take some time drilling the lesson into his brain – and every other part of him. After that, I’m sure we’ll find some way to dig you out of there.”
Evan’s stance lowered, settled, and then it was as if he suspended, waiting.
Jeff’s brows lowered. He nudged his head at the pair of blonds who stood closest to the front. “All right, you two, grab his arms.”
The blonds looked like German wrestlers – beefy, dressed in t-shirts and jeans, their eyes lackluster. They dutifully stepped forward, their hands up before them, shielding and reaching.
Evan spun right, driving hard with his right fist into the man’s stomach. As the man collapsed forward, Evan followed up with a left uppercut, rocking the man’s head back. The blond flailed into the console, catching the corner of it deep in his shoulder blade.
His bellow of pain echoed across the room as Evan spun toward the other man. The man caught Evan’s right hook on his upper arm with a grunt, but Evan’s left fist flashed hard into the man’s ribs. There was a sharp cracking noise and the man collapsed down, clutching his side.
A freckled red-head blinked, shook his head, and stepped back. “I’m on vacation, man,” he called to Jeff. “You fight your own fights.” He grabbed the door handle and in another second he had fled.
Evan drew his eyes across the remaining three men. “And now we’re back to the three miscreants from the alley. It’s not going to turn out any different this time, boys.”
Jeff’s eyes flashed. “This time we’re sober, and we’re alert for your tricks,” he challenged. “You’ll never take us three on one when we’re ready for you. We work out at Boston’s finest gym two hours a day, with the best trainers money can buy.”
Evan gave a dry chuckle. “I grew up with three brothers,” he responded. “Our training was our daily brawls. If I could hold my own against the three of them – men who worked together as closely as any three humans could – then think of how easily I’ll take you three apart.”
His eyes shadowed. “Leave now. This isn’t worth it.”
Jeff’s jaw tightened. “That bitch is mine. As soon as we take care of you, she’s the one who will be taken apart.”
Evan nodded. “Your choice, then.”
He dove in.
I wrapped my arms around myself, my heart thundering against my chest. The flurry of punches and kicks, of blocks and groans, filled the room as if a tornado had touched down. Jeff was right – the trio was definitely more alert now. They were able to block, to land a solid blow to Evan’s upper arm, a kick against his thigh which staggered him back.
But Evan was a panther crossed with a prize fighter. He spun to keep his opponents within sight, ducking under a sweeping blow, sliding to barely avoid a haymaker. He grunted as Mikey’s foot connected with his calf, then launched himself with a flurry of blows to drive Mikey back into the wall. He barely dropped underneath a hard kick from the third man, spinning to drive his fist hard into the man’s groin.
I winced. Twice in a week. The guy would swear off cruising forever.
Then it was just Evan and Jeff. Evan attentively turned in place, with Jeff circling around the outside like a crazed circus lion ready to pounce. Blood dripped down Jeff’s left arm and he favored his left ankle as he moved. His teeth were bared in fury.
“Don’t you see, you drunken Mick , I bought her. I paid for her. I’m the one who wasted the past two years of my life paying for dinners at that brewery and driving out the tedious Pike haul to her parents in Lenox. I did my dues. Now she’s mine. She owes it to me.”
There was a ragged cut on Evan’s forehead, leaking a steady stream of blood down his cheek. His knuckles were raw and swollen. “Amanda is her own person. She doesn’t owe anything to anyone,” he corrected. “Your relationship with her is
Evan’s stance lowered, settled, and then it was as if he suspended, waiting.
Jeff’s brows lowered. He nudged his head at the pair of blonds who stood closest to the front. “All right, you two, grab his arms.”
The blonds looked like German wrestlers – beefy, dressed in t-shirts and jeans, their eyes lackluster. They dutifully stepped forward, their hands up before them, shielding and reaching.
Evan spun right, driving hard with his right fist into the man’s stomach. As the man collapsed forward, Evan followed up with a left uppercut, rocking the man’s head back. The blond flailed into the console, catching the corner of it deep in his shoulder blade.
His bellow of pain echoed across the room as Evan spun toward the other man. The man caught Evan’s right hook on his upper arm with a grunt, but Evan’s left fist flashed hard into the man’s ribs. There was a sharp cracking noise and the man collapsed down, clutching his side.
A freckled red-head blinked, shook his head, and stepped back. “I’m on vacation, man,” he called to Jeff. “You fight your own fights.” He grabbed the door handle and in another second he had fled.
Evan drew his eyes across the remaining three men. “And now we’re back to the three miscreants from the alley. It’s not going to turn out any different this time, boys.”
Jeff’s eyes flashed. “This time we’re sober, and we’re alert for your tricks,” he challenged. “You’ll never take us three on one when we’re ready for you. We work out at Boston’s finest gym two hours a day, with the best trainers money can buy.”
Evan gave a dry chuckle. “I grew up with three brothers,” he responded. “Our training was our daily brawls. If I could hold my own against the three of them – men who worked together as closely as any three humans could – then think of how easily I’ll take you three apart.”
His eyes shadowed. “Leave now. This isn’t worth it.”
Jeff’s jaw tightened. “That bitch is mine. As soon as we take care of you, she’s the one who will be taken apart.”
Evan nodded. “Your choice, then.”
He dove in.
I wrapped my arms around myself, my heart thundering against my chest. The flurry of punches and kicks, of blocks and groans, filled the room as if a tornado had touched down. Jeff was right – the trio was definitely more alert now. They were able to block, to land a solid blow to Evan’s upper arm, a kick against his thigh which staggered him back.
But Evan was a panther crossed with a prize fighter. He spun to keep his opponents within sight, ducking under a sweeping blow, sliding to barely avoid a haymaker. He grunted as Mikey’s foot connected with his calf, then launched himself with a flurry of blows to drive Mikey back into the wall. He barely dropped underneath a hard kick from the third man, spinning to drive his fist hard into the man’s groin.
I winced. Twice in a week. The guy would swear off cruising forever.
Then it was just Evan and Jeff. Evan attentively turned in place, with Jeff circling around the outside like a crazed circus lion ready to pounce. Blood dripped down Jeff’s left arm and he favored his left ankle as he moved. His teeth were bared in fury.
“Don’t you see, you drunken Mick , I bought her. I paid for her. I’m the one who wasted the past two years of my life paying for dinners at that brewery and driving out the tedious Pike haul to her parents in Lenox. I did my dues. Now she’s mine. She owes it to me.”
There was a ragged cut on Evan’s forehead, leaking a steady stream of blood down his cheek. His knuckles were raw and swollen. “Amanda is her own person. She doesn’t owe anything to anyone,” he corrected. “Your relationship with her is
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