Page 43 of Yours on the Canvas

“Well don’t fucking stop right where I’m about to walk, Dickhead.” I’m sulking, I’ll admit it, and I don’t care.

“Fuck you two are children.” Deck shoves us both aside, then stops right next to CJ, putting a wall of solid muscle between me and my target.

I grumble behind their backs and look over their shoulders, trying to see Jack.

CJ turns his head again, looking at me over his shoulder. “Silas? Who’s that with Jack?”

I look past him, and that’s when I see it.

Jack’s body is tense, his face tight with terror. The man leaning against the counter is talking to him, nothing unusual in itself, but Jack’s posture tells me everything. He looks like he wants to disappear into the floor.

The man leans closer.

Jack steps back, pressing himself against the counter like he’s bracing to run. And by the look on his face, running is exactly what he wants to do.

“I don’t know. But I don’t like it.”

“Come on. Let’s see what this fucker wants.” Deck starts walking toward them.

We reach the counter, and I plant myself beside the man while Deck and CJ move to stand behind him.

I catch the tail end of what he’s saying, and my blood boils. Rage tears through me, my sole focus is this man currently threatening my boy. My fist clench as I hear him speak to Jack, and I take a step forward ready to rip out the man’s throat without a question asked, his words pure venom.

“…stray dog always comes back to the porch where it was fed. Especially when it realises the leash was never actually removed.”

Well. Didn’t realise Jack adopted any dogs lately.

““Jack?” I try to grab his attention. My dove is so focused on this man he doesn’t even realise I’m here.

I say his name again. Nothing.

Then the man speaks again, and I hate it. His voice grates and it makes me want to rip out his tongue and feed it to the dogs. But violence is apparently illegal in this country, so I force myself to ignore him and look at Jack.

My breath escapes me quick and sharp. “Jack. You good?” This time he hears me.

His head turns slightly, and the terror in his eyes makes me want to do two things: pull him into my arms and keep him safe from the world, and tear the man beside me apart piece by piece, and make sure he doesn’t see the light of day again.

I turn my head back to the man, keeping Jack in my line of sight. “I think you need to leave.” My words drip with deadly precision.

I’m begging this fucker to step up. My fingers itch with the desire to beat him into the floor.

He looks me up and down, assessing. I can see him weighing up whether to push this further.

Oh please, fucker. Please, I’m begging you.

His smile when he meets my eyes is pure evil, and a sliver of recognition runs through me. I ignore it when he stands, straightening the lapels of his jacket, giving me a small huff of breath as he moves to leave.

I refuse to budge, and I pull my body tight, towering over him, forcing him to look up at me.

I hear CJ scoff as the man goes to step between us. “Stay the fuck away from him.” CJ’s voice leaves no room for discussion.

I watch the man, as his eyes lock onto CJ, and then he moves to Deck, calculating. I know a brawler when I see one, and right now, this piece of trash is deciding if he’s stupid enough to test us.

Please, I think, my grip tightening into a silent threat, give Deck a reason to put this mutt down. He so much as breathes wrong in Jacks’ direction, I’ll hand Deck the cleaver myself.

The man looks at me, and he barks out a quick laugh, full of contempt. He sneers at us, then lets his eyes slide back to Jack.

“It was good to see you, Jackie.”