Xposed

There was murmuring from the rest of Leo’s entourage. There was no way to be certain, but it sounded like there were three of them, including Leonard. Hollister was about to get his ass beat, was Indigo’s guess. Hell, the brothel kid probably wasn’t even twenty years old. Leonard sounded like a grown-ass man. Hollister had never mentioned the other man’s age but, then again, he hadn’t mentioned he’d been sleeping with him either.

“I ain’t no fag and I ain’t been anywhere near this pussy parade,” Leo sneered back. “Get ready to get your ass kicked…or worse.” A scuffle sounded, and I stopped walking altogether. “Hold him! Don’t let the bitch get away!” Leo screamed to the others.

Well fuck. Maybe getting his ass kicked would make him feel alive again. Indigo hadn’t felt alive since he’d lost his sight…lost his team of friends. “Hold, Sky. Turn. Forward.” Sky walked back in the direction of the altercation. Whined. Sat down. Indigo hoped she remembered the run for her life lecture.

“Is there a problem here?” Stupid question but all he had in his arsenal.

Indigo heard the sound of a fist connecting with flesh and then a scream of pain. Why couldn’t Hollister have just kept his piehole closed?

“I’m pretty sure I told you to keep walking, blind boy. Move on. Be thankful you’re blind or I’d have to make you disappear.”

“Yeah, that’s me—the lucky blind guy,” Indigo countered sarcastically. He really needed to know how many were with Leonard and where they were. “Being blind and all, it seems to me that it’s taking a lot of back-up for you to teach one kid a lesson. Who is in your little gang of misfits? Dick and Jane? Edward and Bella? Oh, wait. I bet you’re Snow White and these are your seven dwarfs.”

“I definitely ain’t no fucking dwarf!” The voice came from Indigo’s three o’clock. He figured the idiot was probably grabbing his package when he made the no dwarf comment. It was typical high school male behavior…or any other male on the planet in the right situation.

“That ain’t what Leonard’s mama said!”

His four o’clock.

Indigo put a shocked expression on his face. “Leonard—is your mama sleeping with this dude? I’m not sure he really has your back if he’s banging your mommy and bragging about it.”

“Hold this fag until I’m ready,” Leonard snarled. The sound of Leonard tossing his neighbor toward one of the other guys met his ears—messed up his location on where everybody was at, too. Fuck.

Indigo expected Leonard to punch him in the face or gut. Worse-case scenario was that he slipped a blade between Indigo’s ribs and giggled while he bled out or pulled a trigger and ended it instantly. What he didn’t prepare for was the yelp that came from Sky. His arm jerked from the force of her falling to the ground. When he heard her whimper, rage washed over him. He didn’t have much in his life, but Sky was his unfailing, non-judgmental, always loved him friend. He dropped to his knees to check her for injuries. Before he could run his hands up and down her sides to check for injuries, she was back on her feet, prepared to do whatever necessary to keep Indigo safe. She took the attack on her body but would never allow them near him. “Home, Sky. Now.” She whimpered in dismay, unwilling to leave him behind. “Now, Sky,” he ordered. “Home!” There was no damn way he was going to risk her being injured because of his handicap.

Still down on one knee, Indigo listened carefully to the jingle of her collar as she obeyed his command. Further and further away she went—to safety. When he could no longer hear any sounds of Sky, he heard the Hollister say, “She’s safe. Your dog’s safe,” he ended with a whimper as the sound of a fist connecting with his gut interrupted his words to Indigo.

After that…well, after that, he lost it. Regardless of being at a clear disadvantage due to his blindness, his instincts and years of training kicked in. While he’d never noticed improvement in his senses before this very minute, everything suddenly seemed heightened. Instead of seeing them, he felt their presence. He felt the heat from their bodies. Their smells. Their breathing.

Every shuffle of their feet.

When they moved, Indigo could detect a shift in his darkness. He’d been blessed with the ability with what they referred to as shadow sight—meaning he could determine movements or changes of lighting in a very close proximity…as in, very close.

Before even standing, he swung his right leg in a sweeping kick that knocked the guy closest to him on his ass. The second his body landed next to him, Indigo was on his feet and landed two solid kicks to what he hoped was his midsection. Since he screamed like a girl, Indigo guessed his foot got real acquainted with the dude’s balls. Sensing someone moving in on his right side, Indigo ducked and jabbed in the same motion. He’d hoped for a throat punch that would incapacitate him for a few minutes but was pretty certain his fist landed square in the middle of a man’s chest. Without hesitation he followed with a second jab, this time he made the proper calculations and made contact with his opponent’s Adam’s apple. The guy wheezed and dropped to the ground. Indigo brought his knee up and caught him under the chin, sending him sprawling onto the concrete in what Indigo knew to be his first blind KO.