Page 7 of Phantom
“Why are they after him?”
“He doesn’t know.”
A scoff of disbelief skipped over my dad’s lips. “How does he not know why someone would try to kill him?”
I smiled, remembering that I said something damn near identical. “That’s what I said, but he’s pretty shaken. I really don’t think he knows.”
“It sounds a little convenient to me.”
“I’d swear my title on the guy. He’s a good guy. Kind, well-liked. If someoneistrying to kill him, I highly doubt he had anything to do with it. It must be a situation totally out of his control.” Lockjaw walked away from me and over to his bed, allowing me to cross my arms to match my dad. “He’s in rough shape. He’ll need to stay for a week maybe, just until he’s in good enough shape to be on his way. If trouble comes his way, can you protect him?”
My dad sat in silence while he considered this. He pondered my face, and I could tell that he could read my passion. I was glad that he didn’t ask why I felt compelled to do something for Colin at all. The truth was, I didn’t really know. I cared so much about Colin when I was still a kid, but more than a decade had passed since then. Plenty of people had neighborhood crushes, and plenty of people got over them. I never got closure from Colin, but I also never dated anyone that made me feel the way he had. Even if I couldn’t keep him in Hoppa forever and chase what we once had, part of me felt inexplicably compelled to help him in any way that I could.
“You called an official audience, swore your title, and now you’re asking me to protect him.” My dad chuckled. “It’s always interesting to see what lights your fire. It’s so rarely burning.” He sighed. “Still. The only ones I protect are the brotherhood. Anyone who isn’t a Knight is outside my purview.”
“So, make him a Steel Knight.”
My dad let out a full laugh then, slightly condescending. “That’s not how it works, and you know it. The bylaws are Taylor’s fully loaded AK-47. If I tried to just make the man who showed up at your house and begged your help a Steel Knight without him prospecting, Taylor would likely finally snap all the way and kill us both before serving your friend to Lockjaw.”
That sent a chill down my spine. He wasn’t wrong, but if there really was someone hunting Colin, I’d need more than my Colt to protect him. If he was a Steel Knight, Taylor couldn’t touch him, either, not without violating the bylaws. That option really did make the most sense.
“So, what if he pledged?” I asked. “If he’s serving as a prospect, can we keep him safe until he’s healthy enough to leave?”
That time, when my dad started to consider my question, he stared up at the ceiling. I could see the gears turning as he mentally flipped through the pages of bylaws to see if the loophole I was attempting to exploit was big enough to do so.
Finally, he looked back at me with a more serious expression. “If he were in my territory, acting on my behalf while serving as a prospect, I would consider that under the extension of my umbrella of protection. But if it turned into something too dangerous, I’d cut him loose and he’d be on his own. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “Yes, Squared.”
“Good.”
I relaxed a little bit, thinking that I could at least buy Colin some time to heal and chart his next move. “I really think you’ll like him, anyway. He has this old-school, vintage ride. Just like you like.”
My dad’s presidential expression broke in favor of a childlike smile, complete with wide, sparkling eyes. “I saw it outside, the Harley. It’ssopretty. Did he build it? It looks custom.”
“I don’t know, but that’s kind of his style, so I bet he did.” I smiled at my dad’s excitement. Colin had always been known for being a charismatic guy, which was odd considering how little he spoke. If Colin could get on my dad’s good side while he was around, it’d serve him all the better.
“The casing he put on it, it is—”
The phrase didn’t get all the way out before we heard a series of crashes and bangs from outside. My heart dropped into my stomach. It didn’t occur to me before that moment that I never heard Taylor’s bike start after he left. With each resounding creak of breaking metal, I imagined Colin’s beautiful bike taking damage.
I leaped up off the couch with my dad and Lockjaw right behind me. I flung the front door open and ran out onto the lawn, but I was too late. My bike had a series of dents, all of my dials were shattered, and Lockjaw’s added seat had been knocked completely off. I wasn’t as concerned about that, though. Taylor had damaged my bike before, but Colin’s bike had been destroyed to the point of being inoperable. It was on its side, and Taylor had a lead pipe in his hand and was circling around the bike like a vulture over prey, taking the pipe to the gorgeous black casing and shining metalwork. The tires were flat, and Taylor used his own knowledge of motorcycles to slam his pipe against all of the most important parts of the bike.
I could see Lockjaw chomping at the bit to get the command to race over and stop Taylor, but I had no confidence that Taylor wouldn’t shoot my dog. I started to walk over myself, but my dad grabbed my arm to hold me back. He strode past me calmly, always a man with the ability to keep a cool head in hectic situations and walked over until he was standing between Taylor and Colin’s bike.
“Enough,” he said simply. “Drop the pipe.”
Taylor was in the act of swinging and had the pipe held above his head. For a moment, I imagined Taylor bringing it down across my dad’s head. They stood there, inches from each other. Taylor held his weapon raised and was shaking with anger, and my dad stared at him like he was still a little boy who’d disappointed him. Minutes passed that felt like hours before Taylor finally tossed his pipe over into the grass.
“Get it, Lockjaw,” I said, and Lockjaw ran over to where he’d tossed the pipe and retrieved it, bringing it back and dropping it at my feet.
Taylor side-eyed me briefly before turning around and heading out to where his bike was parked in front of my dad’s on the street. He mounted it, started it up, and took off down the street without putting on a helmet or gloves.
I walked over to assess the damage, and I was already dreading explaining this to Colin. I looked up at my dad. “You owe him a new bike now, too.”
My dad nodded. “Bring him and his bike by Hoppa’s tomorrow. I’ll see what I can do.” He stepped up to me, kissed me on my forehead, and then walked over to his bike, climbed on it, put on his helmet, and left.
I looked at the ruins of Colin’s old-school motorcycle and sighed. Hopefully, he wouldn’t hate me when I told him what happened. I tapped my leg, prompting Lockjaw to follow me, and led the way back into the house. Just as I was closing the front door, the doctor walked out of the guest room, quietly closing the door behind him.
