuck you Charlie,’ Chuck shouted out. ‘Keep outta this or we’ll fuck you up just like we did your cousins last month.’
Dan was moving fast, and just as he stepped next to Chloe Chuck grabbed Chloe’s left breast and what happened next kept people talking in Rockspur for well over a year.
Dan stepped past Chloe and said, ‘Chuck, you just fucked up.’
Before Chuck could react Dan grabbed the hand that had pawed her breast, Dan twisted the hand anti-clockwise; pressure increasing rapidly on the joint, and Chuck had to bend over as his arm was rolled, he yelled out but Dan didn’t hear it. He slammed his elbow down on to the back of Chuck’s arm; right on the man’s elbow joint. There was a crack like a pistol going off that carried throughout the whole building and Chuck screamed. Dan pulled Chuck towards him and brought his right knee up in to the man’s down turned face; the force of the impact
pulverised Chuck’s nose. Chuck began to drop to the floor. Chloe screamed out a warning as one of Chuck’s three mates made a lunge at Dan with a broken bottle.
Dan, not letting go of Chuck kicked out with his left foot and the would-be assailant cried out and fell sideways as Dan’s foot connected with the inside of his right knee, the joint popped and the man fell to the floor screaming.
Dan kicked Chuck square in the face with his right foot and the fallen breast-groper’s head snapped back.
Chloe was saying something but Dan was locked in the moment; he’d been through way too much to allow these fuckwits to screw it all up for them. Dan stomped his right foot down on Chuck’s left knee and again the joint popped as the sideways force dislocated leg from knee joint.
Dan saw the third man with plenty of time and released Chuck and stepped in front of Chloe who he was sure was still yelling. Dan stepped in to the man before the guy could throw a punch and Dan unleashed a head-butt, Dan’s height and momentum made the connection text book perfect, bone broke, the man’s eyes rolled up in to his head and he collapsed to the floor on the spot.
The fourth fighter actually landed a punch but Dan was turning and the blow glanced off his shoulder. Dan grabbed the man’s outstretched right arm and using his own right hand delivered an open-palmed strike to the man’s exposed Adam’s apple. The man staggered backwards and Dan let go of the man’s arm and stepped forward and landed a solid punch to the man’s face that lifted him off his feet and backwards where he landed flat on his back, his head connected with the floor and his jaw slammed shut and some patrons of Tull’s Place that night swore they saw the tip of the man’s tongue disappear beneath the throng of feet gathered around.
Dan walked over to Chuck and crouched down. Chloe had stopped speaking but put a hand on Dan’s shoulder, but he was still in the moment. Dan could see that Chuck was awake and in agony but he lowered his face to Chuck’s and said in not quite a whisper, ‘I ever see you again you better be loaded for bear because I swear to god I’ll rip your head off motherfucker, nobody fucks with what’s mine, you got that cunt-stick?’
Chuck nodded his head, the look on Dan’s face was so blank and calm that it scared the shit of Chuck.
‘I got it mister,’ Chuck croaked.
And then Dan cemented Chuck’s rapid leaving of Rockspur by whispering, so that only Chuck, Chloe and Dan could hear, ‘I’ve killed people far tougher than you, the first when I was twelve, and I have no qualms in killing you, but I’ll make it last, have you got enough of a brain to understand what I’m telling you?’
Chuck swallowed, ‘I understand.’
Dan stood up; the whole place was silent except for the mewling of the four injured men. Dan prodded Chuck in the groin and said, ‘Now apologise to my wife and all these nice people for almost ruining their night.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Chuck cried, ‘I am, we all are.’
There were quite a few laughs at that.
‘Now, those who can walk help your friends and get the fuck out of here before I really lose it.’
Dan turned back to Chloe and she threw her arms around his neck and said, in a very small whisper, ‘Baby, you’re my hero; I’m also hornier than hell.’
Dan laughed.
People parted so that the four wounded men could stagger and stumble out through the building and in to the night.
People started to talk again and then the band struck up a song and everyone in the place laughed and clapped as the first chords of “Bad To The Bone” blasted out.
Dan laughed and Chloe said, ‘Dan let’s dance and then you can get me out of here, I so want to fuck you.’
They started dancing and other couples quickly joined them on the dance floor. Dan received a few slaps to the back and other men offered small nods; all in appreciation of what had just transpired.
‘Let’s go baby, I want your cock in every hole before the sun comes up,’ Chloe whispered in his ear.
‘Well goddamn, no wonder folks like y’all around here so much,’ Brian said laughing as Chloe finished the story, she left out her sex talk; she did have some limits.
‘Chloe makes it sound far more exciting that it actually was sheriff,’ Dan said softly.
‘Bullshit baby, you were like a knight in shining armour and Chuck and his mates left town two days later, they haven’t been seen since.’
They talked for another hour and Dan and Chloe grew to like the old sheriff and he could see how much Dan and Chloe were in love and he smiled as he thought of his own wife waiting back at home for him and he wanted to hold his wife and felt a sudden loss without her, it was time he was going.
Barry finished his glass of wine. ‘That was a lovely meal Dan, me I can’t cook for shit. It’s getting late, so I’d best be making a move for the door.’
‘Sheriff, it was nice meeting you,’ Chloe said and they all stood up and said their goodbyes, promising to keep in touch.
Dan watched the sheriff’s tail lights until the car pulled out on to the highway. He closed the door and turned around. Chloe was naked on the stairs, her clothes discarded on the floor. She slowly started to climb the stairs and said over her shoulder.
‘You did your part; that was a really nice meal; I guess I better uphold my end of our agreement.’
Dan followed her up the stairs and said, ‘How do you want it this time?’
Chloe stopped near the top of the stairs and turned to him and smiled down at him and said, ‘Sweetheart, why don’t you surprise me.’
The following morning was unseasonably hot and Dan made the most of it, he sat on the porch in his usual seat and watched the horses frolicking in the pastures. Later he would take Chloe riding up along the ridge.
This time of the morning was his favourite part of the day, where he could forget about the past and just listen to the world around him; the sounds of the horses nickering in the pastures, the distant calls of birds and elk in the forests and the whispering of the wind blowing through the long grasses. Out here he was truly at peace for the first time in his life; the ancient Indians had it right – the madness was truly left behind.
He heard Chloe’s bare feet padding along the wooden porch fresh from her swim. He turned his head to watch her, and once again he was blown away by her beauty; she could have been a supermodel. He saw water running down her tanned body and she smiled at him. ‘There’s that look again,’ she said softly.
‘What can I say; its Christmas morning again.’
She was still wet as she pushed his knees apart and sat between his legs, her wet bikini-clad ass pressing back against his groin. She took hold of his right hand and guided it beneath the crocheted cup of her bikini top; her nipple was hard against his palm and she felt him beginning to poke at her rump. She leant back against him and he handed her his coffee and she took a sip and rested the back of her head against his shoulder.
‘This is my favourite time of the day,’ Chloe said.
‘Mine too,’ Dan replied as he slid his left hand beneath her bikini top and freed her breasts, out here they could do as they pleased. Dan gently massaged her breasts; paying lots of attention to her stiffening nipples. She wiggled her ass in to his groin.
‘I thought we could go for a ride soon and perhaps take a picnic, would you like that?’ he asked.
‘Yes, now that I’m getting used to being in the saddle my ass doesn’t hurt as much as it use to.’
They both looked towards the north, and Chloe, as though knowing Dan was thinking the same thing said, ‘I wonder if anyone will ever find Chuck’s grave?’
‘Doubtful; I dug that hole pretty deep, down far enough for the three of them anyways.’
What Chloe hadn’t told Barry Johnson was that Chuck and his mates had come visiting them a few weeks after the fight at Tull’s. She shivered when she thought about the moment when she pulled the trigger and shot Chuck between the eyes. Dan kissed the back of her neck and she moaned with pleasure.
‘It was
them or us Chloe.’
Chloe took his mug of coffee and took a sip. She nodded her head. ‘I know and I’d do it again, I just hope that we can finally live peaceably.’
Dan kissed her neck again and whispered softly, ‘I think we’ll be fine.’
‘But we’ll be ready should anything or anyone come?’
‘Yes, we’ll be ready.’
‘Do you think we’ll ever get bored of living out here?’ Chloe asked.
Dan slid one had down her stomach and beneath the material of her bottoms, Chloe opened her legs allowing him access and he began to slowly tease her clitoris.
‘Never, do you?’
‘No, this is where I want to be,’ Chloe replied. ‘This is what I’ve always wanted since that first night on the motorway, just the two of us.’
‘I love you sexy.’
‘I love you too baby, now concentrate on what you’re doing, I’m getting there.’
THE END...
Note to the reader:
The following short story covers events only hinted at in the full length novel “Rage Against The Machine” and after reading several comments from fans it became clear that Dan and Chloe were missed and that readers wanted to know who was buried in the unmarked grave in the wooded hills north of the ‘Old Madison Ranch’.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Daniel Constantine took a sip of his strong coffee, his eyes watching the hills to the west of the ranch house, on the far horizon he could see heavy black clouds forming; a thunder storm was happening somewhere and he wondered if it would blow this way, the Summer had been a hot one and even now, in early September, the temperature rarely dropped below eighty degrees and the days and nights were always heavy with humidity and a good storm would help to clear the air.
He stood up and winced as pain shot through his thigh and in to his groin, even now, over a year since his brother had shot him in the leg, sometimes his body let him know that he hadn’t yet fully recovered from the battering it had taken, first at the hands of the “Brotherhood” and then from his own kin.
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