Page 39 of Gambler's Fallacy

I’m not going to be the one to throw the first punch, but I’ll sure as hell finish this if it comes to it. “I am going to take this out of your ass,” I growl at Earl before adjusting my stance as well. “I should’ve left you here.”

Earl whimpers and shakes his head. “None of this would have happened if Caleb just gave me what he owes me!”

Havoc tosses Earl to the floor and lets out a disgusted sound. “Leave him here. I don’t give a fuck about him.”

I glower at Havoc. “You may not care about him, but the Spade family does.”

As much as they care about anyone, at least, which… Caleb would be happy to leave him here if it wouldn’t mean his grandfather breathing down his neck over it.

“He comes with us,” I say firmly.

Havoc shakes his head and steps over Earl. “Do whatever you want. I’m out of here.”

I growl at him. “Stop walking, Havoc.”

Havoc ignores me and continues toward the stairs.

Martin blocks Havoc’s path. “I don’t think so, brother. You waltz in here, making demands, and think you can leave like that? No.”

Havoc closes his eyes, takes a breath—then punches Martin in the face.

Any chances of talking our way of this are gone, and it emboldens the guy closest to me to throw a punch at me. I catch his hand and twist, forcing him back, even as another tries to get the upper hand on me while I’m distracted. I think there are five of them in total, and they split their attention between the two of us.

“What the fuck, Havoc?” I shout while I dodge my attacker.

Havoc ducks down and roundhouse kicks the bruiser rushing at him. “I didn’t sign up for this shit! This is way above my paygrade!”

“Then ask for a goddamned raise when we get back!” I yell at him. “Stop bitching andfight.”

“Iamfighting! You’re the one who was standing around talking!” Havoc yells back.

“I’m not—” I begin, but I have to stop to dodge an attack.

Havoc kicks a guy in the knee, and the guy stumbles into me. I grunt and shove him at my other attacker.

“Watch what you’re doing, idiot!” I shout at Havoc. I dodge a punch, but somebody else manages to clip me in the shoulder.

“Don’t get in my fucking way then!” Havoc shouts back. “I really should have bailed before we ever got this far. You suck.”

“I suck?” I repeat in disbelief, grabbing the guy who’d managed to get a hit on me and shoving him back. “What, are we five now?”

The sounds of grunts and flesh on flesh fill the room, along with Earl’s pathetic pleading. It’s even worse because no one’s even paying any attention to him, and it’s more distracting than anything else.

The small space of the room benefits us somewhat because it means the Clubs can’t gang up on us all at once, but it does lead to me elbowing Havoc a few times, and both of us tripping over furniture. I can feel the bruises piling up on my body, and my vision starts to blur from sweat or worse.

“I can’t believe I miss the military right now. At least there I had competent allies.” Havoc complains, right as he takes a punch to the gut. He recovers by grabbing the guy’s arm and shoving him straight into a guy who was about to kick me.

“Allies?” I bark out a laugh as I spin around to face another attacker. “Is that what you call people who turn on you when you need them most?”

“Will you two fucking shut up?” one of the goons yells. “My nanna complains less than you two.”

“You stay out of this,” I snap at him.

“Your nanna probably fights better than you do,” Havoc counters, rushing forward to punch that guy.

I’m out of breath, but so are most of the others. Three of the goons are on the floor or in chairs, out for the count. I feel a surge of adrenaline. I can’t believe the two of us have managed to even the odds already.

I turn so I can attack Martin?—

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