Page 115 of The Long Game

“Yeah, she will,” Jack agreed, not sure if Colton was trying to reassure Jack or himself.

In the end, Colton’s instincts were right and her wrist was broken, though thankfully it wasn’t a bad break and should heal well. Jack stood back and let Colton take the lead in the casting room, burying his face in one hand when Colton convinced Jack’s mother to get the pink camo fiberglass cast, which Jack was pretty certain was meant for kids.

Jack had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as Colton exclaimed over how cool it was all the way back through the lobby and into the parking lot.

They’d made it halfway down the aisle to the truck when John Babcock appeared from between two cars and blocked their path. “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise. Hello, Jack.”

Jack shoved his mother behind him, trying to steady her with one hand while he reached for Colton with the other. His mother beat him to it, clamping a hand around Colton’s arm and yanking him close.

His mom had good instincts.

Heart racing, Jack glared at Babs. “What do you want?”

Babs held up his hands like he was perfectly innocent. “Hey, man, I’m just here to do some business.”

Jack could barely hear the words over the pounding in his ears. He needed to calm down. Tothink. They were barely thirty feet from the truck but it felt like miles.

Finally, Babs’ words sank in. “You’re installing garage doors at ten o’clock on a Sunday in the wrong city?” Jack asked.

Babs took a menacing step closer. “You got your boyfriend keeping tabs on me?”

Jack regretted opening his mouth. “Go the fuck away, Babcock.”

Babs took another step closer and Jack took one back, forcing his mother and Colton to move with him. “Is your pig boyfriendwatchingme?” His face grew redder with every word. “Is that why he was at Bull’s the other day?”

Jack had no idea what Babs was talking about, but he wasn’t going to ask. Grady would tell him, just as soon as he got his mother and Colton out of there.

Babs’ hands were fists at his sides and Jack forced himself to square up and keep his chin high, ignoring the sweat sticking his hair to his forehead and running down his back. He calculatedhow they could get to the truck versus how far it was to the door to the ER. Both were too far for his mother to run on her best day, let alone with a cast on her cane arm.

He needed Babcock to leave. “I couldn’t care less what shady shit you’ve been up to, Babs. I just want you to go the fuck away.We’ve got places to be.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Babs growled, “until I know you’re not going to ruin my prospects here, too. You and your fucking boyfriends!”

Babs was yelling, but there was no one around to hear or to help. Jack didn’t want to fight Babs. He didn’t want to fightanyone.But he would. He’d be damnedif he’d let Babs hurt Colton or his mom.

Sweat dripped from Jack’s hairline down into the collar of his t-shirt. He considered pulling out his phone and texting or calling Grady, but they were on opposite sides of the city and he didn’t want to risk not having his hands free.

His mother released the back of his shirt and he thrust his hand out to keep her back.

The crafty old lady ducked right under Jack’s arm, bad hip and broken arm be damned, and got in Babcock’s face. Or, she would have been in Babs’ face if she wasn’t a foot shorter than him.

Jack reached for her, lightheaded with fear, but she shook him off.

“You heard him,” she said in her sharpest voice—one Jack knew well. “Fuck. Off.”

Babs turned an ugly shade of magenta. Then the motherfucker actually dared to draw his arm back.

A familiar red haze fell over Jack’s vision, one he hadn’t experienced in over a decade but was almost comforting in its return. Flight had turned to fight.

Jack clasped the back of his mother’s shirt, ready to toss her into Colton’s arms and hope like hell he’d catch her, when Babs jerked, let out an explosive wheeze, and fell to his knees. All the blood drained from Babs’ face, leaving him waxen and almost green as he cupped his hands protectively over his balls.

Jack’s mother clutched her freshly casted wrist to her chest. “Merde,” she hissed. “I should have taken those painkillers.”

“Maman?”

His mother’s eyes cut to him. “That’s the first time you’ve called me that since you were twelve.”

Jack shook his head, trying to put the pieces together. “Did you just…?”

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