I dropped my notebook, stole two steps and leaped on Jack’s back as his finger went trigger-happy. My momentum knocked him forward as the gun fired.
We hit the ground with a heavythwump!I dug my pen into his weapon-arm with all my strength as he bucked underneath me, trying to chuck me off. Thanks to self-defense lessons, I knew how to throw him off his balance—
“You fuck!”
I locked my hands around his wrist as Quinn yelled. I tipped suddenly, shoulders hitting stone.
The gun clattered as it dropped from Jack’s hand, sliding toward Shannon’s feet.
Suddenly Quinn was there, wrestling with Jack and shouting at Shannon not to do something that would make her the bad guy.
Jack thrust against Quinn’s weight, angry eyes snapping to me. “You,” he spat.
“Me,” I said, still holding my pen tightly in my grip, my knuckles scraped from the stone. “Why did you attack me,Freddy?”
“Fuck you. You should have given up the party page.”Powwach!Jack managed to land a hook over Quinn’s ear. “But at least you led me to the cripple. He made catching The Raven easy.”
“Fucker,” Quinn swore, snatching Jack into a firm hold as Shannon stepped one of her shit-kickers on the gun. Her gaze waslivid, as if static streamed from her. She embodied my definition of rage.
She caught my eye, and I shook my head, clumsily trying to pull myself up. “Quinn’s right,” I said, with a cough. “You need to stop being The Raven before you become victim. None of us want you to lose your wings.”
She blinked, her gaze snapping to her brother who sat stranded in the corner.
Hunter grabbed Mitch’s shirt, drew him near and spat in his face. “I don’t ever want to see you around my friends or my sister again.”
He shoved him back, and Mitch crumpled. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to. I tried to say no.”
“But you didn’t,” Hunter said. “That’s all I need to know. Fuck off.”
“I just . . . wish I’d been there to save him the first time,” Shannon said, closing her eyes. She took a quivering breath and swept the gun far out of Jack’s reach. Jack still struggled under Quinn. “Looks like my brother really can handle himself though.”
“And the police are on their way,” I grunted, letting them all know it was soon over.
Hunter looked across at her, swiping away the blood on his lip. “Come here, sis.”
She came to his side, kneeling where Mitch had been. Mitch, who had disappeared.
I glanced at Quinn pressing his forearm against the back of Jack’s neck and hissing in his ear to keep his filthy mouth shut.
“You all right?” Quinn asked me, failing to control the panic in his voice.
I held up my pen as Shannon walked past carrying Hunter. “Really is mightier than the sword.”
The tall officerwith the goatee, holding Jack back, gave us a cursory once-over, his gaze landing inquisitively on Shannon who’d passed her hooded jacket to Hunter.
Quinn stiffened next to me. I wanted to nudge the back of his hand in a gesture of comfort, but now was hardly the time or place. The officers were trying to get a grip on the situation. As soon as someone had mentioned the gun, the female officer sporting a clipped-back perm had dialed in for back up.
“That’s The Raven!” Jack screamed, trying to jerk away from the officer. “The one you want on countless cases of assault!”
“Raven?” I asked, pulling out my notebook with my descriptive account of the moments leading up to Jack firing his gun. “I have most of the details here.” I offered the page with my notes to Goatee Officer. “I’m a journalist; it’s my job to note the particulars. I didn’t see The Raven.” He glanced over it, and I pushed up my glasses. “Though that would have made a fantastic angle for my next party page piece for Scribe.”
“Liar. He’s a friendless fucking liar!”
The officer turned back to Jack, changing his grip on him. “Doesn’t look friendless to me.”
Quinn shifted his weight, pressing his arm lightly against mine. “He’s no liar. I didn’t see The Raven here, either.”
Hunter piped in, “I also didn’t see The Raven. Why, is there a bounty on him or something? I could’ve used the cash.”
