Page 79 of Agony

The pretty boy’s lips twisted and his arms crossed.

Justice gave a pained sigh and started the car. Pulling out onto the road, he drove for several miles in silence.

It was going to take roughly two hours to get from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, so he figured he might as well stop for food. The least he could do was feed Azrael before the boy got his ass chewed out.

Dave’s place was lit up like a baseball stadium when he arrived at the front gate.

“Name?” the guard on duty asked, looking at a clipboard.

“Justice. I have Azrael with me.”

The guard stooped over and took a look at Azrael before hurriedly pressing the button for the gate to roll open.

“Oh goodie,” Justice said, rolling up his window. “They’re expecting you.”

Azrael huffed a half laugh and twisted his hands together in his lap, a sure sign of nerves.

When Justice parked the car, he noticed Dave coming down the front walkway. Behind Dave came Stone, and in the background stood Real along with several of Dave’s bodyguards.

Justice felt for the kid.

“Let’s get this over with,” he said with a sigh and opened the car door.

“You damn well know better!”

“You’re not my dad!”

The exchange had been going on for the past several minutes and Justice was trying to find the right time to get the hell out of there.

Stone and Azrael faced off in the entryway.

Real stood just off to the side and kind of tucked into an adjacent hallway. Justice had taken up a position next to Dave.

“Damned right, I’m not,” Stone growled back and advanced toward Azrael.

Real stepped between Stone and Azrael and Stone drew up short.

Real’s block was powerful, kind of like a tank suddenly plunking down in the middle of afternoon traffic.

It was also so unexpected that everyone, including Stone, froze.

Oh shit. Justice held his breath.

Were the two men going to throw down? He had no clue what the outcome would be if that happened. Nor if the furniture in Dave’s entryway would survive.

“Move,” Stone growled.

“I’ll handle it,” the Genesis commander growled right back.

They stood nose to nose until Dave stepped up and placed a hand on Stone’s arm. Stone went rigid and scowled at Dave.

“That little punk put you through hell,” Stone snarled.

Dave half-smiled at Stone and gently shook his head. Justice volleyed his gaze back to Real and the kid.

A muscle ticked in Real’s jaw and Azrael took a step backward. With a slight thunk, the boy’s boot hit the bottom step of the stairs leading to the upper levels.

Real advanced on Azrael.

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