At work, McCrary was needling me even worse than usual about buying the gym. “I won’t be around forever, you know.”

“So I just gotta wait out the clock.”

“Oh, is that how it is?” he asked, though he knew I didn’t mean it. “I can always give the gym to the Girl Guides, you know. They could use a new clubhouse. Maybe they’ll make you their new den mother.”

“Get off my back, old man,” I said. “I’m working on it.”

He slapped a paper down on the front desk. “You’re taking too long.” His face softened. “I don’t want to sell it to some random eejit who won’t love it like you do, or tear it down and turn it into another strip mall.”

Bergin was warming up my class and I needed to get over there, but I hesitated. McCrary deserved to know the truth. Not about the money, or Simon, because he knew about both. But what was really holding me back. I lowered my voice. “I can’t run this place. I don’t know how.”

McCrary scoffed. “Son, you’re the best teacher I’ve ever met.”

The compliment meant a lot, but I’d embarrass us both if I said so. “Not that. I have no clue how to run a business, and this gym is a business.”

His mouth worked.

“I know you’ve tried to teach me, and I’m grateful, but if I take over now, Eastside Boxing will fold in less than a year.”

“Then whaddya gonna do?”

“I’m working on it.” Simon was more of a problem than me learning how to run a business any day. I could read books for the one problem, but there was no Quitting Your Psycho Boss/Pseudo-Father For Dummies for the other.

A cop car pulled up in front of the gym and Simon climbed out. Speak of the devil. I tensed. Simon never came to see me here. But there he was, adjusting his uniform as he stepped onto the sidewalk.

“What’s he doing here?” McCrary asked.

I met Simon at the door, blocking him from McCrary’s view. The old man wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut, which would only get us both in trouble.

“What do you need?” I asked. “I have a class in a couple of minutes.”

“Everyone needs to leave.”

“Everything okay here, son?” McCrary said, standing beside me.

I wanted to push him back. He wasn’t helping. “Everything’s fine.”

Simon narrowed his eyes at McCrary. “Get everyone out of here. Now.”

McCrary bristled. “Excuse me? This is my gym, you can’t go about—”

Simon yelled over him. “For your safety, I’m evacuating the premises. Everyone grab your things and leave now.”

“What’s going on?” I asked. Simon started herding Bergin and the students to the door, ignoring their questions and complaints. He was in full-out cop mode, something I rarely saw anymore.

“What is this?” McCrary asked me, but I didn’t know any more than he did.

Bergin followed the last student out. Simon peered down the street before closing the front door. He turned. “We had a tip-off at the precinct.”

“A tip-off about what?” McCrary demanded, pacing back and forth, cracking his knuckles.

“A gang of armed and highly dangerous men have been targeting specific sites. I believe this gym will be next.”

“Why here?” McCrary asked. Simon didn’t respond. “Fine. Let’s go then.”

“Jason is staying with me,” Simon replied.

McCrary looked around. “Who’s Jason?”

I shot him a look. He was doing it on purpose, trying to get under Simon’s skin, but now was not the time.

“Just go,” I said to him. “I’ll be fine.”

McCrary pulled me aside where Simon couldn’t hear him. “I don’t know what shady thing he’s got going on, but you shouldn’t hang around for it.”

“I have to.”

McCrary shook his head. “That man is trouble. It’s better to be a coward for a minute than dead the rest of your life.”

“I’m not scared of some gang,” I snapped.

“Not what I’m talking about.” He squeezed my shoulder before he left.

With McCrary gone, I turned back to Simon. “What’s really going on?”

Simon’s lips tightened. “It’s like I said. We got a tip-off. They’ve already ransacked Pearl of China.”

I started flipping off the lights. “Are they going after you, or me? Or both? And who is it?”

“Aguda’s gang, under new management, and they’re after me. We need to hurry. I don’t know if they’ll go to my house, your apartment, or come here first. I wanted to get this place clear of civilians, just in case.”

I grabbed my bag and hurried to the front of the gym. “Why are they after you?” But I knew why.

Simon put his hand on my shoulder. He had to reach to do it. “Aguda never would have left you alone, and a conviction would never stick. He needed to be taken out. I thought I covered my tracks, but they must have found a connection.”

“What did you tell the other cops?” They could protect Simon if they knew he was being targeted, but he’d never be able to explain why.

“A couple of units are chasing them down as we speak. It’s a slim chance they’ll be caught, though—these guys are sloppy, but we both know how useless cops can be.”

The door opened. We both turned. Simon drew his gun.

Bronwyn froze inside the gym, instinctively putting her hands in the air. A gift bag hung from one finger. “What—”

“Get out of here, now,” I said.

She didn’t listen but went for the stairs. “I’ve gotta see Nico.”

“Grab her,” Simon said, but he didn’t need to. I already had her by the arm and was dragging her to the door.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked. “Get off me.”

“Stop struggling,” I said through gritted teeth. “Nico’s not here. You need to leave. You’re in danger if you stay here.”

She scoffed, but stopped fighting. I hustled her back to the front of the gym. Simon was near the glass wall, staring out into the street. His gun dangled in his grip.

A car slowed down on the street, the windows rolled down. Faces, then hands holding guns.

“Get down!” Simon dropped as the sound of gunfire and exploding glass erupted all around us.

I pulled Bronwyn to the floor, covering her with my body. Glass rained down on our heads like pricking snowflakes.

In seconds, it was over. Tires screeched away and then silence.

I didn’t move, and neither did Bronwyn. Until Simon groaned.

“Jason,” he called. His voice sounded weak.

I lifted myself off Bronwyn, about to ask her if she was okay when my eyes went to her face. Her stare was blank.

“Bronwyn?” I scanned her body but saw nothing. “Bronwyn!” I put my ear near her mouth. No breath. And then I saw it, the blood pooling under her head. The gift bag had fallen near her outstretched hand.

“Jason,” Simon repeated.

I scrambled to my feet and away from Bronwyn’s glassy eyes. Maggie’s friend, Nico’s girlfriend. Dead. Picking my way over the glass, I made my way to Simon.

His hands were pressed to his side, blood soaked his fingers. “Call 911.”

I already had my phone out.