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Damon would never have wanted his daughter involved in anything like this. And he'd want me to do everything I can to protect her from it.
Three guys are standing just past the halo of a streetlamp. Their leader is a sly looking, bald snake of a man.
“Stay here,” she urges, opening her door.
“Not a chance. I’ll be right behind you.” I check the safety on my Glock, and she frowns.
She hesitates, trying to be bold. Thank goodness I don’t have to push harder as she nods, stepping out into the light fog rolling in off the bay.
“You got this, Lena.” My words bolster her enough to step forward into the light.
“Here. I’ve got everything you asked for. This makes us even.” I’m impressed by how brave she sounds.
The skinny cuck out front smiles, cocks his head to the side, and looks her up and down. It makes my blood start to simmer, a soft hiss in my ears. Flicking his cigarette, he sneers at me over her shoulder.
Two brutes behind him square up.
“No need to start a fight. I’m just here for… moral support.”
“I like your bodyguard, Michaels. Makes you seem like you got your shit together. Bull, grab it.” Sly waves for one of the huge guys to pick up the bag of cash between them. “Just like I knew you would get this scratch together. Shows that you could do it again. Like I said at the party. You and I gonna do a lot more business together.”
“No. I can’t,” she stutters out, sounding choked.
“It was the start of something, not the end. Unless you want to find your end.” The threat has me seconds from snapping his neck. Sensing my mood, Hellena waves a hand back at me.
“I don't want to continue working with you, at school or anywhere. I can’t make it any clearer.”
“You pretend that the choice was ever yours to begin with, sweetheart. One way or another, you're going to work with us, or you're going to work for us. So I tell you what, you want to buy your way out, fine. Two more payments just like this one. Then we can call it even.”
Hellena hides her outrage. “And how do I know you'll even stick to that deal?”
“You don't. You'll have to take it on faith. Take a risk.”
“I already took a risk.” She’s losing her grip.
“Yeah. And it burned your ass, didn't it? Incentivizes you to keep up the good work, though.”
Enough.
I take a small step forward, raising my eyebrows. “You need to let this go. She's done her part. She's trying to make it right with you. You’ve more than broken even.”
“How about I break your fucking face, you big, meaty piece of shit? Stay out of this.” One of the guys behind him steps forward, cracking his neck from side to side.
“Gavin… don’t.” Hellena’s eyes are everything I need to ignore her plea. No one gets to make her feel this way.
“I’ll ask one last time. You got more than your share. Just write this one off. Forget it happened. I heard you don’t like problems. So, let’s not have one.”
“Oh, you're damn right, I don’t. And you're making yourself one right now, buddy.”
“Don't call me buddy.”
“Oh, yeah. And what are you or this little bitch going to do about it?”
Red fogs my vision. I’m already moving, nudging Hellena behind me.
The bigger guy, Bull, gets two steps before I’ve got his face in one hand, flipping him back and smashing his head into the concrete. With his size, he’ll only be dazed for a few minutes.
Just enough time to kick the knees out from under the other thug, sending him flying backward into the water. He shouts, and a third body lumbers out of the shadows. I can hear him fumbling with his holster.
