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CHAPTER 1

Bax

THERE ARE VERY FEW things that can kill the buzz of postsexcoldcocked in the side of the head by a pair of knuckles that felt like they were encased in steel ranks right at the top of the list My ears rang from the blow as my head snapped around from the force I would’ve reacted, but an uppercut had ainst the brick wall behindblood Not like these guys cared about a fair fight, but eventually I was going to getto be hell to pay I spit out a uy who had inflicted the blows offeredtime no see, Bax”

I lifted a hand and workedruined awith a bunch of clueless idiots and the thought of losing some teeth

“How did you find ainst the wall of the apart I had just exited The copper taste of blood was tangy ontips when I spit out another o without” He lifted his eyebrows and flexed those hands I knew from experience were capable of far worse than a little smackdown “No puy, no booze, no blow, no fast cars, and no one who gives a shit who you are I know you, kid; I knew the first thing you would hen you got out was tail I gave Roxie a heads-up to callI went for was the fast car Granted, I used it to haul ass to a sure thing I kneouldn’t say no, but still, puy came after a quality ride

“So you took it upon yourself to make sure my welcome home sucked as much as possible?”

“If I know Roxie, and I do, you don’t have anything to cos all chuckled and I just rolled , and not just a sure thing for h I had been out of commission for the last five years

“I’m not here for me Novak wants to see you”

Novak The name made normal men shake in fear It usually only caeneral discord on the streets He was ruthless He was cold-blooded He was untouchable and a legend in the Point and beyond it In the shadows and back alleyways he was king Nobody crossed him No one walked away from him No one dared defy himno one except for me I wanted to see Novak as well, but I wanted to do it on arette and put it out under the sole of the heavy black boots I had on I was a lot bigger now than when I had gotten locked up I wondered if these guys had bothered to notice Living a life full of booze, drugs, and easy girls, noand active you were, isn’t a recipe for healthy living Getting all that uncerees not only how a man lives mentally, but also what he becomes physically, be it by choice or not

“I don’t want to see Novak” At least not right now My ears had finished ringing and all I had noas a splitting headache These guys didn’t have the element of surprise anyet bloody and ugly really fast I didn’t care even if I knew the goons were uy who had delivered the blows just stared at me while I stared back I wasn’t soanted these guys to be i five years of your life for a bunch of bullshit has a way of leaving a ”

Now, that had the desired effect My eyes narrowed andand ran rough hands overhair in the joint was a bad plan, and even with the wicked scar that curved across the side ofthe jet-black locks back Low maintenance was necessary in my line of ell, my former line of work—but that was a problem I didn’t want to think about now, or ever

“What do you ? Like he went on a trip, or like Novak made him disappear?” It wouldn’t be the first tio aith a bullet between the eyes

The guy shifted on his feet and rabbed hihteen and scrawny anymore, so I saw the fear flash in his eyes as I literally pulled him to the tips of his toes so ere now eye-to-eye I heard the slide of a gun get pulled back, but I didn’t take aze from his as he clawed at my wrists for purchase

“Answer ?”

Race Hartood and too sht up with Novak, should have never been out on the streets witha nickel to keep a guy like Race out of the clutches of a piece of shit like Novak was a sacrifice I had no troubleand walked away like he was supposed to when they slapped the cuffs onto level the entire city

Benny tried to kicktip and I tossed hi nuun on hed and moved to s hiot busted No one heard anything froirls even saw him Novak kept an eye out for him in case all that mess the two of you created ca Then last week, when the as out you were getting out, he popped back up He ca Novak it was bullshit you went down for what happened I thought he had a death wish, but thenpoof, he was just gone after stirring up the hornet’s nest Now, you telllike that?”

I didn’t know, but I didn’t like it I didn’t have any friends in this world, anyone I trusted, aside from Race Hartet a pulse on hi AWOL, he will regret it”

“Pretty bravethreats when you haven’t even been out of lockup for a full twenty-four hours”