Page 26 of A Friend in the Glass

“Don’t turn into the Incredible Hulk just yet.” Rufus started for the revolving door before stopping so abruptly that he nearly tripped over his own two feet.

Lew Frazer, still big, still built, and still bronze, had just entered the hotel. His commanding presence swallowed upthe air around him, and if Rufus hadn’t already known his background, he’d have definitely pegged the guy as military or at least a Suit at one of the many alphabet agencies.

Speaking of suits—Brady Ellsworth stood behind Lew like an obedient little gremlin—and two more men Rufus didn’t recognize completed the entourage.

Rufus backpedaled into Sam.

Sam glanced around. “Mother. Fucker. Frazer, good, you just saved me the trouble of finding your ass so I can put you in the ground.”

Rufus turned slightly and dug his elbow into Sam’s chest while hissing, “Stop it.”

Lew flashed an easy smile. “Auden. It’s been a while. I’ve been looking for you. Let’s go for a ride.”

“We’re good, actually,” Rufus answered for Sam, who felt so taut under his touch that Rufus half expected him to snap like a broken rubber band. “Those taxis cost an arm and a leg these days.”

The look from Lew took him in and dismissed him, all in an instant. Brady, on the other hand, was staring murder at Rufus. Apparently he hadn’t forgotten round one.

“There’s no reason we need to make this difficult,” Lew said to Sam. “You show up, you start poking your nose in, well, it makes people uncomfortable. So let’s go for a ride, and we’ll figure out how everybody walks away from this happy.”

“What did I tell you, Lew?” Sam asked. He had a hand on Rufus’s shoulder, and he was trying to move him from his path. “What did I say?”

“You were upset. You and that kid were butt—” Lew’s smile had a frat boy’s guilty charm. “Close. I didn’t hold it against you.”

“I told you if I ever saw you again, there wouldn’t be enough left of you to bury.”

Then he shoved Rufus aside and launched himself at Lew.

Rufus stumbled and came just short of toppling over the brochure stand. He needed to put on weight so he couldn’t be flung around like a damn leaf in a hurricane. He turned, saw Sam grab Lew, saw Brady clench his fists, and then Rufus threw himself on the bomb ready to detonate.

“Sam, stop!” Rufus wormed his way in between Sam and Lew and tried to push his boyfriend back, which was akin to pushing a brick wall.

“Hey!” the white guy with locs at the front desk shouted. He held the desk phone in one hand and was shaking the receiver at them. “Are you all fuckin’ kidding me? Don’t make me call the cops.”

“Back the fuck away,” Rufus said sternly to Sam.

“What you did to Went,” Sam shouted, “what you did to Shareed, I’m going to make you pay for it, Frazer!”

“Chill out,” Rufus snapped. “The last fucking thing I want to do is call Erik from a jail cell.”

“Sorry about the disturbance,” Lew called to the front desk clerk. “It was a misunderstanding.”

“Fuck your misunderstandings,” Sam shouted, still trying to get past Rufus. “And fuck you.”

Brady took a step forward, like he was more than happy to meet Sam halfway.

“Sam,” Rufus said again. He took ahold of Sam’s biceps and gave him a hard shake. “Stop. I’m not bailing you out.” He said to Brady, “And unless you want to piss blood for the rest of the week, step off my ass, buddy.”

Brady’s expression darkened, but he stopped moving forward.

Rufus finally spoke to Lew. “So when’d you get into town?”

This time, Lew seemed to take Rufus in as though seeing him for the first time. He smirked at Sam. “You didn’t always like them so skinny. He’s got a little more pep than Went, though, doesn’t he?”

Sam’s answer was a rumble in his chest. At least, for the moment, he’d stopped trying to thrust Rufus to one side.

“We’ll have that talk another time, Auden. Figure out how everybody walks away from this with what they want. See you around.”

Rufus shifted, moving so that he always stood in front of Sam as Lew, Brady, and the Dingbat Twins made for the bank of elevators. He waited until the elevator rattled opened, the party stepped inside, and then disappeared. He turned and gave Sam a final shove. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

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