Unconventional

“Do you know who I am?” asked Julian.

Killian sat there in silence, dabbing at his face. Eventually, he shook his head.

“Good,” declared Julian. “But I know who you are. We all do. And those guys over there…” he nodded toward the doorway. “They’ve got friends and brothers and cousins. People you would never want to meet, especially under these circumstances.”

Julian pulled his foot back and threw a thunderous kick. Rather than strike the defenseless bookie, it snapped the front leg off the couch and sent Killian rolling to the floor again.

Before he could scramble or get up, Noah dropped a boot on his chest. He held him pinned there like a turtle on its back, totally defenseless.

“If we have to come back here,” said Julian, “that’s it. It’s the last time. It’s the end, Killian. For this place. For you. For everything.”

The men at the door nodded silently, angrily. Their faces were scowls.

“Now… tell us you understand.”

Killian sneezed, and a bubble of blood came out. There was alarm now, mixed in with the fear. The last tension went out of his body, his shoulders slumping as he broke.

“SAY IT,” I snarled, reaching down for his throat.

“I… understand.”

I stopped mid-grasp, then stood back up. Noah looked at me approvingly and nodded.

“Whatever debt this man owed you is paid in full,” said Julian finally. “You forfeited that money when you took his home. In fact, you should be paying him back. We should be ransacking this shithole right now, and taking anything that isn’t nailed down.”

The statement was driven home as we all glanced around, slowly scanning the room. I knew Killian had a wall safe. I knew there would be a good deal of money in it, too.

But we weren’t here to rob anyone. That just wasn’t our plan.

“Instead, we’re even. You. Me. Them.” Julian pointed again. “Say that we’re even.”

Killian swallowed. There was blood on his tongue now.

“We’re even,” he muttered, his voice all cracked and nasally.

It was another ten long seconds before Noah removed his boot from Killian’s chest. He tried to rise, failed, and then scrambled back to all fours. Eventually he stood up, pulling the shirt away just long enough to check its clotted surface. The bleeding had slowed but not stopped.

“Remember,” said Noah. “This could be the end. Today. Now. Right here.”

“Or we could be forced to come back,” said one of the men in the doorway. “And… well…” He shrugged two big shoulders. “You really don’t want that.”

We exited the side door, one by one. Each man passed right by Killian, glaring at him, but he was only staring at the floor. He wouldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. He wasn’t that brave.

Finally, I was the last to leave.

I felt the uncontrollable urge to strike him again. To just grab him by the shoulders and send him flying into the nearest wall, or even sweep him right back to his knees.

Instead I grabbed his face. Squeezing hard, I forced his chin upward until his eyes opened and he was staring right at me.

“Goodbye Killian,” I snarled, shoving him back into his desk on my way through the door.

Fifty-Five

MADISON

I saw the headlights from the window — two sets of them, bouncing through the front gate. I flew down the stairs faster than my legs would carry me. Burst through the door, and flung myself into their arms.

“You assholes!”