Page 109 of Danger

My brain doesn’t even bother to tell my body what to do next. I’m charging at him. His cockiness evaporates as I close the distance.

I hit him in his chest. He slams back into the side of his truck. “You do this?”

He tries to push me off, but I’m not moving, focusing every ounce of my rage on his windpipe.

“Back off, Danger. Don’t make this worse,” he hisses.

Too late.

Rogue and Charming are suddenly at my side, trying to peel me away. “He’s not worth it, man! Not now!” It’s Charming’s voice, panicked.

I twist free, grab the fucker by the collar, slam him into the truck again. “Did you do this?”

My vision tunnels, everything else fading into black at the edges.

Copper grins, like he has nothing left to lose. “You done figuring out who you’re fucking with yet?” he sneers.

I break his nose with my bloodied fist.

He recovers faster than I expect, brings his good knee up hard into my thigh. We spin, cursing and clawing. I don’t even realize I’ve drawn my gun until Rogue yells.

“Danger, no!”

But I’m staring down at the barrel. The safety’s already off.

“Put it down, man. Please,” Charming says. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the fear.

Not fear for himself.

Fearfor me.

The same look he used to get when we were kids—when things went sideways and I told them to hide. When I smiled like I wasn’t about to go face the monster. Like somehow he always knew I was lying. Knew I was already deciding to take the hit from our father so they wouldn’t have to.

I lower the gun.

Months ago, I would have pulled the trigger without blinking. Now I know exactly what I'll lose if I don't get away with it this time. Not just Fisher.Her.

So I have to be smarter about how I deal with him.

Copper staggers back, wiping blood from his face.

“This is not how this ends,” I tell him. “You’ll pay for this. You hear me?”

A siren wails—too far away now. Fading. Red lights disappear down the road, taking something with them I don’t know how to survive without.

Then, the ambulance is gone.

CHAPTER THIRTY

danger

I barrelthrough the automatic doors, still shirtless, blood everywhere. The lady at the front desk takes one look at me and tenses.

“I need to see Winnie Hawthorne.”

She tries for calm, types on the keyboard. “Sir, are you a family member?”

“No. I’m her?—”