confrontation.
“Not really.” Ray tilted his head to the side, regarding the kid like an insect pinned under glass. Like the fascination wasn't in the bug itself, but what made it tick.
“Well,” the kid looked confused, mouth working but soundless. Speechless, for a split second. But he gathered himself up and tried again. “Too bad. You're gonna get it.” That grin was back on his face and he lunged suddenly.
Ray had been expecting the movement but not the direction. He'd reached out to snatch the kid out of the air, dropping Cecilia's hand in the process. But his hands grasped empty air. Rather than heading for the big target, the boy had sidestepped and gone straight for Cecilia.
“Cece!” Ray twisted, heel dug into the ground and shoving him forward from the momentum. The pint-sized Devil's Raider was already there, right hand above his head and the left clutching her shirt. He swung, and something glinted in the morning sun.
Ray nearly brought all three of them down as he tackled the kid, heaving them to the side instead of directly on top of Cecilia. He pinned the boy under an arm after a roll on the concrete and got a kick to the stomach for it.
The damn brat was fast; had to give him that.
Ray rose to his haunches and climbed to his feet, moving fast but still a few seconds behind. The boy was attacking Cecilia again but she'd smacked him right across the face, causing the kid to falter.
That moment's hesitation gave Ray a perfect opening. With a massive hand, he grabbed the kid by his throat and jerked him backward, causing a yelp to escape the kid's gaping mouth.
Ray physically shook him, and then lifted him right off the ground. He weighed barely more than a feather pillow, all bones and no muscle. Ray tightened his hold on the boy's throat until he choked, face going red. The knife in his fingers dropped, clattering to the ground.
“How did you find me?” Ray demanded, relenting on the kid's throat so he could speak. The scrawny boy struggling in his arms grinned despite the position he was in.
“Wasn't hard.” The boy coughed, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “Though, admittedly, we had a little help.” He was smug, the little bastard, even as his feet swung uselessly, dancing in the air.
“Oh yeah? From whom?” Ray asked calmly, though the ice in his tone belied the anger churning under the surface. Better to find out answers before pummeling the kid to pieces.
“Arrington, I'm sure you remember him.”
Ray didn't respond at the knowledge, but Cece gasped.
“Wait, didn't you say he was your president?” She grabbed Ray by the jacket and tugged. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head—and the kid in his grasp.
“No. I said he was the old president. I muscled him out,” he responded. “That doesn't explain how you knew where I was.”
“You're right. But see, the old man said you always talked about this one bitch. Some Boyd girl with an annoying name.” The kid laughed. Ray flat out punched him in the face until blood poured from his broken nose.
“Keep your mouth shut unless directly spoken to, got it? Or lose your life.” From the tone in his voice, the boy must have known Ray was serious. But Ray was already lost in thought. Shit, he'd led these monsters here right to her doorstep. How could he be so stupid?
“Put him down and let's go.” Cecilia gripped his arm again. Ray shot her a warning glance. “You heard me, rocks for brains.” Unwillingly, Ray's fingers released the boy's throat and dropped him to the ground. He crumpled to the dirt and held his nose, whimpering.
“Get out of here and never come back, or you'll be no more than a smear of blood on the side of the road, bones pecked clean by the vultures.” Were there any vultures left in Texas? He pushed the question from his mind. “Go.”
The boy took off stumbling, barely catching his footing before
“Not really.” Ray tilted his head to the side, regarding the kid like an insect pinned under glass. Like the fascination wasn't in the bug itself, but what made it tick.
“Well,” the kid looked confused, mouth working but soundless. Speechless, for a split second. But he gathered himself up and tried again. “Too bad. You're gonna get it.” That grin was back on his face and he lunged suddenly.
Ray had been expecting the movement but not the direction. He'd reached out to snatch the kid out of the air, dropping Cecilia's hand in the process. But his hands grasped empty air. Rather than heading for the big target, the boy had sidestepped and gone straight for Cecilia.
“Cece!” Ray twisted, heel dug into the ground and shoving him forward from the momentum. The pint-sized Devil's Raider was already there, right hand above his head and the left clutching her shirt. He swung, and something glinted in the morning sun.
Ray nearly brought all three of them down as he tackled the kid, heaving them to the side instead of directly on top of Cecilia. He pinned the boy under an arm after a roll on the concrete and got a kick to the stomach for it.
The damn brat was fast; had to give him that.
Ray rose to his haunches and climbed to his feet, moving fast but still a few seconds behind. The boy was attacking Cecilia again but she'd smacked him right across the face, causing the kid to falter.
That moment's hesitation gave Ray a perfect opening. With a massive hand, he grabbed the kid by his throat and jerked him backward, causing a yelp to escape the kid's gaping mouth.
Ray physically shook him, and then lifted him right off the ground. He weighed barely more than a feather pillow, all bones and no muscle. Ray tightened his hold on the boy's throat until he choked, face going red. The knife in his fingers dropped, clattering to the ground.
“How did you find me?” Ray demanded, relenting on the kid's throat so he could speak. The scrawny boy struggling in his arms grinned despite the position he was in.
“Wasn't hard.” The boy coughed, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “Though, admittedly, we had a little help.” He was smug, the little bastard, even as his feet swung uselessly, dancing in the air.
“Oh yeah? From whom?” Ray asked calmly, though the ice in his tone belied the anger churning under the surface. Better to find out answers before pummeling the kid to pieces.
“Arrington, I'm sure you remember him.”
Ray didn't respond at the knowledge, but Cece gasped.
“Wait, didn't you say he was your president?” She grabbed Ray by the jacket and tugged. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head—and the kid in his grasp.
“No. I said he was the old president. I muscled him out,” he responded. “That doesn't explain how you knew where I was.”
“You're right. But see, the old man said you always talked about this one bitch. Some Boyd girl with an annoying name.” The kid laughed. Ray flat out punched him in the face until blood poured from his broken nose.
“Keep your mouth shut unless directly spoken to, got it? Or lose your life.” From the tone in his voice, the boy must have known Ray was serious. But Ray was already lost in thought. Shit, he'd led these monsters here right to her doorstep. How could he be so stupid?
“Put him down and let's go.” Cecilia gripped his arm again. Ray shot her a warning glance. “You heard me, rocks for brains.” Unwillingly, Ray's fingers released the boy's throat and dropped him to the ground. He crumpled to the dirt and held his nose, whimpering.
“Get out of here and never come back, or you'll be no more than a smear of blood on the side of the road, bones pecked clean by the vultures.” Were there any vultures left in Texas? He pushed the question from his mind. “Go.”
The boy took off stumbling, barely catching his footing before
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