That was exactly how King remembered him, before Project Mayhem. But that was the last thing he was going to talk to Laura about, the less she knew the better. “He was, but wherever and whoever he’s been with this time when we thought him dead has changed him. He’s dangerous. He’s already hurt his teammates; how long do you think it will be before he hurts you?” King paused to let that question sink in. “Or yourdaughter?”
Her hand around her throat tightened; she visibly flinched. She knew something, he could smell it. King took a step forward, Laura countered, wrapping her free arm more tightly around Faith and she backed another step away. “John would never hurtus.”
“You’re right, the man we both once knew as John wouldn’t, but that John is gone.” King said those words with all the certainty in the world. He’d looked into Dawson’s eyes and seen the animal, wild and feral, lurching in theirdepths.
“You’rewrong.”
“I’m not. Believe me, I wish Iwas.”
The back door clicked open and then shut, a man’s voice, gravelly yet familiar sounded from the kitchen. “I’m back. They ran out of chocolate doughnuts, so I had to wait—” Dawson’s words cut off the moment he rounded the corner. In a flash, he dropped the paper sack, slapped the keypad by the back door and grabbed a knife from thecounter.
King shot forward, tearing his Glock from his waistband as he leapt between the girls andDawson.
“Dawson,” he said carefully. King kept his back to the women, shoulders in contact with Laura. She pushed against him, seeking to sidestep his wide frame. King shifted, keeping her trapped and protected from thethreat.
A faint, yet constant, beep sounded from the keypad behind Dawson. King risked a quick peek, his blood running cold when he saw the bright red numbers counting down on the small digital screen. He’d planted a fuckingbomb.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Dawson bit out, his knife raised and ready. They were less than ten feetapart.
King angled his body and moved backward, attempting to shuffle the women closer to the front door. “You know why I’m here. Put the knifedown.”
Dawson kept his cold, deadly gaze locked on King. “You move faster than I thought youwould.”
King’s eye twitched. The months of the long painful recovery, the migraines, and the ghost ached beneath the patch. “I had a reasonto.”
Keeping his focus on King, John said, “Laura, are you and Faithokay?”
“Yes,” came her breathlessreply.
“Come to me.” Dawson gestured for the girls to move tohim.
King blocked them, clutching his pistol. “They’re not going anywhere but withme.”
Dawson inched closer. “You touch them and youdie.”
“Put the knife down and turn off the bomb,” Kingsaid.
“Bomb?” Lauraechoed.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with them. Let them go,” Dawsonsaid.
“What bomb?” Laurascreeched.
“The one your brother justactivated.”
Dawson snarled. “Laura, take Faith and run. He doesn’t needyou.”
“I’m not leaving you,” shecried.
“Your game is over, Dawson,” King saidquietly.
Dawson sneered; his blue eyes bright as he advanced on King. “The only thing over here isyou.”
Fury pounded through his veins. He wanted to squeeze the trigger so bad his hands shook, but he could not do it, not in front of the girls. He was forced to counter, shifting back closer and closer to the front door as headvanced.
Dawson continued, “Thought you weredead.”
Fucker.
