“Shit, where are my manners? Y’all, this is my husband, DeShaun Blaylock. Everyone calls him DB. He used to work with me and Anders, then he and I decided to stick mostly to the nonviolent private sector.”
DB shakes everyone’s hands while Erik snarls at the video on Odd’s phone. He hands it back, even more disgruntled than when we’d started.
Odd shakes his head. “If Ant hadn’t started running when he did—and he was fucking booking it—he would not have gotten to you in time. He had good instincts, displayed excellent disarming skills, and his knife work was, initially at least, pretty damn good. He didn’t just save your life, Erik. Ant was the only one who knew you were in danger to begin with.”
DB takes the phone from Erik’s hand and replays the video. His bemused chuckle is a deep rumble, and Erik deflates. I suspect he looks up to the man.
“Why don’tyouspar with Ant, DB?” Erik grumbles.
Ant’s eyes immediately go to DB’s knee, and he grins wide.
“No, thank you,” DB answers smoothly. “From the look on Ant’s face, I surmise he’s already picked up on the subtle limp. Unfortunately, Ant, if you tried to go after my knee, you’d break your foot. It’s very advanced tech.”
“I’ve always been good at figuring out the weaknesses of stronger men,” Ant says proudly. “Kept me alive.”
Javier’s jaw sharpens, but he’s slowly losing his gut-check reaction to Ant’s truths. Instead, he tightens his grip on me.
“Okay then. What’s my weakness?” Erik grumbles, standing in front of Ant again.
Ant takes an unsteady breath before meeting Erik’s eyes.
“Me.”
“You?”
“Yeah.” Ant’s phone goes off, and he walks toward the table where we dumped all our stuff. “You’d do anything to avoid actually hurting me, which is how I was able to put your ass on the ground. Twice.”
“Technically, I fell on my side the first time and on my knees the second,” he protests as Ant checks the screen.
“It’s Tía and Gael,” he says, thumbing open FaceTime. “Hey, Yaya!”
“Why are you so sweaty?”
“I’m sparring with my friends,” he says, swinging his phone around to show her our faces.
“Hola, hermano,” Yaya says to Javier, grinning as her eyes track his hold on me. “AndLevy,”
I smile back. “Hi, y’all.”
Erik waves awkwardly. “Now’s a good time for a break.”
Odd grabs his water bottle. “Perfect. Can someone show me where to fill this up?”
Erik walks him and DB over to our water cooler while Javier and I flank Ant.
They begin speaking to each other in Spanish, following the comfortable rhythm of the last few weeks. According to Yaya, Gael and Ant have the same funny way about them that they did when they were kids—making fun of each other while hyping each other up.
After some small talk, Yaya bites her lip nervously.
Ant frowns. “What’s up, Yaya?”
“We were thinking that if it wouldn’t be too much, we’d like to come up and see you. Maybe next week for your birthday?”
Ant’s smile is ecstatic. “You and Gael, really?”
She nods. “At some point, we’ll all get together, but I think we should keep our reunions small for now. Unless youwantto see everyone all at once…”
Ant shakes his head. “I’m looking forward to seeing mis abuelos, but that does feel like a lot.”
