“Of course, Sir. Uh…what are you going to do to him? He really doesn’t need to be involved with any of this. He mostly minds his own business…just walks his dog and stays in his house. He didn’t see anything. There’s really no reason for him to be, well…there’s no reason for him to have to…take a trip.”
Ahhhh—take a trip Indi wouldn’t come back from. Even cozier.
Not at all shocking.
“Are you asking a favor of me, Hollister?” The man questioned.
His thumb caressed the side of Indi’s neck even as his fingers bit painfully around the vulnerable flesh of his throat. There were moves Indi could use against him to free himself, but he instinctively knew the man was well-trained with any combat moves he might have in his arsenal. Instinct—it was a fucking bitch at times. Being blind was a fucking bitch all the time.
“Yes, Sir. I am. Leonard’s an ass but we all knew that. Well, all of us except for blind guy. He was only trying to help. There was no way he could have known you were here, ready to intervene on my behalf.” He paused, then added. “A personal favor for me and mine, Sir.”
“Very well. Consider yourself in debt to me and be prepared for when I call upon you to repay this debt.”
“Of course, Sir.”
There was an uncomfortable pause before the man holding me captive said, “You can leave now, Hollister. I’ll take care of seeing Judas home.”
Indi literally growled. As if he needed anything from this fucker, much less seeing him home. “I don’t need your goddamn help,” Indi hissed in anger. “Sky! Come!” He heard her coming toward him at a gallop.
“I hope cum isn’t her kill word,” Trace teased…but Indi felt him move the gun away from his temple and suspected it was now pointed at his dog.
“It isn’t!” Indi snapped. “Don’t hurt her. I mean it.”
“Yes, I suppose you do,” he murmured.
Sky bumped against his leg and Indi reached down to grab her harness—without waiting for Trace’s fucking permission. Feeling bold, Indi said, “Home, Sky.” When she tugged, he started to walk. A hand to his chest stopped him from any further movement.
“Just as Hollister is now in my debt, pretty boy, so are you,” he said. “When I’m in need of your services, I’ll let you know. Be ready.”
“I don’t owe you a fucking thing,” Indi retorted. “You haven’t done me any favors and I sure the hell don’t intend to do you any.”
“True enough,” Trace conceded. “What you did do, though, was show me your weaknesses. Weaknesses make a man vulnerable. Today, I learned that you are very protective of your dog and, well, the underdog. I suspect you’d do whatever necessary to ensure their safety. This weakness, I’m afraid, is one that I won’t hesitate to use if and when it benefits me. I’ll keep you posted.” He clapped Indi on the back. “Have a nice evening, Mr. Iscariot. It’s escort night, isn’t it?”
“Fuck you!” Indi barked. “I don’t work for you. I don’t deal fucking drugs. I don’t make people disappear. Hell, I don’t even associate with nasty-ass fucks like you. Don’t even think about calling on me. If you’re on fucking fire, I won’t blow on you! Now, back away from me and I don’t care to ever hear your voice again. Touch me again, and you’ll die.”
Instead of provoking him, he merely laughed. “The name’s Levi. Levi Trace. I’ll see you around, cutie. Take care so you’ll be ready for me when it’s time.”
CHAPTER TWO
Two hours had passed since his encounter with Trace and his gang. His heart still pounded. His skin still tingled and burned. Indi hadn’t felt this alive in a long time…or this helpless. The fight with the idiots on the sidewalk had seemed like a solid victory in his corner—it had made him feel alive again, not so useless. His solid defeat with the mysterious Levi had left him feeling helpless again, like being blind made him feel less than a man and unable to defend himself. His emotions were mixed. To sum it up, he’d kicked some ass, but the battle had ended with him making a deal with the devil…without even shaking a hand. Levi wasn’t finished with him, not yet, at least. Indi was fucking finished with him, though. He wouldn’t be forced into anything.
If he had made a deal with the devil, why was his skin still buzzing from the encounter?
Indi sat at his petite dining table in the corner of the kitchen, pondering what had happened earlier, what his future looked like, and why the upcoming visit with the fucking traitor, aka his escort, managed to override the twisted bullshit he’d just endured. That, friends, was some fucked up shit. His escort called himself Travis, but Indi knew it was Clay. He spoke with a fake Australian accent and managed to pull it off fairly well. He fucked like Indi imagined a straight guy fucked his girlfriend—all gentle and extra careful to never get too rough, regardless of how Indi had goaded him at times. So, the lie continued. It had been months now. Months of mediocre sex with a man who Indi knew was straight. He guessed any pride he might have had must have disappeared with his eyesight. Fuck, what kind of man would do what he was doing? Even worse, what kind of man would do what Clay was doing? Talk about taking one for the team—Clay was taking it to a whole new level by fucking him.