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“That you?” A timid voice said from the other side.
Brian waited until JayBoy cracked the door to peep through the chain. When he saw it was Brian he hurried to slam the door shut but Brian shoved his shoulder against it, the flimsy chain snapping like a pretzel. JayBoy looked horrified as he fell onto the floor and scrambled backwards into the apartment, Brian stalking towards him. It would have been the perfect time for the Friday the 13th’s soundtrack to play.
“Brian, please. You gotta get out of here, now. I was gonna go to court but then—”
Brian growled and charged, lifting JayBoy’s thin, grungy body off the floor and throwing him onto the ragged couch so forcefully that it slid across the linoleum and slammed against the wall. Brian advanced again. JayBoy had lost even more weight until he was nothing but skin hanging on bones. His dull, brown eyes were red and hazy, as if he’d just finished using something, or getting over from what he’d used last night. Duke was going to be pissed. They’d given this young man all the chances in the world, and he was still dicking them over. Brian yanked him up by his shirt, the thin material tearing. He grabbed the kid by the neck and made a phone sign with his pinky and thumb, gesturing to the cell phone in boy’s pocket. You should’ve called Duke. Now you’re going back to jail. Brian shook him and pointed at the phone again.
“What? Brian, I don’t know what you’re trying to say,” He whined as he uselessly tried to pry Brian’s punishing grip from his neck.
Then maybe you’ll understand this. Brian pushed his GPS locator on his watch, and signaled Ford to bring the truck. He was taking JayBoy in just like Duke said. It was clear by the sunken eye sockets, the extreme weight loss, and the nervous tics that James was on dope again. Brian yanked out a set of zip ties from his inside coat pocket.
JayBoy shook his head so hard, spit flew from the side of his mouth. He started to protest harder. Bucking and yelling in Brian’s hold. “You don’t understand. I’ll go to court. I will.” Brian dragged him across the room, snarling at his weak attempts to knock Brian’s hand away. Brian yanked Jayboy onto his feet when he tried to drop his weight. He glared evilly and popped the kid in the back of the head a couple of times just like his father used to do him when he wanted him to act right.
“Ouch! Ouch! Quit, Brian. Look, I can’t just leave. He’ll kill me,” JayBoy rambled on. When Brian resumed pulling, the frantic kid swung wildly and punched Brian’s left cheek with his fist. Brian took the hit and frowned, his grip never loosening. Did Jay really think he could hit Brian hard enough to do anything? He’d fought in wars, had gone hand to hand with men twice his size and just as deadly, had taken blows that would put a bull to shame. Being hit like that was an insult to him. Like being slapped by an adolescent girl.
Brian’s livid scowl was warning enough to make JayBoy pale and whimper not to hit him back. Brian pulled the kid out of the door and slammed it behind them. He didn’t know who this ‘he’ was that JayBoy was so scared of; probably a dealer he owed money to. Well, that wouldn’t be an issue when he was behind bars for a while.
“At least let me lock my door, Brian. When I come back I won’t have nothing.” JayBoy dug his heels in.
Brian locked his jaw and gave a curt nod for him to hurry up. But when Brian let him go to get his keys, JayBoy took off down the long hall, barreling straight for the window and fire escape. He yanked the window up easily and dove out onto the landing like a madman running to protect his freedom. Brian was hot on his heels but when he reached the window it fell back down too fast and shattered. Glass rained over his head, a piece catching his temple.
Fuck! Brian winced, pressing his palm against the side of his face. He pulled his damp hand away cussing at the blood on his palm. Shit. The cut couldn’t have been too deep, but face injuries always bled more. Brian knocked the rest of the broken glass out and jumped onto the rickety fire escape. JayBoy had just reached the bottom. Brian was angry now. That little motherfucker. He glanced down to the first floor. Luckily, the covered dumpster was right underneath him, making the jump even easier. Brian leaped over the railing and landed with a terrifying thud onto the metal trash bin and dropped down in time to block JayBoy. There was only one way to get to the entrance and that was through him. Brian felt the blood dripping down his cheek.
