Page 24 of September's Bad Boy: Cooper
He kisses my temple. “Yeah. One step at a time.”
CHAPTER 10
COOPER
A few nights later I’m locking up the gym and looking forward to spending some time with Riley, keys jingling softly in my hand, when I catch a flicker of movement across the street.
At first, I think it’s just the wind catching the edge of a sign, but then I hear it. The sharp crack of glass shattering.
Every instinct I’ve ever had flares to life. Crossing the street fast, I keep low, with my boots crunching softly over gravel as I near one of the shops downtown. The front display window is cracked, shards of glass glittering on the sidewalk like ice in front of the hardware store.
Then I hear voices inside. Low, urgent, angry.
I edge around to the side door, the one that sticks unless you lift the handle just right. It’s open.
Inside, I see them. A few of the teens I’ve been training at the community center, their faces pale and anxious, standing in a loose circle. And in the middle of them, an older guy I recognize from the construction crew working with the developers. He’s barking orders, shoving a duffel bag into one of the boys’ hands.
"Fill it up. Grab what you can. Fast."
One of the younger boys hesitates. Colby. He’s only thirteen. He glances toward the back like he’s thinking about running.
That’s when I step in.
"Drop the bag," I say.
All heads whip toward me. The older guy sneers.
"Well, look who it is. Mustang Mountain’s favorite felon."
I don’t rise to it. My eyes are on the kids. "You don’t have to do this. Get out of here. Now!"
They freeze. The man grabs Colby by the collar. "Nobody’s going anywhere."
Moving faster than he expects, my shoulder slams into his chest, knocking him off balance. Colby stumbles back, free.
The guy snarls and swings, and his fist connects with the side of my face. Pain bursts white behind my eyes, but I’ve taken worse. I grab his arm, twist, and shove him toward the wall.
Another older teen tries to jump in, but one boy, Trent, steps between us. "Don’t. Just stop. This isn’t right."
More chaos erupts. Another punch glances off my ribs, but I keep my ground, pushing the kids behind me. Protect first, always.
Then the front door crashes open.
Jason barrels in like a storm, eyes scanning the room until they land on the scene. He moves without hesitation.
"Back off," he barks, grabbing one of the older teens and yanking him away.
Together, we fight side by side, breaking it up, forcing the older teens to retreat. The man who threw the first punch spits blood, curses us both, and bolts out the door.
One of the older teens doesn’t back down. He pulls a knife.
"Seriously?" I growl, stepping forward. But before I can move?—
A low, bone-deep growl slices through the air. Everything stops.
From the shadows at the alley's edge, Hades emerges.
The wolf moves like smoke, silent and deliberate, fur bristling, eyes locked on the kid with the knife. No bared teeth. No attack. Just pure, pulsing threat in animal form.
