Better when He's Bold (Welcome to the Point #2)(54)

Bax was scary without trying. When he really put his mind to it he could rival Satan for his spot at the top of the evil and petrifying food chain.

Marcus had tears leaking out of his eyes and snot dripping out of his nose when Bax released his smothering hold with the pillow.

“You’re both out of your f*cking minds.”

I sighed. “No, but I am out of time.” I nodded at Bax and he loomed over Marcus again, making the injured man hold up his hands and shake his head violently back and forth.

“This guy came in to see me the night after I ended up here. He told me he would give me enough money to pay off the debt I owe you if I could give him a way to get to one of Nassir’s girls. I told him Nassir is careful, he knows what he’s doing, and he would never let one of the girls take a new client unescorted.” Marcus’s eyes darted between me and Bax and he gulped. “I told him I would keep my date with Roxie. That he could go in my place if he gave me another five Gs.”

Bax growled low in his throat and Marcus held up his hands like that would ever be enough to ward off the dark and dangerous man.

“I didn’t know the guy, had never seen him before. I don’t think he was from around here.”

“He was from the Hill?”

Marcus blinked at me like the question made no sense.

“No. Like, he was from a different country. He had an accent.”

Bax and I exchanged a puzzled look. No one came to the Point from somewhere else on purpose.

“An accent from where?” Bax’s voice sounded like gravel.

“I don’t know . . . really. Irish, Scottish, British, South African—something. Please leave me alone.” He whimpered and Bax gave him a disgusted look and moved to the end of the bed where I was standing.

“Where’s my money?” I asked.

Marcus looked at me and his eyes got huge. “What?”

I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes at him. “You said he gave you enough to pay off your debt and extra five. Where is my money, Marcus?”

It was a tiny little room and there was no missing his eyes trying to land anywhere but on the black weekender bag someone had haphazardly tried to shove under the chair next to the bed. I inclined my head at it and Bax walked over to grab it. I heard the zipper and then he nodded at me. I put a hand on the top of Marcus’s foot and gave him a smile that was anything but sincere.

“I’m done with you. I won’t take any more action from you. You stay the hell away from Nassir’s girls; stay out of the Point altogether, Marcus.”

I pulled as hard as I could until the cable holding the leg I was leaning on gave way from the pulley device that was keeping it elevated. There was a popping noise and then the leg and the cast thudded down on the bed with a jarring force, making Marcus scream at the top of his lungs. Bax and I left just as a couple of nurses came running toward the door. Bax hefted the bag over his shoulder and I followed behind him to the parking lot without either of us saying a word.

When we were back in the car headed back to the garage, I couldn’t help but ask, “A guy with an accent?”

He didn’t say anything for a long minute and then shook his head a little. “I have no idea.”

“I’m getting together with Titus tomorrow to see what he knows about my dad. I’ll ask him.”

“I don’t like it.”

We were so used to knowing who the enemy was, knowing what was waiting for us in the dark. This new twist wasn’t welcome.

“Me either.” And I didn’t even want to speculate as to what Nassir’s reaction to this new unknown was going to be. We were supposed to be the new big-bad in the Point, not some shadowy figure with revenge on his mind and an accent who was just as good at moving through the shadows as we were.

We made the rest of the way into the city in a brooding silence that was only broken by the tapping on my phone as I texted Nassir the newest updates on our situation. His response was just a bunch of four-letter words. I was going to put my phone away when I was surprised to see that Brysen was calling me. I figured she was still mad at me and I was planning on giving her until the weekend to stew. Then I was going after her whether she was over it or not.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

No preamble and she didn’t exactly sound happy.

“Headed back to the garage for the night.”

“Good. I’ll meet you there.”

“Uh, okay.” She hung up without saying anything else, leaving me staring at my now-dead phone in bewilderment. I looked at Bax and he just grinned at me. “She’s meeting me at the garage.”

“She probably found out about our visit with the TA.”

“Shit.”

“She sound pissed?”

“No . . . I mean, not really. With her it’s kind of hard to tell.”

“I’m going to drop you off and head to check on Roxie.”

I made a noise of agreement. “You better tell Dovie that’s where you’re going.”

“Seriously, dude, you need to get it through your head that your sister and I are the real deal. She trusts me. She knows Roxie isn’t a thing anymore and never will be. No one matters except for her.”

He might be stupid in love with my little sister, but he was an idiot sometimes when it came to basic human emotion.