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A man strolled over the rough ground, looking like he had all the time in the world. He was dressed in leather and dark jeans, shitkicker boots, and had a shaved head that had started to grow out. Even then, the hair couldn’t hide the tattoos on his skull. He was covered in them. He stopped a little way off and crossed his arms, seeming for all the world like a guy just out for an evening stroll who’d come across a perplexing sight.
I recognized him immediately.
My art teacher’s husband. Hade Harbor’s new mystery man.
The terrifying one.
“Don’t let me interrupt, go on about your business.” He waved his hand over the scene. “I should introduce myself, however…where are my manners?” He patted his pocket and pulled out a small rectangle. “I’m Nikolai Viktorovich Chernov. Take a card.”
Jack grunted and then chuckled uneasily. “I don’t want your fucking business card, get lost. We’re busy here.”
Nikolai shrugged and tucked his card away. “No one ever wants a card. I suppose manners are truly dead.” Then he gave a smirk that was cold and lethal as hell. “Let’s just get right down to business, in that case.” He jerked his head toward Cayden. “Let the kids go, and you and I can have a little chat. Fail to do so, and you’ll put me in a mood.” He laughed, and there was something unhinged about the sound. “You wouldn’t like me in a mood. I have a temper.”
Jack was bursting with annoyance by this point. “I don’t know who you are, wise guy, but get the fuck out of here or I’ll cut this girl’s throat.”
Nikolai tutted, his jovial expression dropping in an instant. “Manners. Think about our influence on these youthful minds. Shame on you. I guess since you don’t have any, I’ll have to teach you.”
His hand went back to his pocket, and in a second, he pulled a gun. Jack blanched at the sight. Nikolai cocked it, released the safety in one fell movement, and pointed it at Jack’s head. “Let the girl go, or she’ll be picking fragments of your skull out of her pretty hair for weeks.” He looked at me. “Apologies in advance, sweetheart.”
“You’re crazy, where the fuck did you come from?” Jack grunted, backing away and dragging me with him.
The knife dug in and made me cry out.
Nikolai’s face hardened at the sound. “Your worst fucking nightmares, old man. You have the count of three to let her go. One—”
Jack dragged me back again, and I stumbled, gasping as the knife dug deeper into my skin.
“Two,” Nikolai continued, advancing on us.
He never got to three.
A heavy weight barreled into us, hitting Jack in the side and knocking the knife out of his hand. I fell to the grass and rolled, just in time to see Cayden grappling with Jack.
Jack landed a lucky punch and staggered up, stepping on Cayden’s hurt arm. He swore before lunging at his former foster father. He plowed into Jack, bulldozing him back off his feet.
I crawled away from the fray as they went at each other.
“Shit, Lily, are you okay?” Marcus was there, helping me up.
“I’m okay,” I muttered, twisting around to see the scene.
Beckett had punched Josh out, and he lay motionless on the ground near his feet, right next to his own vomit. Asher stood beside his dirty bike, his jaw clenched. Nikolai watched the fight with interest.
“Do something – shoot him!” I pleaded with him. I pulled away from Marcus and swayed to Nikolai’s side.
He turned a thoughtful expression to me. “Oh, don’t worry, I will. First, though, I need to let your boy work out some issues.”
“He’s getting hurt,” I argued.
“He’s getting vengeance. Believe me, he needs it. Cheapest therapy there is.” He jerked his head to Marcus. “Take the girl away from here.”
“What! No, I can’t leave,” I started, just as Marcus pulled at my arm.
“Cayden can take care of himself,” he pointed out. “And he has backup.”
“I’m not leaving,” I protested, fighting against Marcus’ strong arms.
My eyes were glued to Cayden and Jack. They fought tooth and nail. Cayden was superior in every way, but Jack had a knife, and he kept swiping it menacingly at Cayden, forcing him back.
