Broken Highway: A Thomas Highway Story Read Online Free PDF Page B

thing,
not in the real world.
    Shortly after we squared up I took a
half-step to my right, as though I was going to start circling, a
classic boxing strategy. As Pedroza shifted his lead foot to stay
with me, I lashed out with my trailing foot, striking him squarely
in the groin. Pedroza let out a tortured groan and fell to his
knees. He started rocking back and forth, his hands covering his
crotch, his face red from exertion, his eyes bugging.
    He was just about to fall face-first to the
cement when Willis grabbed him from behind. Willis yanked Pedroza
to his feet and started marching him towards the Blazer. Pedroza
was in too much pain to fight back. He just shuffled along, moaning
the whole time.
    “Thanks for leaving me something to
do,” Willis said as we made our way back to the Blazer.
    “What can I say? Things got a little out of
hand.”
    “Are you sure you didn’t have it planned
that way the whole time?”
    “Well, you did say you couldn’t put any
stress on your back, so I figured I’d just take care of it
myself.”
    Willis laughed. “You’re a piece of work, my
friend. A real piece of work.” He stuffed Pedroza into the back
seat and closed the door.
    “So,” I said. “Until next time?”
    “Is there going to be a next time? I thought
you didn’t want my charity.”
    “Yeah, well maybe I was being a little too
rash. This was kinda fun.”
    “I thought you’d like it,” Willis said.
“It’ll be good to have you on board. The way we’re growing, I could
definitely use the help.”
    “Then count me in,” I said.
    “Cool,” Willis said.
    “So that’s it?”
    “Almost,” Willis said. “Just one more thing
and then we’re done.”
    “What now?” I asked, pretending to be
annoyed.
    “Come with me to drop him off.”
    “What for?”
    “So you can meet the lawyer. She’ll want to
see the man that brought the mighty Pedroza in for her.”
    I waved him off. “Nah, man. You can take the
credit. Maybe she’ll be so grateful you can get a little action out
of it.”
    “I told you before,” Willis said. “It wasn’t
about that. She’s not my kind of girl. But you, on the other hand,
you could use a girl like her.”
    Something about the way he said it was
strange. And then I saw how he was looking at me. Grinning like the
Cheshire Cat and with mischief in his eyes. And then I got it.
    I scoffed and shook my head. “That’s what
this was all about? This whole thing was just a ploy to set me up
with the lawyer?”
    Willis shrugged. “I had to try something. I
couldn’t just stand by and let you rot in that basement forever.
You needed to get your life back, bro.”
    “So I take it your back isn’t even bothering
you?”
    “Not a bit.”
    I laughed. Un-freaking-believable. But I
still didn’t understand one thing. “If you were trying to set me up
with the lawyer, then what was last night about?”
    “That was just for fun,” Willis said. “A one
night thing to break your funk, get you back in the saddle.”
    “And Amber?”
    “She knew the score going in,” Willis said.
“She’s cool with it. She knows you couldn’t handle a girl like her
for long. It’s not your style. But this lawyer, she’s right down
your alley. I got a good feeling about this one, Highway. I think
you two will hit it off.”
    I thought about it for a moment. Willis
always did have a sixth sense when it came to women. Maybe it was
time to see if it worked for others too. “You said she was hot,
right?”
    “Smokin.”
    “What the hell,” I said, feeling optimistic
for the first time in as long as I could remember. “Why not give it
a shot? What’s the worst that could happen?”
    “You could fall in love and get
married.”
    “Only in your world is that a bad thing,
Willis.”
    “Yeah, I am kind of strange like that,”
Willis said, clapping me on the back. He went around the front of
the car to the driver’s side.
    “So what’s this lawyer’s name?” I asked over
the hood as we