Eleven
The Canceled Killer’s eighth victim raised money on GoFundie for her dog’s cancer treatment but then ended up keeping the cash and euthanizing her dog instead of saving the animal. The woman was “put to sleep” with a dog bed to her face.
—Crime Hivepodcast
Jude and I were surrounded, but I kept my eye on Eric’s two friends. Frat Boy and No Neck blocked our exit to the street. Eric just grinned at us, gloating. Someone needed to break it to him that he didnothave main character energy.
I didn’t feel like teaching boys a lesson today, but I guess the universe had other plans for me.
Jude’s gaze nervously flicked from one guy to the next.
“This is all some misunderstanding,” Jude said, playing peacemaker. “We don’t want any trouble.”
Speak for yourself, I thought. No Neck eyed Jude as if he was going to be the problem. I was going to enjoy using his poor threat assessment skills against him.
“I don’t want to hurt you guys,” I said. “So how about you run along?”
I made a little sweeping gesture with my hands. Normally, I’d be all about bashing in heads, but Oscar was already mad at me, and I didn’t need to test his patience. Plus, any fight could go sidewaysat any time. And Jude might get hurt, which was a no-go. Not to mention, Eric worked for Irene, and I didn’t want to leave her short-staffed when I put his weasel face in the hospital.
No Neck laughed. Frat Boy joined in. Eric just grinned.
“You gonna let your lady get you in trouble like that, bruh?” Frat Boy asked Jude.
“You’re gonna pay for her mouth,” No Neck promised.
“I really don’t think you guys should be saying things like that.” Jude’s gaze flicked to me. He looked worried. Not for us, I was pretty sure. For them.
“We’ll say whatever the hell we want.” Frat Boy lunged first, heading for Jude, because I think he was trying to impress No Neck, but I intercepted him with a quick side jog. My right palm sent his fist off track. I grabbed his wrist with my other hand, twisting sharply. I didn’t hold back, and I heard the ligaments make a satisfactory pop as he yelped in pain. Jude flinched and covered his face with both hands.
One of my swift elbow jabs to Frat Boy’s temple cut his cry short. He crumpled to the ground, groaning. Jude’s hands fell from his face, and he glanced over my left shoulder, eyes growing wide.
“Look out!” Jude warned as No Neck came at me from behind, but I turned, driving my heel into No Neck’s knee. His howl of pain drowned out the twangy snick of his ACL as he dropped to one leg. Wasting no time, I grabbed his hair and pulled his head down, meeting him with a pretty potent knee strike to his face.
“Oooh!” Jude let out a low murmur of empathetic pain. “Ouch.”
No Neck fell backward, clutching his nose. Frat Boy was back for more, though, cradling his wrist as he swung wildly at me. I dodged and weaved, and then gave him several hard jabs to his stomach and a solid kick to the babymaker, sending him to theground. No Neck grabbed my hair from behind in a surprise attack, but I was ready. I grabbed his wrist and twisted, and then was free of his grasp when he could no longer hold me. I punched him hard again in his broken nose, making him wail. A swift kick sent his knee completely out of joint, and he screamed and crumpled to the ground.
That just left Eric.
“You should run,” I advised him.
“I’d listen to her,” Jude agreed.
Eric shook his head. “Mayor paid us to fuck you up, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
“The mayor?” Jude asked, perplexed.
“Seriously?” I shook my head. Figured that Stokes would pay people to fight his battles. Mr. Silver Spoon had been doing that since he was born. “And here I thought you actually were showing some initiative, Eric.”
“Bitch,” Eric sneered as he pulled a knife from his pocket.
Okay, not great.
Being overconfident, that was my mistake.
“Uh… Ella?” Jude asked, anxious. He moved forward to protect me, which was brave and adorable but foolhardy. He had fewer defenses than a pincushion.
“Get behind me,” I told him. Irene had trained me. I just needed to remember what to do. I’d never actually had to disarm anyone IRL.
