who he worked for, what exactly he did, where he came from, nothing. He can blend into any crowd, disappear like smoke in the wind, and find anyone anywhere, anytime. Combine his spy skills with Lear’s hacking abilities? Those two scare the fuck out of me. I mean, I can lay out major damage with any weapon created, including my bare hands. But…I’m not exactly the subtlest of dudes, obviously. I can sneak around, do urban combat and woodcraft and shit like that, but what those two are capable of? It’s freaky. It’s on another level. And Anselm is just…cold. You think I’m cold? I’m like a warm, fuzzy little puppy compared to that fucker. But he’s my friend, and I trust him with my life. All the guys I work with, I trust that way. Which is why the thought of Cain going after my buddies? Oh, no. Fuck that. Shit’s gonna get hot real fucking fast.”
I reflected on what it might mean if a man like Thresh claimed to be freaked out by something—the thought made me shudder. To ignore those shudder-inducing thoughts, I decided to push Thresh, a little, about his past. See what I could get out of him.
“So…in the hospital you mentioned you played football for Florida State. Did you graduate from there?” I wasn’t just pushing for info, though, I was honestly curious. What shaped a man like Thresh?
He didn’t respond very quickly, and when he did, it was obvious he was choosing his words with care. “No, I didn’t. I…pursued other opportunities.”
“Like what?”
He glanced at me. “Well, I got recruited, if you really want to know. NFL. Made it through training camp, played an entire season with the Carolina Panthers.”
I gaped at him. “You played pro football?”
He wouldn’t look at me. “Yep. I had the size, strength, speed, and talent. That season, man…I wrecked shit right up. It was a good year. Lots of fun, lots of money, lots of bitches—women, I mean.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Why censor yourself now, Thresh? It’s not like I’m unaware of your status as a professional-grade player.”
He shrugged. “I’m not trying to censor myself, I just—”
“You want in my pants, and you think I’m less likely to let that happen if I’m constantly being reminded that you’ve probably perfected the art of the hump and dump?”
He frowned at me. “Okay, now hold the fuck on a second. That’s not entirely fair. It’s not like that, okay? I’m not like that. Can I say I’ve never humped and dumped before? No. I was an animal in college, and that year with the pros. But things changed. I changed. I don’t play it that way. Do I do monogamy? No. Not even really serial monogamy. I’m a soldier, and I have been my whole life. I travel too much, and I’m constantly in and out of gnarly situations. It would be stupidity of the highest order for me to try to saddle some poor chick with my freight train of shit.”
He sounded genuinely upset at the accusation I’d leveled at him. “I lay it out before I even step up to the plate with a girl. You don’t get to first base with me until you understand the game. It’s not that I don’t want to stick around, and it’s not that the girl isn’t worth it, or anything like that. It’s the nature of my job. Just the way my life is right now. I’m gonna move on. We can have fun until I’m called away, but that’s it. It ain’t gonna be more than that. Can’t be. Won’t be. Even if it could be—and Doc, there’s been a few times where it could have been something—that can’t happen. I won’t let it. No point. No chick is ever gonna be fine with me hopping all over the damn globe getting shot or stabbed or whatever. But I don’t fuck and chuck, okay? I don’t play that way.”
I met his eyes. “I’m sorry, Thresh, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just…how you come across, I guess.”
A shrug. “I get that.”
“So, only the one season, huh? What happened? Injury?”
His
I reflected on what it might mean if a man like Thresh claimed to be freaked out by something—the thought made me shudder. To ignore those shudder-inducing thoughts, I decided to push Thresh, a little, about his past. See what I could get out of him.
“So…in the hospital you mentioned you played football for Florida State. Did you graduate from there?” I wasn’t just pushing for info, though, I was honestly curious. What shaped a man like Thresh?
He didn’t respond very quickly, and when he did, it was obvious he was choosing his words with care. “No, I didn’t. I…pursued other opportunities.”
“Like what?”
He glanced at me. “Well, I got recruited, if you really want to know. NFL. Made it through training camp, played an entire season with the Carolina Panthers.”
I gaped at him. “You played pro football?”
He wouldn’t look at me. “Yep. I had the size, strength, speed, and talent. That season, man…I wrecked shit right up. It was a good year. Lots of fun, lots of money, lots of bitches—women, I mean.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Why censor yourself now, Thresh? It’s not like I’m unaware of your status as a professional-grade player.”
He shrugged. “I’m not trying to censor myself, I just—”
“You want in my pants, and you think I’m less likely to let that happen if I’m constantly being reminded that you’ve probably perfected the art of the hump and dump?”
He frowned at me. “Okay, now hold the fuck on a second. That’s not entirely fair. It’s not like that, okay? I’m not like that. Can I say I’ve never humped and dumped before? No. I was an animal in college, and that year with the pros. But things changed. I changed. I don’t play it that way. Do I do monogamy? No. Not even really serial monogamy. I’m a soldier, and I have been my whole life. I travel too much, and I’m constantly in and out of gnarly situations. It would be stupidity of the highest order for me to try to saddle some poor chick with my freight train of shit.”
He sounded genuinely upset at the accusation I’d leveled at him. “I lay it out before I even step up to the plate with a girl. You don’t get to first base with me until you understand the game. It’s not that I don’t want to stick around, and it’s not that the girl isn’t worth it, or anything like that. It’s the nature of my job. Just the way my life is right now. I’m gonna move on. We can have fun until I’m called away, but that’s it. It ain’t gonna be more than that. Can’t be. Won’t be. Even if it could be—and Doc, there’s been a few times where it could have been something—that can’t happen. I won’t let it. No point. No chick is ever gonna be fine with me hopping all over the damn globe getting shot or stabbed or whatever. But I don’t fuck and chuck, okay? I don’t play that way.”
I met his eyes. “I’m sorry, Thresh, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just…how you come across, I guess.”
A shrug. “I get that.”
“So, only the one season, huh? What happened? Injury?”
His
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