Page 71 of High Side

“Shut up! Oh my God. I just want to talk to you.”

Josh. It was that Josh asshole. “You almost killed Kylie!”

“I didn’t! I didn’t mean for her to get hurt!”

“What did you mean?” She threw up her hands in disgust. “You flipped the truck and then dragged her off to hide her.”

“I just wanted to stop her! She was supposed to be stranded, not dead!”

“Well, there were ways to do that without running her off the road.” Brittany edged away from Joshua, determined to get her ass inside and get security out there.

“I need you to listen to me! I was framed!”

“Bullshit!” Did he think she was stupid? “We have you on video doing shit.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it! It wasn’t malicious.”

“Josh. You tampered with boats. Slashed tires. This is dangerous. Like, well beyond misdemeanor at this point.”

When his face twisted in a desperate snarl, she whirled, trying to make a run for it.

“Help! Someone help!”

“Shut up, you bitch!”

Josh raced after her, and she spun, decking Josh in the jaw.

“Security! I need help!”

“Shut up!” He grabbed her backpack this time, and spun her around again. Brittany was sick of this shit, rage pushing her, and she let her fist fly as she whirled, smacking him right on the nose.

She could hear people running toward them, and she kept screaming. “Help me! He’s the one that hurt Kylie!”

He tried one more time to grab her, maybe to use as a shield, but she kicked him in the business, and he went down with a shriek.

“Brit! I have you.” Liz wrapped Brittany in a hug as Geoff and two security guards hit Josh like three individual sacks of bricks.

Her teeth chattered a little. “Whoa. That guy is a nutburger.”

“Cashew or peanut?”

“Those big, waxy ones.”

Liz chortled. “Brazil nuts, huh? I don’t love those.”

“Does anyone?” Even as she said it, she knew what Liz was going to say.

“Probably Joe.”

They both laughed at that, and she sagged a little. Liz hustled her inside, where Lupe met them, handing her half a Snickers bar. “For the shock.”

“Thanks. Do I have to stay down here or can I go to Kylie?”

“You’re going to have to talk to Geoff, but he’s busy. Go see Kylie and I’ll bring him up to you.” Liz patted her back, and Lupe led her off.

“Come on, honey. She did real well with the surgery.”

“Yeah? Good. Good. Tell Geoff he has to keep him locked up. He’s nuts.”