CHAPTER 5
Landon Lane
I WALKED INTO GUS’S GYM in Missoula. It was about a half-hour drive from Desire. Cars streamed down the road behind me. Exhaust fumes invaded my nose and mixed with the aroma of fresh bread from a bakery down the street.
Gus’s place had a wide-open floor plan with a sparring ring in the middle. Workout equipment surrounded it on three sides. Offices and locker rooms and training tables were in the back.
The place smelled just like a gym—musty, sweaty. Three huge fighter murals were painted on the wall. All three of them were WMMA champions. The ceilings were high, at least twenty feet, with a long pipe and large bell-hooded vents placed every few feet for pumping cool air into the room. It was an inefficient setup for utilities, but I liked the open air.
“Gonna beat your ass today.”
I glanced over to a huge smile. Sam Wright, WMMA reigning champion. He was one of the men painted on the wall. I was his sparring partner.
The job was perfect. Not many people could take punches and kicks from the top fighters in the world. I was built for it. Plus, Gus and I went way back.
“That’s my job. Taking ass kickings.”
He laughed and waved me off with a hand.
“I’ll go get ready. Be back in a few.”
“No rush. It’s your funeral.” He grinned.
I strode back into Gus’s office. He sat behind an oak desk covered in papers. He was glued to his computer monitor.
“What’s up?”
He held up a finger and then turned to me. His eyes were sunk in. Face ashen. He motioned me over. Sweat beads peppered his forehead. “Got a problem.”
I stepped over a pair of shoes and some stray sparring gear. I didn’t like the look on his face. Didn’t like his words. Rarely was my gut wrong about something, and my intestines wrenched tighter with each step.
What could he be staring at that had him breaking out in a cold sweat?
“What is it?”
My heart took a nosedive into my stomach the second my eyes hit the screen. And I’d already told Logan he could go back to school.
LATER THAT EVENING, JANET SAT on the couch in the living room. I walked by and saw Tom Hanks on the screen.
“What are you watching?”
Her head whipped back to me. “Ladykillers. You seen it?”
I stepped into the kitchen to grab a bottled water from the refrigerator. “Is that the one where they rob the casino?”
“Yes.” She turned back to the screen. “I think, anyway. Don’t tell me anything else.”
I walked back with my water. My body sunk into the cushions on the couch, and I blew out a long sigh.
“Something on your mind?” Her eyes stayed glued to the screen.
“Yeah.”
“And?”
My face twisted and I glared in her direction.
She made a big production of grabbing the remote and pausing the movie. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong, Landon?”
I shook my head. “You really don’t know?”
She stood up.
“Where you going?”
“Home. So I can watch a movie in peace.” She reached for her purse that was far bigger than any person needed for necessities.
“Sorry, I figured you’d know.”
She waved me off with a hand.
I paused and switched gears. “I told him he could go back to school.”
She walked toward the door. Ignored me.
I sat there motionless. “Did you hear what I said?”
She stopped and turned to face me. “You want a medal or something?”
My face heated and the water bottle crunched in my hand. I stood from the couch. “No. I just wanted you to know.”
I watched her and saw gears turning behind her eyes. “I’m going to kill him for showing you that.”
“Who, Gus?”
“Yes, Gus. Of course.” She pointed a finger at me. “And then I’m gonna kill your ass.”
“So he did tell you?”
“We talk about everything.” She shook her head. “And why?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what’s going on.”
She nodded. “Oh, I see what this is now.” She pointed a finger at me and chuckled, but her words had barbs attached to them. “You told him he could go back to school. And now you get to gloat about the fact that you were right? That what this is?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s about making sure you have the information. And that Logan is safe.”
“Right. Right. Okay, well I got it.” She was through the door before I could say another word.
The bottled water exploded in my hand. I’d crushed it in my palm. I turned and glared at the image on the television screen. I wasn’t sure if I was upset about Logan going back to school, Janet jumping to conclusions, or the fact my past had shown back up on a monitor in Gus’s office. I had to find a way to keep him safe during the day. I’d have to work, and I didn’t like the idea of Logan being on his own, and he was going back to school. A promise was a promise, and I didn’t break them with him. One thing was certain, if there was a way to make everyone happy, I didn’t know what it was.
I walked to the hallway and snatched up the book I was reading. I sat there outside Logan’s door the entire night. Not one word on the pages registered in my brain. I had an idea, though. If I couldn’t be there with Logan at school, maybe I could persuade Ms. Chapman to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.