Dax (The Theriot Family 4)

I followed Dax to the door. He turned and scowled at me, motioning for me to go back.

I didn’t retreat, but I stayed where I was, giving him a chance to look out and survey the yard. I intended to have his back. That was nonnegotiable.

He glanced back at me, rolled his eyes, then motioned me closer. Despite the danger, I shivered as he whispered against my ear. “Look out there and tell me if you recognize the guy.” He looked once more as if to confirm the man was still visible. When he spoke again, his lips touched my ear, and the room spun around me. “He’s standing by his car in the lot.”

Surely if it was one of LePlatt’s henchmen, he wouldn’t be so obvious, would he? Not unless he was that damn confident he could get to me. Did he think I’d just willingly go with him? No way in hell was that happening. If I left with him, I wasn’t coming back, no matter what he might say. I doubted even the Theriots would find my body.

I tried to move around Dax, but he forced me to stay against the wall. He covered me as I looked out. When I saw the man by the car, I sucked in my breath

“I take it you do know him,” Dax said.

I nodded, then rose on tiptoes so I could speak close to Dax’s ear. He pulled me closer, nearly lifting me off my feet. “It’s Jean-Charles. He works for LePlatt.”

“Fuck.” Dax forgot to muffle the word, but I doubted Jean-Charles could hear us from where he was unless he was superhuman. Of course, he sure as hell seemed to think he was.

Dax pulled out his phone and typed something quickly. “I just alerted the guy we have watching the place. I’m going to make Jean-Charles regret daring to show up here.”

As I kept watching him, Jean-Charles brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. “Travis!” he called. “I know you’re back there. It’s been too long since we’ve had a chat. Come out and talk to me.”

Did the bastard actually think I was that stupid? Possibly. I’d played dumb plenty of times to keep from being treated even worse than I was.

“How useful would this asshole be as a prisoner?” Dax asked. When I saw his expression as he looked at Jean-Charles, I understood why Corbin said everyone was scared of him.

“He’d be very useful, but you should kill him before he sees you. He’s too dangerous.”

Dax kissed the top of my head. “Don’t worry. I got this.”

I’d seen Jean-Charles mow down three boys who couldn’t have been more than sixteen, then have a business meeting while their bodies lay there. I’d seen him chop a man’s head off, wipe his knife on the man’s clothes, sheathe it, and go back to a cocktail party to dance with the guy’s wife. When she’d asked if he’d seen her husband, he just shrugged.

“Travis,” Jean-Charles called again. “It’s time to come out. I don’t have all night.”

“Stay put,” Dax said. “I’m going to bag this bastard.”

I let Dax think I would stay behind like he told me, but once he started moving around the building hoping to surprise Jean-Charles, I followed him. I knew he’d eventually hear me, but I kept far enough back not to distract him. I wanted to have his back, but I didn’t want to divert his attention. I had no doubt Dax was fucking deadly. From what I’d heard, the Theriots learned how to shoot as soon as they could walk, and I’d seen Dax in action years ago. Even then he was scarily precise, but unlike Jean-Charles, Dax had a soul, and that put Dax at a disadvantage.

Dax managed to move so quietly Jean-Charles didn’t notice him. Pride was the man’s greatest weakness. He probably didn’t think anyone could sneak up on him. If Dax had a sniper rifle, the fucker might already be dead, but I was sure Dax hadn’t taken my advice about killing him. He wanted to get damn close before he took a shot. Wounding and taking a man prisoner was a lot trickier than killing him.

Dax stilled. I moved a few steps closer, but he didn’t turn around.

“Hey asshole!” Dax called.

Jean-Charles turned his way, weapon ready to fire, but Dax was faster. He shot Jean-Charles in his right arm, and Jean-Charles dropped his gun. As Dax rushed him, he used his good arm to pull out a knife.

Dax plowed into him, knocking him to the ground. I raised my gun, but there was no way for me to be sure I wouldn’t hit Dax by mistake, not with them grappling like they were. Dax shoved Jean-Charles to the ground and gripped his knife arm. He slammed Jean-Charles’s arm into the ground again and again. Dax was absolutely brutal. Jean-Charles wasn’t a small man, and I knew he was strong as shit, but he was clearly no match for Dax.