“Yeah? And who’s paying for the goons?” I eye the jerks.
“They’re family.” There is so much love in her voice that I want to puke. Goon number one, the one with the bald head, tries to kick me again, but I kick him back right in the groin and scramble back at his bellow of pain. "Get her!" he calls to goon number two through gritted teeth.
Goon number two swings his bat and charges at me.Nowit’s getting hot in here. How will I avoid a bat in the hands of a giant psychopath—I have no idea. I try to stand up, assessing the likelihood of having time to run away, considering that’s the only way I can think to keep all my limbs attached, when he jumps forward and swings his bat at my head. I close my eyes and throw my hands out, trying to protect myself. The blow never comes.
Time seems to slow down, and the silence is followed by the sound of a huge body slamming into the goon, knocking him down before the bat reaches me. I keep my eyes shut, scared of what’s to come. It’s only when I hear grunting, followed by a pained cry, that I open my eyes.
Frank, my Frank, has bitten into the goon’s shoulder and is currently dragging him around, stomping on his limbs in the process. The goon is screaming and trying to punch Frank, but Frank is a big motherfucking moose; it’s not that easy to catch him, especially if you’re hanging from his mouth in the air, bloody and broken.
“Get the bitch!” Caroline yells to Baldy, who has finally gotten his wits together. I turn just in time to see him charge at me. I can take one down. I think. Right? I can?
I’m trying to stand up, but the kicks they did manage to deliver landed at the “right” places, and it’s hard even to move.
“You’re done, bitch!” he says as I almost manage to pull myself up.
I almost give up hope when I hear it.
The rev of a powerful engine cuts through the crying of goon number one, who's still getting dragged around like a broken toy by a toddler. The vehicle is speeding up—the ground vibrates beneath me as it gets closer.
"Who's that?" Baldy's attention focuses on the truck as it whips into view.
Justin jumps out of the car before it even comes to a complete stop. He reaches Baldy with an almost superhuman speed, punching him in the face and sending him to the ground like a sack of potatoes, but he quickly recovers. He charges Justin, but unfortunately for him, Justin's already too far gone. His face is a stoic, emotionless mask, the one people should fear the most. That’s the face of a person who’s removed all feeling from his being and has nothing to lose. He’s ready and enraged.
Why is Justin even here? How did he know?
Baldy jumps forward, attempting to punch him in the face, but Justin easily deflects his advance, punching him in the stomach, sending the bat flying to the ground before delivering another jab to the side of his head. Baldy is shaky—very shaky.
From the corner of my eye, I see Caroline lunging for the bat.Oh no, you don’t.I use all my strength to jump towards it, knocking it farther into the bushes with my foot. She lets out an annoyed yell and runs after it. I jump on her back, knocking her onto the ground.
It’s then that her tune seems to change. “Don’t hurt me!” She pleads. “Who’s going to watch after Maddie? She can’t walk!” her words come out in a screech as she covers her head. I keep her pinned to the ground.
“Oh yeah?” Justin shouts just as he punches Baldy one more time, sending him to the ground, unconscious. Justin takes one more look at him, kicks him once for good measure, and walks toward me. “I’ve heard a different story, Caroline. A very different one. It’s interesting, really.” He draws closer to me, and it’s the first time our eyes meet after months of being apart.
I swallow the lump in my throat and slowly drag my eyes over his frame, returning to his face. His eyes are trained on mine, the moment intense. It’s our reunion, but Caroline ruins it. “Get off me! I’m calling the cops!”
“Please do,” I shoot at her and crawl away. Justin's watching my every move, and I'm drinking in the intensity that only he can generate. Only his presence. Only his eyes. His nostrils flare, and he opens his mouth to say something when goon number two bursts out from the bushes and runs toward us. Frank's following him like a silent predator, his big, brown eyes focused solely on him, steam practically pouring from his flared, velvety nostrils. It’s hilarious, really. Frank is a teddy bear—well, a teddy moose—yet I’ve never seen him so focused on a human being with such a bloodthirsty look on his cute, furry face. I thought he only ate twigs and leaves. Turns out, my Frank is full of surprises. He looks like he’s about to turn into Hannibal Lecter.
“Call him off!” the goon yells when he passes us in his attempt to flee Frank.
“I can’t. Frank is a free spirit—he does what he wants.” I shrug. I’m so proud of my moose right now and so grateful that I momentarily forget the situation in front of me, thinking about what nice bush I can plant for him in return for his services.
A low, choking chuckle comes from my left. “Sothat’sFrank?”
I missed his voice. Missed it so much.
“Yeah. We’ve been neighbors for so long, we’re practically family.” I quickly glance at Justin, who’s fascinated by Frank. Not a big surprise there; he's a magnificent animal. While Justin’s busy watching the unfolding events, I watch him.
He’s lost weight. A lot. His cheeks are hollow, and there are dark circles under his eyes. He probably had periods of insomnia again and again and again. My heart aches for him, even as I remember the heartache I felt when I saw another woman in his bed.
“Call him off, Kayla,” Caroline pleads from the ground. I lift a brow, and she adds, “Please.”
“Why would I do that? You came to my home, angry that I didn’t pay you money I don’t owe you, threatening to break my bones with a damn bat, and now you want me to help the man who was just kicking me on the ground only a couple moments ago?” I glance at Frank, enjoying my lap-moose playing Doberman. Looks like Frank’s enjoying it, too.
Her voice turns beseeching. “He’s helping take care of Maddie.”
Fuck, even when I tell myself not to let that get to me, it always does. A pang of guilt hits me like a lightning bolt.
I’m about to call out to Frank when Justin interjects. “What exactly is he helping with?" I eye his posture. His arms are folded over his chest, his stance wide.
