“What are you doing here?”
“Waiting on you.”
“You ran like a punk when Dylan got hurt.”
Sonny wanted to backhand him. But, he ignored the childish laughter. “Yeah, well, I’m back. Making amends.”
“What amends?”
“Why I’m here. Dylan owes you a ride. He can’t drive yet, but his debt needs to be paid.”
Mackey’s eyes widened. “You’re here to give me a ride?”
Sonny shook his head no. “I’m here to let you drive. My bike is smaller and easier to control.”
“I want a turn!”
“I want a turn!”
Mackey’s friends crowded closer.
“Sure,” Sonny said, “but, I have a job to do. Mackey’s first.”
Excited, Mackey tried to climb on.
Sonny stopped him. He held out his spare helmet. “Safety first.”
Mackey strapped it on and hopped on behind Sonny. “When can I drive?”
“When we get someplace safe.” Sonny pulled off.
“WHAT’S THE WORST THING that could happen?” Dylan asked. The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and the trees around them were vibrant with color. It didn’t feel like the world was ending.
“Mob rule,” Nile said. “They lose their minds and try to intimidate us. Or, worse, punish us. We’d be forced to retreat until everybody gets sick. But the toxin is like cancer...it’s worse than cancer. People are in different stages. A lot of innocent people could die. If we’re shut down for any significant length of time, the original mission of eliminating us might happen.”
“Wow.”
“The next worst scenario is a town war, which Mom’s declaration might take us to. Our roots are deep and entangled. If you go back far enough, everybody is somebody’s third cousin or family friend for fifty years. People are going to come down on one side or the other. If they think we’re abusing power, or the opposite, not strong enough, that will add to the chaos.”
“Every time I think I understand, there is more, and it’s dark. This is crazy.” Dylan couldn’t see the fall colors or the blue sky. He was too numb to feel the air.
Her eyes were sad. “That’s not the heartbreaking part.”
He already knew the heartbreaking part. It was breaking his heart. “Jake and I are going to fall on different sides of this.”
She nodded. “You might. You and I might fall on different sides of this.” She wiped a tear.
He put his arm around her, for her comfort and his.
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I have the ability to save lives, but the reality is, I’m going to let some people die.”
“Circumstance gave you a gift, Nile. But, you’re not God. You’re not picking and choosing. Circumstance is.”
She kissed his cheek and wrapped her arm around his chest, being careful of his wound. “Thank you.”
He kissed her hair and for a while they let the quiet soothe them.
When he could talk again, he asked, “What’s the best we can hope for?”
She thought for a moment. “That Maya is completely innocent. At that point, it would be best to let her go.”
“That’s great for Jake, but what about me?”
“You don’t live or work here, Dylan. Whatever happens, you’re leaving anyway.”
Nothing logical, sensible, or reasonable made his heart beat the way she did. “I never got that dinner date.”
“Let’s go eat. It could be the last chance we get.”
Dylan thought it best not to point out they were in different places. She was preparing for goodbye. He was contemplating ways to stay. He stood up behind her and appreciated her ass as she climbed out of the boat.
Pryor stepped from the side of the boathouse, pistol drawn. “Want to go for two?” He aimed at Dylan.
Dylan pulled Nile behind him. “Aren’t you the guy I laid out on third down and six?”
“Fuck you.” Pryor cocked the gun.
Prince came up behind them, poking another weapon in Dylan’s back.
“Knock it off.”
Nile found her voice. “What is wrong with you!?” She pushed Prince’s gun away. She stared Pryor in the eye until he lowered his. “Have you lost your minds?”
Prince regained her attention. “Nile, you have never given me the kind of attention you give to this ass-wipe. It’s not right.”
“Wait a minute.” Nile’s hand flew to her hip. “You are attacking us because you’re offended nothing happened after we went out two years ago? You idiot!” She snatched Prince’s gun and threw it into the water. She shoved both hands into her jacket pocket and speed-dialed somebody.
“That’s not why!” Pryor yelled. “We’re saving our lives, and his too!” He waved his gun at Dylan but his finger wasn’t on the trigger.
Dylan thought Nile was the bravest, most beautiful person he’d ever known. Under different circumstances, her anger would be sexy. But, they didn’t have time for that. Whatever these assholes were about, they needed to regret it. In a flash of movement, he punched the closer one—Princess Dateless—and kicked Third-down in the chest, knocking him on his ass. The gun discharged, making a bullet-hole in the boathouse. “RUN!” he shouted to Nile.
She didn’t run.
Both guys were up and on him. He threw a few more punches and shouted again, “RUN!”
She was too busy screaming and trying to break up the fight to listen to him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized, he was going to get his ass whipped for no good reason. Two on one, with him injured...she was never going to run.
While they all shared the handicap of trying not to hurt Nile—who would not get out of the way—Prince and Pryor were a couple of good-old-boys throwing haymakers. Dylan had some training. A healthier version of himself would have embarrassed them. Instead, Pryor’s wide swing unintentionally connected with his bullet wound. Blood and pain exploded in his side. Dylan dropped to his knees, fighting for consciousness. Prince kicked him in the face, and he toppled over backwards into the murky, cold water.
Nile screamed and screamed again when Prince picked her up. She kicked and fought as the brothers dragged her away.
Chapter Thirty
Dylan didn’t have the strength to swim; he floated to the shore and lay shivering in the sand, trying to breathe. He heard voices. People—Tigris, Jordan, Ernest, some others he didn’t recognize. He could barely focus.
Tigris said something about not knowing where they were until she heard the splash. Dylan didn’t understand her. Jordan asked about Nile. NILE! That he understood. “Third-down and Princess...they grabbed her...Pride...Pride...Prince... Pride...”
“Prince and Pryor?” Tigris deciphered.
“Yes.” Dylan went back to trying to breathe.
“Get him to the house.” She gave the order and led the way.
MEDICINE, RE-BANDAGING, a change of clothes, and no rest for Dylan. Nile was in trouble; he didn’t want rest, anyway. Tigris sent everyone but Jordan away. He waited for their interrogation. They didn’t give him one. Instead, he watched first Tigris, then Jordan—with the ease and precision of a well-established routine—jab a needle into their arm, extract a small amount of blood, and release it into a Dixie cup.