Page 101 of Preacher Man

“You okay?” He asked gruffly, lifting his head to look at Red sat at his side. The crazy fucker was grinning from ear to ear. He’d had a grand time from the looks.

The three bodyguards had hobbled back to their ride worse for wear. At least Preacher and Red got more licks in. Fuckers. Some meet and greet this had turned out to be. His ribs were killing him and all he could think about was Ruby and what she'd think if she'd known he was scrapping. Would she get all cute and patch him up, maybe stroke his head and give him those little kisses? Yeah, he'd like that.

“Haven’t done that in a while.” Red chuckled and got to his feet, holding out a hand for Preacher. He grasped and hauled himself up with a groan of pain and old age rattling his bones. He rolled his shoulder, stretching out the kinks there.

“That one big asshole had a hand like a shovel,Jesus, what does he eat, steroid infused rocks?”

“You did alright.” Offered Red. Preacher cocked a brow.

“You waded in there for me. This mean we have a truce?”

Silence filled in the blanks and Preacher felt his hope chest deflate.

Guess not.

He wanted it done.

For a moment back then, when they’d been fighting and throwing out punches to those fellas they’d grinned at one another, like old times, comrades in battle, it had felt fucking nice.

“Look, never mind, the heat of the moment shit, I get it.“ He began walking away. He was too old for this crap, his ribs made him feel ancient, that’s what they had prospects for, dammit, to do all the donkey work, he should have dragged a couple of H’s lapdogs here today, if only he’d known it would descend into WWE territory. A shower, some grub and he was making a call to that runaway.

“Yeah, I suppose we can draw a line under everything. I just did save your ass after all.” Red said. And he grinned.

Preacher laughed. He almost gave him that. But. “Right. It wasn’t me who stopped big dumb and ugly number three putting you in a headlock.”

“Yeah, yeah, it was just cuddling. Can’t help everyone is attracted to me, brother.”

Brother. That felt good. He reached out at the same time Red Light did and their sore palms met in the middle.

“But, Preach…” they were in step towards their bikes.

He cocked his head in silent question.

“No more fucking my sisters, you get it?”

Deadly seriously. Red smiled.

“How many you got?”

“Oh, you fucker.”

Both laughed. “No siblings. Got it. Now I know.”

“Though, from the looks of you with that hot chick, doesn’t seem you’ll be going near anyone else.” Nosy asshole was fishing in Preacher's pond.

Preacher smiled and gave this to him.

“Well. She’s taken off on me. So….“

Red Light burst out laughing and slapped him on the shoulder that was tender, he gritted his teeth as a sharp blast of pain ricocheted throughout the top half of him. “This is priceless. Has king dick lost his touch? I gotta text and let Snake know this.”

“I will fuck you up if you dare gossip to Snake,” eyes like razors, he watched Red climb onto his bike, start the engine. “I damn well mean it. You know what Snake is like.”

“Priceless, brother.” He rode off.

“Goddamn it, Red!”

Growling a stream of obscenities, he climbed onto his own hog. Preacher knew one thing.