Page 59 of Intangible
Gripping the bat with both hands, the punk swung at Knox. Catching the bat with one hand, he pulled the kid to him, swinging his fist at his face.
He missed seeing the pipe that swung at his side, though, until it connected to his hip. With a grunt of pain, Knox spun, kicking at where the other man’s head should be. The crunch of bone told him he had connected.
The first man had picked himself back off the ground and rushed Knox, tackling him to the ground. He managed to not crack his head on the ground as he let the momentum help him flip the man over his head. Spinning, Knox straddled the man, punching him in the face twice before he went limp.
With a roar, he stood up to face the other men, only to find one lying on the ground and the other two gone. Leaning against the wall holding his arm, while blood slowly ran down his face from a cut over his eye, stood Memphis.
“Don’t you know a bad neighborhood when you see one? Pretty sure I heard Shaun warn you,” Memphis said with a smirk. “Do you think they were waiting for one of us to be alone? It seems a little late for muggers, even around here.”
“Nah, they were just a couple of kids looking for money,” Knox answered.
Pushing off of the wall, Memphis flexed his arm several times, checking for damage. “What were you doing anyway?” Bending, Memphis hooked the leash he’d found back on Murphy’s collar before turning back toward the warehouse.
“Walking,” Knox grumbled, following with a slight limp.Werethey waiting for one of them? He had told Memphis no, but now he began to question it. They seemed too young, but then the guy he chased on the roof was young looking as well. It seemed like whoever was orchestrating this was always one step ahead. If Memphis was right, they were getting more daring.
“I wouldn’t mind if you didn’t bring any more problems to our doorstep than what we already have right now. I don’t yearn to get in a fight on a daily basis like you seem to. We have enough to worry about without you wandering into more shit.”
“No one asked for your help,” Knox growled, knocking Memphis against the wall as he passed him.
“I’m not just going to sit by while my dumbass brother gets himself shanked. I know we just met, but you’re the only blood family I have. Which is completely fucked up.”
Memphis was smiling at Knox when the big man abruptly came to a stop, spinning around with a scowl. Knox poked twice at Memphis’ chest with his finger before opening his fist to pat on him with the palm of his hand. When Memphis grinned, Knox just turned, walking toward the warehouse with a shake of his head.
“We make it out of this shit show, I’m getting drunk,” Knox growled, climbing the stairs to the loft.
“Oh, fuck yeah,” Memphis agreed, trudging up behind him. “In spades.”
* * *
“It doesn’t make any sense. Whoever is doing this has to be well connected. How would they have found out so fast that Thayer was at my house then be able to hire people capable of snatching her? Are you sure her father doesn’t have a powerful enemy?” Memphis asked the next morning over breakfast.
“I’ve looked at everyone we could think of. None of them has done anything that can be traced to this. It could be some radical, but they are usually not this organized,” Knox answered.
“I just don’t understand what I or my father could have done that was bad enough to merit all this,” Thayer said in frustration. “Knox, was I that bad a person in high school? Was my father so horrible that he deserves me dying?” She wiped away a tear.
Knox reached across the table, taking her hand in his.
“Thayer, do you remember when you would get in trouble in high school and I would make you spend the next day in the gym working on self-defense?” Knox asked. Thayer nodded once. Not only had it kept her in shape, but it had allowed him to let her go off to college, knowing she could fend off the most skilled advance by a drunk college man.
“Please don’t make me go through some routine just to prove I can still do the moves you taught me. The thought of seeing my breakfast again is less than appealing.”
Knox laughed, shaking his head. “Did that ever seem like much of a punishment?”
“Not really,” she answered, confused.
“That’s because you never did anything truly worth punishing. If you had been a bad person, I would have been the first person to tell you and I would have found a way much worse than working out for punishment.
“You are not to blame for what’s going on and, as far as I can tell, neither is your father. He’s well liked by his constituency, respected on Capitol Hill, and a decorated Navy captain. You don’t get there by being an asshole. At least not a corrupt one.”
Thayer laughed. “Only you would just lay it out there. I can’t remember anyone else ever explaining that at least if my father is an asshole, he’s a decent one.” Standing, she stacked their empty plates before crossing to the sink. Knox and Memphis stood to help, but she waved them back down.
“So what is the plan after the weekend?” she asked, placing their dishes in the dishwasher. “We can’t stay here forever.”
“No,” Knox agreed. “I think we go home. Memphis has a business to return to and I can protect you better in Connecticut. It’s not great, but it’s all I’ve got for now.”
Her eyes cut to Memphis. Knox noticed he had been strangely quiet through the entire conversation. Taking a deep breath, Memphis looked up, his bright green eyes searching Thayer’s face.
“I think Knox is right. He has better resources at home to protect you. I think it’s time to change tactics.”
