Damn, she got him good.
“You okay, buddy?” Luke said as Saks clenched his stomach and tried to breathe. “She kneed him in the balls.”
“The girl he walked out the door with?” Spider asked in surprise.
“Yeah,” Luke said.
“What did you do to her?” Spider asked accusatorially.
“Nothing!” Saks sucked in a sharp breath. Stupid erection and balls. What the fuck?
“This doesn’t help, Spider,” Luke admonished.
“Take him back to the storeroom. I’ll bring some ice.”
Spider dragged in a chair and they helped Saks to sit. Sheldon brought in a small bag of ice wrapped in a bar towel, and Saks clutched it between his legs.
“I feel sick.”
Sheldon kicked a waste can to him and held out a small bottle of whiskey.
“No, thanks,” Saks said, shaking his head. But he pulled the trash can closer in case the urge became a reality.
“You fucked up good,” Sheldon said. “You left the Rocco woman at the bar to chase after another woman? Nice job, Anthony.”
These harsh words didn’t make Saks feel any better. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“Hey,” Luke said. “Lay off on Saks.”
“His name,” Sheldon spat, “is Anthony.”
“I know what his name is. I sign his paychecks.”
“Maybe that has to fucking change. It’s not like my cousin is safe in your company.”
“Excuse me?” Luke protested.
“Damn it, Sheldon,” Saks barked, wincing. “Leave him alone.” It irritated him that Sheldon didn’t let last summer’s problems drop. Yeah, the one-percenter motorcycle gang, the Rojos, kidnapped Saks to get to Luke, but that wasn’t Luke’s fault. And in the end, it was Luke who pulled him out of that hellish situation.
“You didn’t have to clean him up after that mess with you and the Rojos, Wade. Or explain his injuries to his mother.”
“Zitto, cugino. Luca non è il problema qui.” Saks rarely spoke Italian, but he wanted to make an impression on Sheldon. This, what was happening, was Saks’ fuck up, not Luke’s.
“Capisco che, stupido.”
Good. At least Sheldon was insulting him instead of Luke.
Luke’s wife, Emily, stuck her head inside the storeroom. “What happened here?” she said, her eyes wide.
“Em, go wait at the table, please. I’ll be right there.”
“Sure,” she said. “You okay, Saks?”
He waved his bag of ice. “I’m fine. My pride more than anything tonight, Em.”
“It’ll pass.” She smiled, and winked at him before disappearing behind the door.
“You okay then?” Luke asked. “Do you need anything?”