Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
“I wouldn’t touch him if I were you,” another voice interjected.
Relief flooded him as he heard the other person. He was here. He’d come for him.
Thank fuck.
Both men turned.
“Who are you?” Sammy demanded.
“Me? Oh, I’m just a concerned passerby doing a good deed,” the other man said. He was leaning against the alley wall, throwing something up and down then catching it.
Brody had a fair idea of what he was playing with.
Thank God.
“Well, your good deed just got you in a whole heap of trouble, idiot,” Sammy said. “Empty your pockets, throw your wallet on the ground.”
A wallet landed on the dirty ground.
Reg leaned down to grab both wallets.
“Oh, would you like my gun too? What about my knife? I’ve also got some thin fisherman’s line. It’s superb for strangling someone. Just wrap it around their throat from behind, then pull back. I could lend you some.”
“W-what?” Reg asked. “What are you talking about?”
The Fox stepped forward. “How rude of me. I should’ve asked you how you would like to die. But unfortunately, I don’t have time for that. My girl has had a rough few days and needs me, so I have to do this quickly. Although, if I’m truthful, I really need this too.”
“Reg, run!” Sammy yelled as the Fox stepped forward.
“Brody, get back and cover your eyes. Now.” Brody stumbled back, then turned away. The last thing he saw was the Fox moving.
There were noises, but he hummed to himself, not wanting to even think about what was happening. Yeah, he felt like a bit of a wimp.
But he didn’t know how to fight. And he figured he would get in the way if he tried to help.
He wasn’t too stupid to live.
Although maybe it could be argued that walking around in the dark was pretty stupid. However, it wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before. This area was usually safe.
“Brody.”
He heard the other man speak. But he couldn’t seem to make himself turn away from the wall he was huddled against.
“Brody. Look at me.”
The command in the Fox’s voice reached past the shivery mess he was on the outside to the boy inside him. All he wanted was a hug and to be told everything was all right.
He turned, dropping his arm. And even though he didn’t want to look, he tried to peer past the Fox to see where the other men were.
“No,” the Fox said firmly, cupping his face between his hands. “You will not look.”
“F-fox?”
“Yeah?”
Okay, so that answered that question.
“Wh-what did you d-do?”
“Nothing for you to worry about. Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?” The Fox’s voice was surprisingly soft.
He kept trying to peek. He didn’t know why. What was wrong with him?
“Brody? Did they hurt you?” The Fox’s voice had grown sharp.
Brody snapped his attention back to the other man. “Why are you upset with me?” He slammed his hand over his mouth after saying that. He’d sounded so young and scared. Vulnerable.
That wasn’t what he wanted to be.
Wasn’t who he was meant to be, right? He should be tougher than this.
Not a total wimp.
Shame filled him. “I couldn’t help. I hid. I . . . I didn’t fight back.”
“Why wouldn’t you hide? I told you to stay back and you did. Brody, you did exactly as you were supposed to do.”
“I . . . no . . . I should have been able to protect myself.” He’d always been safe behind a computer. On the rare occasions he went out in the field, he never did anything dangerous. Plus he always had at least one of Ink’s guys with him, guarding him.
This was very different.
And he’d completely failed.
“Why? I was here to protect you.”
“But what if you hadn’t been here,” he whispered. “Worse, what if I’d had Autumn with me? I need to be able to protect her.”
“Okay.”
Okay? What did that mean?
“You’re shaking,” the Fox said. “Are you sure they didn’t hurt you?”
“They . . . they just grabbed m-me. But I . . . I . . .” He thought he might be in shock. He tried to take a deep breath, but it didn’t work. He still felt shaky.
“What do you need?” the Fox asked him.
“I . . . to feel safe.”
“And how do you feel safe?”
He shook his head. He didn’t know. He didn’t know what to do . . .
“What would Duke do?” the Fox whispered.
“What?” he asked. Had he imagined that?
“This is a fucking joke,” the Fox said. “I’m losing my mind. But here goes.”
And suddenly, he was in the Fox’s arms. Held tight against his chest. For a moment, he froze, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Then his body realized this wasn’t a threat. That the Fox was comforting him.
And it was exactly what he needed. Wrapping his arms around the bigger man, he hugged him back.