Page 40 of Zeke
“But we have them right here,” he complained. Then he let his bike rest in a dull roar, nothing like the earth-rumbling sound on mine.
“And we don’t need them coming after us,” I reminded him. We tore ass out of there, without ever going back.
But now it is Zeke on the end of that barrel, and, while Dad had taught him some stuff, he didn’t give him quite as much training as he did me. I worry if he tries the same move I had back in Miami, he’ll end up with a bullet in his brain.
I take two slow steps, pressing the muzzle of my gun to the side of his head, but he smiles and turns to me. Now my gun is directly between his eyes.
“Ah,” he says. “The new Prez. Nice to meet you.”
“Wish I could say the same,” I say, pressing my gun a little harder into his head.
He gives a little chuckle, then says, “I need to talk to you about Savage.”
As if on cue, Savage comes running into the room, no shirt and barefoot, but with his gun already in hand. He takes a fast surveillance of the scene in front of him, then reaches forward to grab Ponyboy, pulling the young man behind him. He moves slowly, with his hands in the air, like I’d done before, and moves between Zeke and Wizard’s gun.
I lock eyes with Savage, looking for a signal, but he shakes his head. Stupid fucking asshole is going to get himself killed. If he does, I’ll dig him up and kill him again just for daring to die on me.
“Wizard,” Savage says, a snarl forming on his lips. “You fucked up. You came here alone, to a houseful of people who can riddle you with holes. If you shoot me, Big Red here will put a bullet in your brain, and then Dee will be left completely fatherless. Is that what you want?”
Wizard looks like he’s considering his options. I don’t know who Dee is, other than it sounds like his daughter, but she must be a soft spot for him because he uncocks his gun and sets it on the table.
I don’t have time to put my gun away before Zeke is like lightning, darting around Savage and grabbing Wizard by the collar, pressing him up against a wall.
“Zeke, no!” I shout, not wanting him to end up hurt and definitely not wanting Wizard dead before I have a chance to question him about why he is here in La Grange, tormenting my people.
Especially Savage.
But I’m too late. Zeke pulls his fist back and lands a punch square on Wizard’s jaw. Wizard’s head rattles from side to side, and his eyes roll up as he falls to the floor, unconscious.
Zeke stands there, staring down at him like he wishes Wizard had stayed up so he could hit him again. He doesn’t move, so Zeke settles for rolling his shoulders and looking down at his fist, the knuckles already red where they’re likely to bruise.
“Nice one,” I say sarcastically. “What’s your plan now?”
CHAPTERTWENTY
Zeke
Panting heavily, my fists balled up at my sides, I stand over the limp body of the guy Savage called Wizard. I am one hundred percent ready to take another swing if he so much as moves, but he’s out cold.
“Zeke,” Eden says in a tone I know all too well. She’s just as much of a loose cannon as I am most of the time, but right now, I’m taking things too far simply by her level of calm. She wants me to take a breath and chill out. We need to figure out what the hell to do about this asshole who had the fucking nerve to come into my house and put a gun to my fucking head. “Zeke.” She puts a hand on my arm. It takes all my willpower not to shrug it off, but her touch makes me aware I’m shaking with rage.
I shake her off, not wanting to deal with this right now. My instinct for flight, fight, and fuck boils inside of me, desperate for a release. I want to run away, jump on my bike, and find somewhere I can get into a brawl. I need to feel someone’s flesh beneath my fists and my skin splitting under the blow of someone else’s.
I need to get out of here and find someone, some random person I can pin to a wall and fuck senseless before walking away and never looking back.
But I can’t. I won’t. That’s the old me talking, who didn’t have something worth doing better for. The me who didn’t have someone to prove myself to. The me who didn’t have someoneworthbeing a better man for.
This “Wizard” asshole is lucky Kira is in my life, because if it wasn’t for her, I’d already have my gun out. Eden has hers trained on him in the hand that wasn’t trying to comfort me, but her calm has me angrier than I thought possible. I’m supposed to be her right hand, but how can I do that when she refuses to do what’s necessary, and she won’t let me do it either?
“Fucking idiot,” Savage says.
“Yeah,” Eden says back. “Care to explain exactly why this piece of shit had a gun to my brother’s head?”
Yeah, I think.Why is this guy here and threatening me, my sister, Julia, and Kira, when his beef is obviously with Savage?
“Wizard,” Savage starts, “is from my old club in Miami, where I was VP. He was my rival from the second I set foot in there, but he was always slower on the draw, in all aspects, if you catch my drift.”
“Why is he here?” Eden asks.