AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The guy with a drooping eyelid leaned on the metal pipe he carried. “You look lost.”
The other man pushed aside Nox’s cart, and it rolled across the aisle, taking out a display of work gloves before the shelves stopped it. “You should have left when you were told to.” He tightened his fist around the set of brass knuckles on his fingers. “Now you’re going to learn the consequences of not taking Mr. Warren’s friendly advice.”
Static crawled up Nox’s arms and over his shoulders, and the Anubis hummed with violence. “Don’t do this.”
“And what are we going to do, Mr. Handyman?”
“Something you’ll regret.” So would Nox.
“We’ll have to see about that.” The man shifted his weight, his arm muscles tightened, his tendons creaked, his breathing quickened. All micro-movements no normal man could see. But to Nox, they were as blatant as the two men standing beside him.
The Anubis rushed to the surface, and it took all of Nox’s focus to keep it from escaping. Pain slammed into Nox’s jaw, sending shock waves through his skull.
A second blow landed above his eye. The crack of bone filled his ears. Before Nox could raise his head, agony ripped across one leg, shattering his kneecap. He went down, taking all his weight on his undamaged leg.
The men spoke, but there was only the roar of the Anubis and its rage. Nox held it tighter. If it got out, it would kill. It would shred the men until there was nothing left.
But if he didn’t defend himself, the men would do their damnedest to beat him to death.
Air whistled.
Nox didn’t even know he’d lifted his hand until the metal pipe smacked against his palm.
The guy with the drooping eyelid lost his manic grin.
“Please go.” Nox shook with the effort to hold back on the darkness. “I don’t want to kill you.”
The guy yanked the pipe, but Nox held it immobile. Another burst of pain struck Nox in the temple. Once, twice, the third landed in the middle of his face, crushing his nose. Copper filled his mouth. He spat out fragments of teeth with a glob of spit and blood.
Breaks in his bones closed, his teeth reformed, the obliterated cartilage in his knee stitched. And the Anubis drank away the pain, replacing it with the hunger for violence.
Nox stood and released the pipe, leaving behind crumpled metal where he’d held it.
Both men backed up.
“Please, go.” Nox forced the plea from behind sharpening teeth.
The man with the drooping eyelid pulled his gun.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” The kid wearing the apron with the store logo couldn’t have been over eighteen.
Nox doubted he even saw the gun.
The man with the droopy eyelid swung his aim.
Fire froze at the end of the gun muzzle. Sound snapped to silence. Nox rushed past the guy with the brass knuckles.
He stopped in front of the kid.
The crack of gunfire erupted, and a dull thump tapped Nox in the back, tearing through his muscle and striking his sternum. Nox grabbed the teenager before he could fall.
He stared at Nox with confusion.
“Get out of here.”
The kid tossed a look between Nox and the two men and bolted away.
A slow burn chased the path the bullet had taken, pushing the heated piece of lead back to the surface.
