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Thomas studied Mark and Kevin’s faces as Kevin also turned to see what was happening. Their eyes kept moving from Thomas to Danny, but they kept lingering on a spot to the right of Danny. “Knife,” he breathed.
“You are quick, aren’t you,” Peacock commented. “I admit, I’m not much of a sports guy but I imagine a baseball career would end rather quickly if a tendon is cut.”
Thomas’s throat tightened as he swallowed.
“It’s loud here,” he continued. “Let’s go somewhere else-”
“No.”
The fingers on his neck tightened. “Did you just tell me no?”
“I did,” Thomas answered, tightening his hand on Danny’s still on the table. “We aren’t going anywhere.” The thumb on his neck was digging into his skin, dangerously close to his jugular. “Try to move us,” he added, slowly raising his voice, “and we’ll make the biggest fucking scene to draw as many eyes to us— and phones.”
The pressure relaxed for a moment then Peacock laughed. “Perhaps you aren’t as quick as I thought,” he hissed. “If you do not do what you are told, your little ball player is going to lose his pitch.”
“If you cut him,” Thomas hissed back, “then we’ll lose all incentive to do what we are told. You picked him because he’s the smallest besides me which means you don’t have anyone who can threaten the two of them.” His eyes flicked between Mark and Kevin. “Which means you are relying on our empathy to not get him hurt.”
Danny’s hand trembled within Thomas’s and Thomas squeezed tighter.
“But you chose the wrong place to act,” Thomas continued. “There are dozens of phones recording video and multiple people live streaming the band.”
There was another laugh in his ear. “And what makes you think anyone is going to give a shit about four boys being wrangled in?”
Thomas could feel his pulse racing against Peacock’s fingers. Taking a deep breath, he locked eyes on Kevin. “Kev,” he said, his voice calm. “If that bastard moves, bellow Sarkis Pea-”
“NO!”
Thomas winced as his neck was shoved forward then the pressure relaxed, gliding over his skin. Next to him, Danny’s breath shuddered out as the man behind him stepped back.
“Popi found himself quite the ballsy apprentice.”
“I don’t know who that is— ngh.”
Peacock’s hand had returned, grabbing hold of Thomas’s jaw and forcing him to look up. “Yes, you do, AlleyCat,” he said, his smile not reaching the rage in his eyes. “You think I can’t see his fingerprints, my fingerprints, on that little stunt last night? You know Popi and you know who I am. I’ve missed my favorite apprentice, AlleyCat. The fact that he found someone nearly as talented as him to pass on my teachings.” His smile grew and Thomas’s rage grew with it, remembering how Seong mentioned that Peacock would claim to be a god. “You both will be better off once you come back to me, where you belong.”
“I’m not a hacker,” Thomas said firmly.
“You will be,” Peacock said, still smiling at Thomas. “You just need a bit more practice to play with us. I will teach you everything Popi hasn’t. He was lost before I could finish teaching him after all. But I can teach you both. What do you say to that?”
“No!” Thomas hissed as the fingers around his jaw suddenly grabbed his throat, cutting off his air supply.
“Thomas,” Danny whimpered, his body shifting.
“That’s two wrong answers you’ve given me, AlleyCat,” Peacock snarled as Thomas grabbed at his fingers. He was so close now that his nose was nearly touching Thomas’s. “Think carefully-”
“HEY,” Kevin shouted, his voice booming over the music and crowd. “GET OFF MY FRIEND, PEACOCK!”
Blue eyes darted towards Kevin, then past him as Thomas smirked. “How fast,” he wheezed through the fingers, “can you scrub live video, Sarkis Peacock?”
Rage twisted Peacock’s face as he shoved Thomas back, knocking him into Danny and sending both of them into the table next to theirs and to the floor.
“Hey, are you guys okay,” a woman shouted as Thomas winced and tried to roll off Danny without putting weight on him. “Where did that guy go? John?”
“He ran with that other prick,” a man’s voice said.
Someone grabbed Thomas’s arm and half lifted him up to his feet.
“Thomas,” Kevin said, seeming to materialize out of nowhere as Thomas blinked hard. “Are you alright?”
