Page 88 of Hot Receiver

A deep chill settles into my bones, dread licking the hairs on the back of my neck as I walk down the hallway toward the living room. “Guys, what the hell?”

A heavy booted foot steps into the hallway and my blood ices in my veins. I turn around slowly, my heart jumping into my throat.

Rusty.

“Surprised to see me? You dumbass. You really thought you’d be able to keep me from those fine pieces of ass?” He stomps toward me. “I told you nobody fucks with my business, Harrison. I don’t like it when people try to get one over on me. So now you’re all gonna pay.”

He raises his hand, and I find myself staring down the barrel of a gun for the second time in the past month. “You thought I wouldn’t find your sisters, huh? That they’d be protected here? That I wouldn’t find out where they were? Now who’s thestupid one?”

“Where are they?” My mouth is so dry, I can barely choke out the words. “I swear to God, if you hurt them?—"

“Shut the fuck up, bitch. And just so’s ya know, this ain’t about your dad. This is between you and me. You were always thinking you were better, smarter. Then you got out, parading your ass around with your hot girlfriends, throwing your money around like you’re better than us.” He grins like a ghoul, his eyes black as night. “Who’s got the upper hand now, superstar?”

I strain my ears. Muffled crying comes from the back of the apartment. The tiniest bit of relief flickers deep inside of me until I process the fact that the shithead standing in front of me has a gun and I have…nothing.

“Look, Rusty. I told you, if you want money, I’ll give it to you. Just leave my family alone.”

“You think you should get special favors because you’re famous, cocksucker?” He swings the gun around. “Fuck no to that!”

“But Rusty, if you kill me, you’ll never get your money. And that’ll fuck with your business way more than I ever could.” Jesus, the logic is really flawed, but his expression tells me he might actually be buying the shit I spew.

More words. I can confuse him with more words. Big words.

I swallow hard, a lump making it pure misery to breathe. How the fuck am I going to get out of this? Why the fuck don’t I have a samurai sword laying around here within reach?

Rusty edges closer, pressing the gun against my forehead. My eyes squeeze shut. “I can help you. I can get you what you need to run your little, ah, business.”

“Always on your high horse. Well, Imma knock you right on your ass, boy.” He pulls back the slide. My heart thrashes in my chest.

A shadow behind Rusty appears. It’s so faint, I think I’ve imagined it. And then something long swings out with a fierce whipping sound before it connects with Rusty’s head. It cracks against the side of his skull as Zak swings through like Rusty’s head is his perfect pitch. Blood spurts from Rusty’s nose. He pitches forward, falling face first into a table, then crashing to the floor.

“Holy fuck.”

My Louisville Slugger.

Screw the samurai sword.

And just like that, the love of my life just saved it.

Zak staggers toward me, his breaths labored. “Are you okay?” He collapses against me. “I thought he was going to kill you.”

“Oh, he fucking was. But I need to get to the girls. I think they’re back here.” I turn and run to the living room where they’re tied together. My heart clenches when I think about how I found Summer that first time Dad called for help.

“Zak, get me a knife from the kitchen so I can get these zip ties off.” I hug the girls tight. “You’re good, guys. Rusty is done. I swear. He won’t bother you ever again.”

Zak hobbles back with a knife, and I cut the girls free. Mike is on the floor with a scary looking welt on the side of his head. I kneel down in front of him. He moans and clutches the side of his head.

“Goddamn, man,” I say. “You’re lucky you’re alive right now to hear me tell you your ass is fired.”

Mike groans. “Good, I’m fucking done with this private security shit anyway.”

The girls grab me and hang on tight. Tears stream down their faces, their bodies shaking like they’ve been stuck in a freezer.

Zak lowers himself next to me and smooths Summer’s hairout of her eyes. “Don’t worry. Nobody will ever come near you again,” he growls. “Especially that piece of shit lying out there.”

“Did you kill him?” Missy whispers.

I look at Zak and give a half shrug. “I didn’t check his pulse. Don’t really give a fuck, if I’m being honest. I mean, we have to call the authorities, tell them what happened. But if he’s dead, the world just became a better place.”

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