Page 81 of Drilled

I immediately snatched the check out of her grasp and she sputtered, looking furious now.

“Then I guess you don’t agree to the terms,” I said simply. “It really is that easy. You two leave him alone, and you get the money. Or don’t and see how long it takes to pay back those sharks you have on your tail.”

I told Lane that I wasn’t someone who let himself be bullied, and I didn’t stand for letting those I cared about be bullied either. I meant every word. For all our differences, Miller was more than just one of my crewmen. He was a man who was trying despite all the shit that life kept throwing at him, and I had to commend him for that.

I was willing to do whatever I had to in order to tie up this loose end. I was playing nice for now, but if they wouldn’t budge, they were going to force my hand to try other tactics.

His mother cut a wordless look to her son and my instinct snapped into place. The guy was fast but sloppy, and he telegraphed his moves before he started them. Rookie mistake.

He flung a wide right hook as if on cue, and I knew to pivot instantly. Unfortunately for me, the cold meant my bad leg pulled stiff enough to sabotage the turn. I took the brunt of the strike across my left shoulder and jaw. His fist connected with a wet, heavy crack. My head snapped back, surprised at the street weight behind that hit.

It rattled my teeth for sure but it lacked real form. He was all unguided brawn.

Still, the force rolled me onto my heels and my bad knee caught the worst of the uneven, muddy gravel. A sharp, familiar spike of cold pain shot up my thigh, threatening to buckle my stance.

I had to forcefully lock the joint out, my boot skidding in the black sludge as I absorbed the momentum. Their mother was cheering in the background, encouraging her son to “teach me a lesson”. Okay, I guess.

I reset my stance while working my jaw, mentally running through the situation. This petty scrap was nothing. I rebuilt bridges under mortar fire to save men I barely knew. Here, I was taking punches to protect my electrician and a client who completely dismantled my solitary life.

Cornerstone wasn’t just a business anymore. Miller wasn’t just some random guy I was tasked with keeping off the street anymore. He was my friend, just like Sy. Lane was my heart. The three of them were my pack, my team. My family.

Dax’s brother must’ve mistaken my defensive stance as hesitation because he came in for a double-leg takedown like a total dumbass. This kid really thought he could drag me into the mud. I dropped my hips, clamped my forearms over his neck in a headlock and drove my weight downward.

I utilized a simple inside trip, leveraging my frame to throw him off balance despite the fact he had height and reach on me. He hit the packed gravel face-first with a wet, heavy thud. Before the kid could roll over, I planted a work boot right between his shoulder blades. Frantic gasps turned to a wheeze.

His body immediately went slack, his palms splayed out in surrender in the mud. I didn’t press hard enough to snap anything, just enough to let my body weight communicate that I absolutely could.

Their mother was screeching now, pacing back and forth. “Get your hands off him, you bastard! I’ll have you locked up for this!”

I looked up at her calmly, my breath not even catching. “Shut up, Donna. Listen to me very carefully.”

She looked like I’d just slapped her, hearing me deign to use her first name for the first time.

I leaned down slightly, increasing the pressure of my boot enough for them both to be part of the conversation. “I’m going to say this one last time and never again. You don’t know who you’re messing with. Stay away from Dax,” I said, articulating every word so there was no misunderstanding.

She went pale and I took my boot off the kid’s back. I took out the check again and let it fall onto his back, then turned mine and made my way back to my truck.

32

Lane

The landing on the common floor sent a violent, breath-stealing jolt through my spine. The world tilted and for a few seconds, my brain couldn’t process the sudden explosion of pain that wedged itself between my bones.

I couldn’t move and could barely breathe, making terrifying faint, wet clicking noises in my throat. Surely this wasn’t a high enough fall to die from? It felt like it, anyway. My ears were ringing and I felt a light pressure on my shoulder as someone touched me.

Sy.

He and Dax would very obviously have heard the crash from the basement. They were meant to be finishing up some minor touches today. I couldn’t hear Sy at first, but I could see his face. His blue eyes were red-ringed as his mouth moved without sound. But the terror nestled in his gaze…

Dax loomed above me too, and I watched as the shock on his face transformed into blind rage. His head snapped up to the top of the stairs where Sandy was staring down, frozen and pale-faced. He immediately lunged for the steps but I had just enough strength to croak out a feeble “Don’t”.

His body was visibly shaking with the conflict of whether to follow his instincts upstairs, where Sandy had slithered back to his unit and locked himself in, or to listen to me. I knew that if he didn’t stop here, he would be more than capable of breaking down Sandy’s door.

Silas lifted me into his arms, carefully avoiding putting pressure on my ribs and the instant relief of being raised from the hard floor was enough to make me tear up. The agony was still there but not as intense.

“You’re going to be less help trying to get to him than you are taking care of Lane. She needs you,” Sy said.

That snapped Dax out of it and he turned to look at me. His face softened and he nodded, leading the way to open the door for Sy to carry me inside. The gentle giant laid me down on the nearest sofa, brushing hair off my face and whispering gentle words of comfort.