Page 10 of The Way We Are

I jerk my chin at Axel, ignoring the hairs on my arms standing to attention from Savannah’s closeness. Even though her approach was silent, I didn’t need to hear her steps to be aware of her impending arrival. My body sensed it.

“And Axel refused your proposition?” Col questions.

If the panic raging in Savannah’s eyes hadn’t infuriated me, my knees may have wobbled a little from Col’s devious growl. Unfortunately for all involved, I’ve never lacked confidence, especially when it comes to protecting girls like Savannah and my mom.

“Yep,” rolls out of my mouth with a pop, my attitude uncontained.

Col waits a beat, taking a moment to contemplate my answer before his eyes swing to Axel. The pompous gleam straightening his spine fades when he sees his uncle’s vicious glare.

“Is that true? Did you back away like a coward?” Col’s tone is full of warning. He will only accept one reply and one reply only—blatant denial.

Air hisses between my teeth when Axel sneers, “The only reason I refused his request was because we were coming here. You know my motto, Uncle... Money before anything.” He dusts his fingers over his shoulder, like he’s brushing off the massive chip he carries around.

The men circling our spectacle snicker at Axel’s reply. The only one not amused by his arrogance is Savannah. Her eyes roll skywards at the same time her arms tighten under her breasts. She looks as unimpressed with his reply as I am.

“It’s true. I taught him well,” Col speculates to anyone listening, his deep timbre husky with laughter.

Once the men surrounding us stop laughing, Col curls his arm around my shoulders and guides me toward the boxing ring where numerous fighters are warming up. Although I could maneuver out of his clutch, when the man flanking him flashes a weapon, I stiffen. Furthermore, I’m interested in discovering why Isaac, Cormack, and Savannah all sighed in sync when Col’s attention was drawn to me. Clearly, they know more about this man than I do.

“Business is business; everybody understands that. But I can make it up to you.” Col waves his hand across the assembly of men in the boxing ring, their sizes and ages vastly differing. “Pick any fighter you want, and I’ll pay the buy-in for you to fight them. Then you’ll not only get all this testosterone pumping through your veins out...” He squeezes me, emphasizing the furious pulse raging through my veins. “...You could also leave here ten, perhaps twenty thousand dollars richer.”

My eyes bulge out of my head, certain I heard him wrong.He did just say twenty-thousand dollars, didn’t he?

“He’s not here to fight. He is here as a spectator,” Isaac interrupts, moving to stand next to me. “Pick any man you want, and I’ll pay the buy-in amount you stipulate, but I’ll be the one fighting, not Ryan.”

Col places his hand in front of Isaac’s face, already red and lined with anger. “Hush,” he sneers, his one word hissing from his mouth like venom. “If you want to leave this warehouse breathing, I suggest you remain quiet. Other men in my industry may excuse your games. I will not. You play with fire; you risk getting burned. You’re about to get burned.”

Cormack and Isaac tussle when Cormack impedes Isaac’s attempt to respond to Col’s threat. I don’t know what Cormack whispers to Isaac, but the anger on his face doesn’t weaken in the slightest. If anything, it grows more rampant. That probably has more to do with Col’s goon holding a gun to Isaac’s temple than anything.

Recognizing that Isaac wouldn’t be in this position if I hadn’t blown his cover, I pull away from Col’s grasp before pivoting on my heels to face him. The dangerous gleam in his murky blue eyes brightens when I ask, “Any man?”

When Col nods, I extend my arm in Axel’s direction. Savannah’s nostrils flare when she notices my target, but her mouth remains shut. She doesn’t need to speak for me to hear the silent pleas streaming from her eyes, though. Five years passed, yet we still know each other well enough to interpret what the other is thinking. If that doesn’t strengthen my determination to show her she doesn’t deserve a man as heartless as Axel, nothing will.

My eyes drift from Savannah’s pleading gaze to Col’s wide, amused eyes. “I choose him,” I advise, pointing to Axel.

4

Ryan

Axel tries to shut it down, but I see the quickest flare of panic flash through his eyes. The pink color on his cheeks fades to white as his Adam’s apple bobs up and down. He looks frightened, and he should be. Col’s proposition couldn’t be any more perfectly laid out for me. I not only have the chance to walk out of here with enough money to leave Ravenshoe, but I also get to teach Axel the lesson I planned on showing him earlier tonight. It truly is a win-win situation for me.

Col chuckles, apparently amused by my suggestion. I don’t know what he thinks is funny. His nephew is moments away from being taught his greatest lesson to date. He shouldn’t be laughing.

“When was the last time you walked into a Fortune 500 company and saw the CEO cleaning the toilets?” Col questions, his deep tone riddled with laughter. Even though he's asking a question, he continues speaking as if he didn’t. “You don’t. Everyone has their place. Some are born to lead. Others...” He scans his eyes down my faded shirt and plain black boardshorts, allowing his smug glare to finalize his sentence.

I shrug, not the least bit deterred by his mocking glare. I only turned eighteen last month, so I’ve got plenty of time to iron out my kinks. I can’t say the same thing about Col. If the creases in the corners of his blue eyes didn’t already show his days are numbered, the wrathful way over half the men in this warehouse look at him is another sure-fire indication.

“You said any man, and I choose him. Are you reneging on our agreement?” I stand taller, bolstering my statement with a couple of extra inches.

“No. I don’t renege on anything,” Col replies, stepping closer to overshadow my cocky stance with an additional two inches.

Even with a gun pinching his temple, Isaac somehow positions himself between me and Col. It's obvious Col isn’t a popular man around these parts, but Isaac’s dislike is more profound than loathing authority. Hate is a strong word, but it's perfect to describe the vicious glare Isaac is giving Col.

“Then let him fight your nephew. It's about time Axel proved his worth. It may aid in his transition from boy to man.”

Shifting my eyes to the heavily accented voice approaching from my right, I discover a man standing approximately six foot three inches tall. His dark hair is slicked back, and he is puffing on a half-consumed cigar. Although his accent isn’t one I regularly hear, I’m fairly certain it is Russian.

Removing his cigar from his mouth, the middle-aged man leans in to place a kiss on each of Col’s cheeks. The fear on Axel’s face transfers to his uncle’s when the unnamed man whispers something in his ear. I can’t hear a word he's speaking, but it erases the arrogant gleam in Col’s eyes.

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