CHAPTER 11
Landon Lane
I WALKED DOWN THE SIDEWALK toward Gus’s gym like I did any other day of the week. Same route. Same fifty-five steps, before a left turn for another twenty-seven. Right in the heart of Missoula. I hadn’t turned on the radio the whole drive over. Wanted to think about things. Those things being Cora. Fucking hell, that kiss. Her neck. Her tongue.
The real world beckoned the second I walked into the gym. I needed it to get my mind off her. A ruckus came from the rear of the building. Voices argued.
I sprinted back.
Sam had a finger in Gus’s face. “I don’t give a fuck. I don’t back down from anyone.”
I knew what it was about already.
Sid Kayzo.
What was with that name, anyway? I knew him as a serial number.
Not much in the world ever put a shudder through me, but Sid, yeah, he did it. Sam had no chance. Gus was doing him a solid if he was trying to prevent a fight from happening.
Of course, Sam was the number one MMA fighter in the world. The champion. Guys like Sam couldn’t be expected to roll over for anyone. He couldn’t anyway, really. Even if he wanted to. Gus had to have anticipated the reaction.
“Just, calm down and let’s think things through.” Gus had a hand up.
Sam turned to me and shook his head. Held a palm out at Gus. “You believe this shit? This guy gets me to number one. World champion. And now he’s worried about my safety?” He stared back at Gus. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but you train fighters here. Fighting is what we do.”
I halted in the middle of the office when I realized it wouldn’t be more than a conversation between them. I didn’t want any part of their bickering. “Come out and go a few rounds. Cool off for a bit.” I reached out for Sam’s forearm.
“Get tha fuck off me!” He took a swipe at me with a backhand.
He didn’t try to hit me. Was just waving me off. But I reacted. It wasn’t everyday someone threw a backhand my direction in public outside of the ring. It was the first time, in fact. Instincts kicked in. I caught his arm in the palm of my hand like it was nothing and bore down with my fingers. Sam’s face screwed up into a grimace.
I dropped his arm.
He shook his hand around, opening and closing it, and stared blankly at me. The venom in his words dissipated. “How in the—”
I nodded to the sparring ring out front. “Come on. Take some aggression out on me. Clear your head.”
Sam nodded, still confused by how I caught his arm.
Gus held up a thumb behind him. I shrugged and nodded back like I’ll take care of this. I liked Sam, but Gus was my friend. He’d given me the job. I owed him, and I protected the people I cared about.
Sam and I walked side-by-side.
“I haven’t seen the news. They want you to fight Sid?”
“Yes, and Gus is acting like a little bitch.” He whipped his head back. The fight in him returned a little. “Told me I should fake an injury. Believe that shit? What do you think?”
“Gus knows what’s best.”
“What? You don’t think I can win either?”
I climbed into the ring. “No.”
Sam stopped outside the ropes for a second. “Well fuckin’ a, Landon. Tell me how you really feel.” He wedged himself through and went to a corner.
“Nobody can beat him.”
Gus walked out from the back and leaned up against the wall next to the ring.
Sam stared at me. “Why don’t you have your head gear on? I’ll hurt you, dude.”
“No, you won’t.” I taped up both wrists and strapped on a pair of gloves. Peeled my shirt off.
Sam followed suit. “What is this?” He looked over at Gus. “The fuck is going on?”
“I think he’s going to show you why you need to listen to me.”
Sam stared at me like I was some kind of alien. “Oh, so you’re going to fight back today? You want to fight me for real?” He kept looking at me and then back at Gus. “Is this a joke?”
I walked out and stood in front of him. “Hit me.”
“You two are insane. I’m out of here.”
I gave him a friendly shove into the corner. He nearly flew through the ropes. Recoiled off them and landed flat on his back.
I took a step toward him and looked down. “Hit me.”
Sam leaped from the mat. His face went tomato-red, but he quickly calmed. He was too skilled of a fighter to let emotions cloud his abilities. “So, you’re going to try and bully the champion? Not smart, Landon.” He stood back and glared at me for a quick second. Shook his head. “You’re a good friend. Great training partner. I like you. So remember one thing in a few seconds.”
I grinned. “What’s that?”
He glanced over at the lockers with all the equipment and protective gear. Turned his gaze to Gus, then focused right back on me. His eyes narrowed. “You asked for this shit.”
He charged out and threw a three-punch combo. I dodged every one of them. It looked like he was fighting a phantom in the air.
Sam whipped around. “What the fuck?”
“You said I asked for something.” I stood there, about four feet away. “Was that it?”
His jaw tightened. He threw a roundhouse kick. I caught it in the middle of the air with my palm. He stood there on one leg, hopping around to keep his balance. I held his foot and saw panic written on his face. I tossed him to the ground and he landed on his hip with a thud.
“Motherfucker!” He jumped up and threw a right cross.
I stepped out of the way.
I glanced to Gus and gave him a look that said you sure? He nodded.
Fuck it. It was either me or Sid, and at least I wouldn’t kill his ass in the ring. He needed to know he was out of his element.
My brain processed and observed every muscle movement in Sam’s body as if it were in slow motion. His right foot planted.
I didn’t even give him time to throw the punch.
Eleven percent.
That’s what I hit him with. Eleven percent of my power. Left hook. Right jaw. Hard enough to let him know he couldn’t possibly win. Not hard enough for a concussion.
He flew into the ropes and sprawled out face-down on the floor.
Gus made his way over and rolled him onto his back. Tapped his cheek a few times. Checked his pulse. “He’s good.” He nodded at me. “Needed the reality check.”
Sam shook awake about thirty seconds later and clutched at his face. His eyes squinted, and he focused on me. “What the hell did you hit me with? A sack of bricks?”
I grinned.
“Who the fuck are you?” He stared at Gus. “What the hell is going on here?”
I took a step toward him. “Someone who comes from the same place as the guy you want to fight.”
Gus stared him down. “People you don’t want any part of.” He looked back at me. “You’re lucky this one is on your side.”
Sam nodded. He was a cocky guy. Fighters had to have that swagger. But he was also a realist and intelligent. Gus helped him to his feet.
“No wonder I’m always winded when we spar, and you don’t act like you’ve broken a sweat. I don’t feel so damn lazy now.” He sighed and pawed at his jaw a few more times.
Gus put a hand on his shoulder. “So, what do you think we should do?”
Sam stared at me, then turned back to Gus and smiled. “I don’t know about you two. But I’m going to go practice limping.”
“Good call, Son.” Gus patted him on the back.
I MADE IT OUT OF there early enough to pick Logan up from school. Work had given me an opportunity to stop replaying that kiss over and over a million times through my head. I never wanted to forget that moment, but with that moment came other complicating thoughts. Parents and kids were everywhere when I pulled up to the school. I decided to try and keep my distance, but Logan wouldn’t leave Cora’s side.
I walked over there and tried to snag him. Maybe get a quick smile out of her. That was it. The shit with Hastings had me not wanting to rock the boat for her at all. I knew I’d scared him, but guys like that didn’t quit. The word “no” wasn’t part of their vocabulary.
My eyes searched the parking lot for him.
“Dad!” Logan ran up and hugged me.
I squeezed him back. Cora stood there. Something was off. She was different.
I tried to coax a smile out of her, unsuccessfully. Cora stared at me and then turned around.
The other kids cleared out and Hastings walked through the front door of the school with Principal Williams. Williams saw me standing in front of Cora and turned around in the opposite direction. Not Hastings though.
He must’ve felt protected with all the people out in the open.
He walked right toward Cora. A shudder ripped up her spine. My face heated. I sat Logan down and stepped in between them.
Hastings wore a shit-eating grin. “Oh, hey, big fella.” He looked around and then right past me. Stared at Cora and winked.
Logan and Cora stood right behind me. I couldn’t react in front of them, in front of everyone. Under my skin, though, my blood boiled. I didn’t say anything out loud to him. Said it all with my eyes. What had he done? He knew the deal. Knew what I told him I’d do if he came near her again.
“Thanks for the chat earlier, Cora. I meant what I said too.”
I glared at Hastings and his fingers slightly trembled, but he kept his chest puffed out and walked away.
Once he was out of sight, I turned to face her. Growled through my flexed jaw. “Chat?”
Cora’s face flushed with red hues. “Not now.”
My jaw ground so hard I thought I might crush my teeth. I leaned down into her face. “What’d he do?”
Out the corner of my eye I noticed Logan shying away from me. He curled up against Cora’s hip. She took a step back with Logan latched to her.
I had to get out of there before I burned the school to the ground. Couldn’t remember anger taking over my body like that before. “Go home. I’ll be by later.” I grabbed Logan’s bag and stalked to the car. Logan followed a few steps behind. I glanced back at him. He kept looking back at Cora and wouldn’t come any closer. I had to hold it together. Couldn’t let him see me like this. I glared in the direction Hastings had walked in and then schooled my features for my son, but on the inside, nothing but rage consumed me. He should’ve listened in the truck stop parking lot.
I DROPPED LOGAN OFF WITH Janet at the house. Took off right back out the door. “Gotta run an errand.”
“Wait, Landon—”
I hauled ass out of the driveway. Desire was a small town. I knew where Hastings would be. He always went to the one bar in town. The Hammerhouse. It was on the main strip. I’d seen his car there every day after school. I assumed he always dropped his kid off and went straight for the booze.
I pulled into the parking lot.
His car was there.
I walked inside and every head in the place glanced at me and looked away. Hastings took a huge gulp of what looked like a rocks glass full of whiskey. His leg trembled against the bar stool. His eyes grew large and his face was as white as a sheet.
I strolled over casually and took a seat next to him.
“What ya havin’?” The bartender had a towel over his shoulder.
“Milk.”
Nobody else looked at me. I was used to it. Presence was everything. I didn’t have much to worry about, especially in this town.
Hastings finally turned his head in my direction. His teeth chattered. “Wh-wh-what—”
“I’ll ask the questions. Understand?”
“You can’t be—”
I gripped his upper thigh where nobody could see. Applied a fair amount of pressure to it. He winced in his seat. To him it probably felt like I was crushing his bones, but I was just getting warmed up. I bore down a little harder, right where the femoral nerve surrounded the artery of the same name. I’d killed a few people with a quick puncture to it. Nothing bleeds out faster than the femoral. I found myself wondering if I could rupture his with just my hand. I’d never done that to anyone before.
My eyes locked onto his. A tear formed in the corner like he might cry.
“Don’t make a sound.”
It was probably the most intense pain he’d ever felt in his life. I had to make a point. The trick was to make the initial pain extreme, but then amp it up, and then amp it up some more, like a ratchet. The body was smart and would adjust and try to go numb. So I had to be slow and methodical. Fool his nerves into letting him feel every bit of it. I dug my fingers in a little harder. Watched him. Then a little harder. It wouldn’t take long.
“Now, I thought we discussed this in the parking lot the other night.” My voice stayed calm and even. I didn’t want to draw any attention to us and I wanted to scare the living fuck out of him.
He nodded furiously.
“What’d you say to her?”
“I-I-I didn’t—”
I narrowed my eyes.
Ratchet.
His face screwed up into a god-awful grimace. Wouldn’t be long before he pissed himself. I hated when they did that.
“I-I-I’m sorry.”
“I’ll ask you one more time. I’ll know if you lie to me. Last chance.”
“It was n-n-nothing.” He barely got his words out. “Flirting. Mouthing off.” He started to slide down the barstool. “Guy shit, you know?” He said it like I could relate to a creepy bastard like him.
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t know. Tell me exactly what you said.”
“I told her she has a nice ass.”
Ratchet.
His legs shot out toward the floor, stiff as boards. His back arched.
I glanced down at my hand. “And?”
“I-I-I g-g-gave it a squeeze when I walked by.” A tear streamed down his cheek. “I’ll apologize.”
Ratchet.
His hand shot over his mouth to keep him from crying out. Face was tomato-red.
I shook my head and gritted my teeth. “No, you won’t.”
His face twisted. Multiple tears sluiced down his cheeks from his glassy eyes.
I smiled at his tears and relished the way they rolled down his face and dripped from his cheeks.
“You don’t go near her. You don’t touch her. You don’t even say her name. Or I will find you.” I glanced down at his leg. “That’ll be a tickle. Understood?”
“Y-y-yes.”
The bartender brought over a glass of milk. I downed it. “It’s on him.” I nodded to Hastings and walked toward the door.
Hastings must’ve been holding his breath the entire time, because he gasped and pawed at his leg. Tried to stand up and almost fell over when he planted his foot. He hobbled around and held himself up with his forearms on the bar top.
Two big bikers in leather vests stopped shooting pool and straightened up. I’d seen two Harleys outside and the bartender probably parked in the rear. They stepped in my direction. What the hell was going on? No way was Hastings friends with some bikers. It just didn’t fit. But who knew? It was a small town.
Hastings hobbled up behind me. I turned back to him. “You don’t want to do this.”
“Oh, I think I do.” He nodded and winced, but held his head high like he’d just regained control of the situation.
I got nose-to-nose with him, right in his face. Listened for the bikers’ footsteps to my rear. “You think you’re well-connected. Maybe you are in Desire, Montana.” I smirked. “When I’m done with them, it’ll just be me and you.”
Three steps each. Six total. The bikers were ten feet behind me. Not in striking range. They didn’t have guns. Not any big enough to hurt me anyway. I’d have noticed.
Hastings nodded. “Yeah, okay. We’ll see.”
The bartender walked out from the back. He saw what was happening and turned right back around. I looked up in the corner. Security camera. Red LED lit up. Perfect.
I heard the bikers take two more steps each. Four feet away.
I turned around. They were huge, but out of shape. Big, tough-looking guys with beards and tattoos all along their arms.
One of them glared. “You don’t belong here.”
“I agree.”
“You’re going to leave Mr. Hastings alone.” They both crossed their arms over their chests.
It was like something out of an action movie, which let me know these guys had no clue what they were doing.
I was six-four. Both of them matched me in height and probably outweighed me by fifty pounds each. They were both as wide as they were tall.
I stared. “That so?”
“Goddamn right,” said the second one.
“Tell him to stay away from what’s mine. There won’t be an issue.”
“See, that’s where we have a problem.” Hastings stepped around to the side. “I don’t like you. And I don’t like people telling me what to do.”
I shrugged at Hastings. “Too bad.”
“You heard what he said, asshole.” The first biker poked me in the chest.
I stared down at his finger and glanced back up at him. “You don’t want to do that.”
“I don’t?”
I shook my head at him. “You should mind your business.”
He had fear in his eyes. See it enough and you recognize it immediately. He folded his arms across his chest. A stupid thing to do when you’re within striking range of someone.
“Mr. Hastings is our business.”
“Then you should give him a message.”
“Oh yeah?” He snickered. “What’s the message?”
I closed the distance between us. Glared down my nose at him. “If he touches what’s mine again I’ll rip his legs off and kick your fucking teeth in with them.”
His eyes widened—face paled. He gulped. His stare moved past me to Hastings then returned. He tried to regain his composure, but his voice shook a little when he spoke. “You think you’re a real badass, don’t you?”
I stared over at his buddy and back at him. “I don’t have all day. Let’s get this done.”
The second biker took another step toward us. “You’re not gonna be so fucking cocky here in a few minutes. You should enjoy breathing while you still can.”
My eyes moved back and forth at them and my voice remained calm and even. “Listen to my words very carefully. What you hear is the sound of pure elation.” I paused for a moment. “Hit me.”
The first biker took a step back. Glanced at Hastings and then at me. “Huh?”
I moved both of my arms behind my back and held one of my wrists in the opposite hand. “Hit me.”
He looked at Hastings again like I must’ve been insane. Hastings shrugged.
“Make it count.” I glanced to his buddy. “Last chance.” I nodded to the door.
Biker one reared back and then brought everything he had right at me. His fist connected square with my jaw. It turned my head slightly to the side. I looked up at the camera, then right back at him and smiled. “My turn.”
His eyes widened.
I lurched forward. He was expecting a punch and I caught him completely off guard. Efficiency and surprise were my preferred methods of combat. My head blasted into his face and sent him backpedaling across the bar. He stumbled a good twenty feet and collided with a rack of billiard cues that hung on the wall. The wooden rack splintered and half of it fell to the ground at an angle. All the wooden sticks spilled out onto the floor and rattled around. The other biker turned and stared at his buddy, and he looked like he might shit his pants. He pivoted and sprinted for the door. I horse-collared him by the back of his leather vest and yanked him toward me with one hand. His feet flew out from under him and he crashed flat on his back.
The first biker shook his head like he’d just come out of a deep sleep and grabbed a pool cue from the ground. He swung it wildly while his nose gushed blood all down the front of him. He finally moved in too close. I caught the stick in my palm and yanked it away from him. Broke it over my knee, then whipped around high and hard. Caved in half of his face with one piece of it. I spun around and hammered the other guy’s knees, so he wouldn’t try to crawl away. Both men writhed on the ground.
I dropped the pieces of the pool cue I’d just broken in half. Turned around to face Hastings.
He stood there, mouth agape. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t talk.
I grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged him to the counter. Sat him down on a barstool.
“Bartender!”
The old man with the towel ran out. He looked around. “What in the—”
“You have the security tape.” I nodded to the camera.
Hastings shook his head at the guy through the grip I had on his neck. I smashed his face down into the bar top, then yanked him back up. Held him there. Blood poured from his mouth onto the glossy-finished wood. Didn’t care.
“The tape?”
The bartender ran to the back. He returned a moment later with a thumb drive. I took it from him. “If this isn’t the footage, I’ll be back.” I glanced over to the bikers still flat on the ground, moaning. “It’ll be worse.” I held up the thumb drive.
He carefully grabbed it from my hand. “Sorry.” He shrugged at Hastings.
I smashed Hastings’ face down again—a little harder for good measure. You had to make a point with people that didn’t like to listen.
The bartender came back with a different one this time. I took it from him and looked it over. He disappeared into the back again. Didn’t want any part of what was going on in the front.
I leaned down into Hastings’ ear. “Stay away from her. Touch her again and I’ll end you. Got me?”
He nodded against the bloody bar top.
I walked out.
I PULLED UP TO CORA’S house. Walked to the door with my hood on and rang the doorbell.
She pulled it open, glanced around, and then opened it wider. I stepped inside. “You okay?”
She turned her back to me. I saw a hand go up to her eye. It looked like she wiped away tears. She sniffled. “I’m fine. Just some allergies.”
I spun her around and hugged her tight. She broke down. Lost control. I wasn’t going to make her relive it. My stomach twisted as she bawled against my shoulder. I couldn’t believe how some men thought it was okay to say things and touch women however they wanted. Like they were property, only put on earth to amuse them. It set me on fire and I had to bite back my rage. I had to be there for Cora. She needed me. Needed comfort. She shook in my arms as I led her over to the couch. We sat there for about half an hour, her nuzzled into my chest. She cried over and over. I comforted her the best I knew how. I’d never been in this kind of situation before.
“I’m not great at—this.”
She sat up and tried to muster a smile. “You’re not bad.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re being nicer than usual.” She smiled. Then her face paled. “He told you, didn’t he?”
I nodded.
“What’d you do?”
I said nothing. She didn’t need to know details.
The whole drive to her place I’d started to doubt myself. To me it was neutralizing a threat. He put Cora in danger. I made sure it would stop. The civilian world didn’t work the same way as the world that I grew up in though. I’d done a very stupid thing, but at least I had the video. The cops could be on their way to my house by now. What if they arrested me or took Logan away? Hastings probably knew all the cops in town. Would the video even matter? I focused on Cora to take my mind off it. I’d deal with the fallout later. If they tried to lock me up or take Logan, we’d just disappear—again.
“Did you hurt him?”
I took her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. “You’re safe. That’s all that matters.”
Cora looked away and shook her head. “I don’t want you going to jail over me.”
I placed my index finger under her chin and turned her to face me. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Her mouth curled into a smile at my words and she pushed my hood back. It fell down around my shoulders. She crawled up into my lap and draped her arms around me. Her cheek pressed into the crook of my neck. “Thank you.”
I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to be anywhere else. Just wanted to hold her while she felt safe. I wanted her to always feel that way, forever.