Page 104 of Chokehold
“They’re not.”
“How do you know?”
I roll my eyes behind the mask. “We didn’t come here blindly, Ronnie. I did some research first.”
“Fuck, Ron,” Tiago says, “it’s been ages since we spent quality time with our boy here.” He wraps his arm around my neck and chokes me. “He didn’t fucking tell us he is loved up. We thought he’d abandoned us for Cole’s friends.” When he releases me, I try to grab him. He dances out of the way and speeds ahead before turning around and walking backward. “Let’s have fun tonight.”
“Parties are fun. Holidays abroad are fun. Those sweets where some taste of candy and some are weird flavors, like sick and snot—that’s fun. I doubt the definition of the word fun covers threatening people with baseball bats.”
“Actually,” I reply, pointing my bat at him, “that’s the definition of fun to some.”
“Break some bones, crack some skulls,” Tiago says, and Ronnie slows to a stop.
“We’re not hurting him, right? Please tell me we’re not. My mom will kill me if she finds out about this.”
Draping my arm around his shoulder, I jostle him. “Relax. You’re overthinking it. No one is dying tonight.”
Ronnie grumbles under his breath as we near the house. I lift a finger to my lips. The lights are out, except for a lamp in the upstairs bedroom window. Jackson is home alone. His parents are away overnight at a charity event to raise money for some obscure cause.
Our shoes disturb the glistening dew on the damp grass as we cross the front lawn. Tiago raises the flag on the mailbox, making me snigger. Jackson’s brand-new black Jeep Wrangler sits in the drive, which is his pride and joy and a total showpiece.
I raise the bat and bring it down full force on the shiny hood, leaving behind a large dent. “Oops,” I chuckle before smashing the headlights. It’s a lot of fun to go psycho and a great way to dispel all that anger. My therapist—if I had one—would approve. Tiago laughs, then joins in with the chaos. Glass explodes everywhere as he slams the bat into the passenger windows. He rounds the vehicle to take out the taillights, the shattered glass crunching beneath his boots.
“What the fuck?” Jackson blurts as he exits the house. Moths flap their wings against the porch light at his back while he gapes at us like he can’t believe what he sees. “You… I… My car.”
The others snigger behind their masks. I slide mine up to smile at him, and his eyes widen. “I don’t take well to threats, Jackson.” As I step closer, he stumbles away from the door. I always knew he was all bark and no bite. Guys like Jackson are cowards with mommy issues beneath the cocky attitude. “What did you plan on doing at the party? Beat me up? Break a bone or two so that I can’t play football? Send a message to Cole?” My teeth grind together. I hate the thought of someone hurtingCole. But one thing that enrages me even more is the thought of someone using me against him.
Jackson’s throat jumps, his eyes falling to the bat in my hand. “Blaise, man…let’s talk about this.”
“Talk about what?” I ask. “How you and your friends targeted me at the party?”
Nervous laughter bubbles up from his chest. “It was just a bit of fun.”
I hum as I drag the bat through the shattered glass on the ground. Jackson’s fear is palpable in the air, like a sweet aroma I can’t help but breathe in—a crackling fire on a summer’s evening, popcorn at the movies. “I’m all for fun, too, as you can see.”
Jackson skates his gaze to his car behind me, and I jerk forward with a “Boo.”
He falls onto his ass, like the scaredy cat he is, then jumps to his feet and runs to the edge of the porch, where he leaps over the railing like Spiderman.
I fucking love a good chase.
Cracking my neck, I let out a loud holler before setting off after him. Leaping over the railing, I land with a hard thud and laugh with glee. When was the last time I felt this thrilled, well, except for when I was balls deep in Cole? I force the memory aside. Now isn’t the time to remember how he felt, smelled, or how he groaned when I pounded him.
Tiago and Ronnie are hot on my heels. We run down the side of the property and catch sight of Jackson escaping into the forest at the edge of the yard.
If he thinks I’ll let him get away, he’s got another thing coming. While the plan was never to hurt him, I’m tempted to break his skull.
Sprinting across the lawn, we enter the forest, slapping branches out of the way. We catch up to him as he climbs up a tree, like that will keep him safe.
We pace around the trunk like a pack of starved lions. Tiago turns back, leaving me with Ronnie. I jerk my chin at him. “Go get him.”
Ronnie gawks at me behind his mask before glancing up at the tree. “I can’t climb up there.”
“Why not? Jackson did it.”
“What if he kicks me, and I fall?”
“You won’t fall.”
