Ex Meridian (Nothing Special 7)

“We would’ve been here,” Day said.

“I know. That’s why I told you guys we were fine all the times you called.” Green shook his head. “But not anymore. I told you all this was a get-together because the house is back in shape, but it’s really more like an intervention.”

“What?” Steele gaped.

“Yeah. I need someone to talk him off this cliff, and I’ve been trying for weeks but I’m not getting through. I think all he sees when he looks at me is those bullets whizzing by my head.”

“Chris. You can’t just pull an intervention out of your ass. It takes time and preparation. A counselor, or intervention specialist,” Day said. “Not a smorgasbord of food and unlimited beers and tequila shots. We thought we were celebrating going back into the office. Now you’re telling us that Ruxs is saying you guys quit?”

“I don’t have time for careful planning or arranging no fuckin’ counselor. I’m about to lose my mind. Okay, now y’all are his family, too. If he’s going to listen to anyone, it’s you guys.”

There was another knock at the front door and Hart walked in with a smiling Free right behind him. But when they saw the grim expressions they froze. No one moved or made a sound when the heavy metal music suddenly shut off upstairs. The house got eerily quiet when Ruxs’s footsteps were heard down their long hallway coming towards the top of the stairs.

“Chris!” Ruxs bellowed. “Why’s the door opening and closing? You better not go out on that porch!”

Green clenched his teeth and went to take a step forward when Day clapped him on his shoulder and held him back. “You see what I mean, Leo. Fuck. He’s terrified to even let me go on the porch. I can’t keep living like this.”

“We got this,” God said gruffly, nodding to Day to come with him.

Green watched his lieutenants ascend the stairs, praying they’d have some success. He loved Mark Ruxsberg more than anything in the world. Yes. Even more than being a cop. If Ruxs turned in his badge... then Green would too. But he feared what that would inevitably do to their relationship because it wasn’t what he wanted at all. He wanted them to start with therapy, at least.

Ruxs stomped back to his exercise room, slammed the door and locked it when he saw God and Day coming up the stairs.

“I know you didn’t just run from me.” God’s deep voice traveled to the end of the hallway.

Ruxs wasn’t in the mood for company. He’d made that clear to Green a few days ago when he wanted to invite the guys over. When he’d said ‘hell no’, his partner hadn’t said more than a few words to him since. Maybe Green was sick of being fussed at and controlled, but he was only trying to keep him safe. Even though Big Mike was dead and a lot of the other members of the Warlords had been arrested for various crimes, he never knew what random bastard might try to retaliate.

Ruxs was securing the velcro on his fingerless MMA gloves when three loud bangs rattled the door hard enough to almost break it. Ruxs ignored it when God barked at him to open the motherfucking door and to stop acting like a little girl. He turned his music back up on full blast, successfully tuning his bosses out—retract that, ex-bosses—and got back to conditioning. He’d seen some positions available for a corrections facility officer. He and Green were more than qualified to do that.

A second later the door was flung open and Ruxs saw Tech tuck his lock-picking kit back in his pocket then turn and haul ass down the hall. He was lucky because Ruxs was going to choke the little twerp with his own bowtie for doing that.

“Are you really that surprised we got in?” Day asked, coming in his spare room with a slow grin.

Ruxs bared his teeth. “If a door is locked... it’s because the person inside wants the persons on the outside to stay the hell out.”

“Heard,” Day said casually, sitting on the leather loveseat against the wall.

“I’m glad you heard me. Over there on the table are me and Chris’ badges and guns.” Ruxs hit the heavy bag with a rapid three-punch combination. “You can take them with you on the way out.”

“I know what you’re doing.” God went around to the other side of the bright red Everlast bag and held it steady. Ruxs paused for a second then continued punching. He was already drenched with sweat and his muscles overworked and fatigued, but it only made him hit the bag that much harder.

God jerked when Ruxs side-kicked the bag then shifted his hips, putting his weight behind it to throw a devastating left hook. His lieutenant stumbled back but quickly regained his footing, making Ruxs’s adrenaline spike to an even higher degree.