Page 77 of Burning Secrets

Viper looked up at Crew and smiled. “This is convenient.”

Crew met his gaze. “Yes, it is.”

Viper raised an eyebrow.

Behind him, a nurse backed out of the ER bay, hopefully to find security. No matter.

Viper wasn’t going anywhere.

The man rushed Crew, and he saw it, stepped aside and pushed. Viper crashed into an ER table, bounced off, hit the floor.

Popped back up.

Crew found his stance, his father’s coaching in his bones. “C’mon, you can do better than that.”

Viper wiped the blood from his face, spat. “Come here, boy.”

Crew raised an eyebrow but didn’t move.

Viper took another run at him, and this time, Crew caught him, sent a knee into his face, rolled, and sent him to the tile floor.

Viper roared, elbowed him off. The hit exploded into Crew’s ribs, but Crew rolled again, hit his feet, and hit Viper as he rose.

The man fell back, landed, but Crew didn’t advance.

Every time he hits right, he drops his left. Use that.

Thanks, Dad.

Viper got up, his expression lethal. Advanced.

Swung, a right hook.

Crew ducked, came up with his own right, the man’s guard down. The punch hit Viper on the chin, knocked his head back. He slammed against another table.

Screams now, but Crew shook them off.

Thank You, God, that Jo had gotten that call.

Viper came back at him, another right. Dropped his guard again.

Crew hit him across the face, a solid right hook that rang Viper’s bell. Viper stood, dazed a second. Crew could have knocked him over with a kick. But he stepped back, guard up. And smiled. “You didn’t really think you beat me in the yard, right? I had to buy time. But I can do this all day, Viper.”

Another tip from Dad. Persevere.Commit your way to the Lord, trust in himand he will do this: He will make yourrighteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

Funny how the minute he’d started remembering the truth, it’d come flooding back to him, a faucet of light.

Viper spotted a utensil tray and grabbed up a pair scissors. “I can’t believe I trusted you. Thought you were one of us.”

“I was never one of you.”

And that truth simply rushed through, took hold of his bones, and poured light into them.

No, he’d never been a part of the darkness. He’d just let the darkness blind him to that.

“I belong to truth and hope and right.”

Viper rushed Crew.

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