Don't Touch Me! - 43

 

"You have two choices," Brent said harshly to the man. "Apologize to Cody and mean it, or don't, in which case I'll call a cop friend of mine to deal with you."

"Apologize to this fag?" the man snarled. "He got what he deserved. Ask his father."

"We can't. He's been dead for the last three years."

"The hell, you say."

"Guess the two of you weren't such good friends after all." Brent looked hard at the man. "Or were you friends at all?"

"I met him in a bar. He was going on and on about his fag kid and how he needed to be taught a lesson."

Cody gasped. "You mean he…he hired you?"

"Naw. We did it for free."

Brent scowled. "Well, bud, this is for free, from me." Pulling back his fist, he swung, landing a hard blow to the man's jaw. The man collapsed on the pavement without a sound.

"You didn't," Cody said, both amazed and horrified.

"Yeah, I did. The bastard deserved it."

Several people were moving closer at that point, some shocked, others just interested in what had happened. Brent looked at them, saying, "Nothing to see here, folks. Just a bit of well-deserved payback."

"For?" one of the men asked belligerently.

"That is none of your business."

"It is mine," a police officer said, coming up beside Brent.

Brent sighed, glancing at Cody. "Your choice."

Cody took a deep breath as he walked over to take Brent's hand, looking down at his bruised knuckles. Then he pointed to the man on the ground. "When I was younger, this man and some of his friends beat me up and left me for dead." Not quite true, but close enough, as far he was concerned.

"Can you prove it?" the officer asked.

"I can tell you what hospital I ended up at, if that helps."

The officer looked at the man, who was just starting to come to, then at Brent and Cody. "Let's take this down to the station to straighten it out."

"Fine with me," Brent replied.

"Me too," Cody agreed. He had no desire to have everyone watching hear his story.

The officer's partner came over to haul the man to his feet and escort him to the patrol car. Meanwhile, the first officer took Brent and Cody's particulars before telling them he expected them to follow him to the station.

"We didn't come by car," Brent told him.

"Then the two of you get to share ours with your…friend."

Cody wasn't happy about that but with no choice, he and Brent got in.