“He can?” I glance at Ziggy and the withering look he’s directing my way. I quickly throw up my hands in surrender. “Of course you can.”
I’m almost dumbstruck as he steps into Lynx’s path, that urge to push him behind me only getting stronger.
“It wasn’t a smart move to bring him here,” Lynx warns.
Ziggy plants his hands on his hips.
For some reason, that makes Lynx’s jaw tick. “I’m happy to ignore the little boys existing, but you really need to make it easier on me. Bringing him here? On my territory?” Lynx lifts his machete between us. “You’re lucky I don’t send him to visit Booker.”
“Are you threatening me?” I’m asking because I genuinely don’t know, but from memory, Booker is their doctor, so that’s the only conclusion I can come up with.
Ziggy’s expression clearly saysshut up.
So I shut up.
He turns to Lynx and slashes at his throat, and I watch on as Lynx gets more menacing and Ziggy inches closer to him. I’m twitching to pull Ziggy away, because I don’t care what either of them says, the urge to protect Ziggy is strong. I might have muscles, but I’ve never had an urge to fight, and even now, the only reason I want to pull him back is so that we can run away.
But if Lynx tried to hurt the guy I’m slowly becoming friends with, I doubt my pacifist side would hold up.
In fact, I’m almost positive I’d bury my fist in his face.
Lynx scoffs loudly, pulling my attention back to him as his cat stands up in warning. “Wilde could try. Hell, maybe he’d even kill me. But the only way I stop protecting this place is if I’m dead.”
Ziggy gestures sharply at me, getting frustrated.
“I’m not going to get to know them.” Lynx’s sharp eyes connect with mine, and I’m thrown that he understands Ziggy, even without words. “You’re ruining our home. Some of the others might be weak when it comes to standing up for what’s right, but that will never be me. Stay hiding behind Ziggy, or Wilde, it doesn’t matter. The second one of you wanders off alone, no one will hear from you again.”
“Now I know you’re threatening me.” As much as I want to get angry like Hudson does, that didn’t work out so well for us last time. My palms are clammy, and I’m getting nervous like I always do before a confrontation, but dammit if that will stop me. “Ziggy’s right.” I’m assuming. “Get to know us. Give me a chance to prove that we’re not bad guys.”
“You going to sell off those houses?”
“Well, yes?—”
“That’s all I need to know.” He taps his big knife against the container with a metallicchink chink. “Enjoy your day, gentlemen. I’ll be watching.”
He leaves, and the second he’s out of sight, a full-body shiver runs through me.
It pulls Ziggy’s attention, and he tilts his head, watching me like he’s confused.
“What?” I ask defensively. “He’s scary as hell.”
Ziggy …rolls his eyes?
“Nuh-uh,” I say, stepping closer. “You don’t get to brush this off. He threatened to kill me and my brothers.”
Ziggy waves my concern away as he leads me from the container.
“You don’t think he’d do it. But he just said—” I almost barge right into Ziggy when he turns suddenly so he’s facing me. There’s sympathy in his brown eyes, but he leans in, hand finding my face, and those long, smooth fingers feel cool against my skin. I completely forget what I was about to say.
His eyes lock on mine, and he slowly, purposefully shakes his head. I watch him, replaying the movement, wanting to puzzle him out and read him as easily as Lynx did. He’s … not scary? He … won’t do it? But how can Ziggy be sure?
The more he stares at me, the more it feels like he’s trying to say something important. Something convincing.
Like he wants me to believe Lynx won’t hurt me, all because he says so.
Fuck me. I did say I trust him.
I cover Ziggy’s hand with mine and give it a squeeze. “Okay. I’ll stop worrying about being murdered. Or gutted. Or skinned alive. But if you’re wrong, Iwillhaunt you forever.”
