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“Sí, he is,” Mateo said simply, pushing Thomas towards Tiger. “He belongs to the Three Rings and I am not going to let that mal parido cause me problems because he is a child who wants someone else’s toy.”
Tiger’s arm wrapped around Thomas, holding him in an one arm hugged. “His sweatshirt,” he murmured, his deep voice carrying.
“Gregorio,” Mateo said, snapping his fingers and pointing. “Sé un buen niño y tráeme eso.”
“Does Peacock know about this,” Paradox demanded, his voice raising. “He-”
Mateo laughed again. There was nothing warm or friendly about that one. “Peacock has forfeited his protections and what remained of my good grace.” He paused as a vibrating alert went off.
Thomas looked around in surprise as Tiger lifted his wrist, tapping against the screen as the timer went off, resetting to ten minutes.
Mateo’s smile widened. “And now he is the Three Rings’ problem.” He looked at Paradox, his back to Thomas and Tiger. “Congratulations on your promotion. I expect you to behave better than he did. To be respectful of the gift that is my protection.”
Thomas could only see part of Paradox from where he was standing but it was enough to see the same sag he had seen in the men at the pub when Snake had announced Open Season.
“No,” he whispered. His hand became a fist. “You bastard,” he shouted, moving forward. “You-”
Tiger pulled Thomas into his chest, covering his face as Mateo moved. The gunshot echoed in the room, the wet splatter of blood and brain in its wake, then the second that felt like eternity before the body crumbled to the ground.
Thomas couldn’t breathe. He could see it clearly: see Finnegan’s head shatter like a melon from the force of a bullet; the blood and brain and other gooey and not-so-gooey bits of it spray out over Issac and the desk behind him; how he seemed to stand there, ready to murder Issac then do the same to Thomas for his traitorous act only to crumble to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
Someone was screaming. He didn’t think it was him. It sounded like a woman. There weren’t any women at the pub. Finnegan didn’t allow women there. Someone else was speaking but the accent was all wrong—
His feet lifted off the ground and he was small again, an exhausted child being carried from the car inside by his aunts.
“Thomas,” Tiger murmured, his chest rumbling under Thomas’s ear. “Don’t look. Just keep your eyes closed.”
“Seong,” he whimpered. “Where’s Seong?”
“He’s right out here,” Tiger said gently. “I’m taking you to him. Keep your eyes closed.”
There was another wet tearing sound as they entered a room, a man gurgling.
“Out there,” Bat said near the sound. “Felinus dragged him out.”
“I’ll be back to help,” Tiger said, an edge to his voice.
“I’m Here.”
The sun was warm on Thomas’s back, a gentle breeze rustling his hair. Nothing like that night. That night had been cold, so cold.
“Thomas!”
Thomas looked around as Tiger set him down, keeping his arm around Thomas’s waist until he found his legs. He could still smell the blood, the tang of vomit on the wind.
Seong was standing next to a van, Felinus next to him. His mask was hanging off one ear, his eyes wide as he pulled forward. Thomas could see Felinus’s fingers tight on Seong’s arm, indenting his skin, then released as Thomas took a step forward.
“Seong,” he breathed, choking on the word as he staggered for him.
Seong was there in a breath, a solid pillar Thomas seized hold of and squeezed. “I’m here,” he gasped, his hands in Thomas’s hair as he held him close. Lips pressing against Thomas’s temple. “I’m sorry. You’re safe. I’m here.”
Lips continued to move over Thomas’s cheek and temple as Seong repeated the two-word sentences like a mantra. The fingers in his hair continued to stroke and hold him, bringing him back until he felt the hot wetness of tears fall free. He buried his face into Seong’s neck, clinging to him all the tighter as he cried. He felt one of the hands move from his head to his back, holding every bit as tight as Thomas held him.
“Thomas, look at me,” Seong breathed into his ear.
Taking a deep breath that choked him, Thomas pulled back just enough to meet Seong’s eyes, their noses almost touching.
Tears were rolling down Seong’s face as he cupped Thomas’s in both his hands.
