Chapter 13

He flew into the yard just as the third blow hit the puppy. Demon boy yanked on the lead and wrenched Ryker forward, scraping his soft underbelly against the sharp shards and stones packed into the scrabbly yard. “Heel, I said!”

Nathan swooped in like a madman. Grabbed Ryker, hauled him up, held him tight against his chest. Quivering.

Outrage flooded the boy’s features. “He’s my dog.”

He shot a look of pent-up fury at the boy, turned to Tyron. “No deal. I made a mistake.”

Tyron’s eyes narrowed. “The only mistake you’re making is holding my son’s dog and interfering with the first meet between owner and animal.”

“Sorry, but I’m not selling him.”

“Seems like you’re forgetting something, Hero. That’s my cash you’ve got stuffed in your pants.”

Nathan dug his hand into his pocket, pulled out the wad. “Here.” He pulled out a couple more bills, ones that were supposed to pay for the car tow he knew he needed. “Extra for your trouble.”

Tyron raised his eyebrows, and his words took on a menacing tone. “You’re forgetting something. We made a deal. You have the cash, and I have a dog. That’s my dog, as of five minutes ago. That’s my property you’re mishandling.”

“Are you serious?”

“I didn’t take you for a welcher, Hero. How about I talk to your uncle about this scam you’re trying to pull?”

“Dog’s mine, not his.” He eyed Nard. “What do you want?”

Tyron’s eyes brightened, skimmed over him greedily. “You want my dog? He’s available—for a price.”

“Fine.” He pushed the money toward the man. “Here. All of it. With interest.”

“You want my son’s dog, I said, there’s a price.” His gaze jumped to his boy. “How much you want for the dog, son? If we decide to sell it back to Mr. Hero?”

The kid’s eyes popped open. “A million bucks.”

The dad chuckled, squeezed his son’s shoulder. “Dealmaker, if I ever saw one. But no, son, Mr. Hero doesn’t have that kind of money. But the way I see it, we lost time coming here, time we could have used for business interests.” He fastened his gaze on Nathan. “Fifteen hundred dollars should do it.”

Nathan just about choked. Was he serious?

He was about to ask but the look in the man’s eyes had grown…scary.

And how did he…

Right.

The paperwork on the table.

He slowly unbuckled the lead from the dog’s collar, let the heavy metal drop to the ground. “One minute.” He marched back into the cabin with the dog, every step feeling like a second chance, though he was aware of the two watching him, and knew he wasn’t home-free yet. He went to his underwear drawer, got the cash.

Back outside, he counted the money, bill by bill, into Tyron’s hand. “Fifteen hundred dollars.” He gave the man a steely gaze. The scenery swirled around him as nausea billowed into his stomach.

I can’t afford this. I’m not the right one to take care of him. I’m not.

But Ryker…

Tyron cocked an eyebrow, nodded. “Back to the car, son.”

“But my dog!”

“I’ll get you another dog, son.” He waggled the money meaningfully, gave the kid a thump on the back, pushed him toward the car.

He turned to Nathan as the boy left, still glaring. “You welched on a deal today, Hero. That’s not taken lightly in these parts. If I was you, I’d watch my back. You never know who you’re going to see busting out of these woods to take you down.” His gaze flitted to Ryker. “Or to liberate that animal to its rightful home, money or no money.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Get it?”

Oh, he got it. And his patience ended.

“And I don’t care for people yanking my dog—yeah, my dog—all over the yard. That’s not how it’s done here, at my cabin. And if anyone should be foolish enough to try and get the jump on me, or my dog,” his expression blazed at the man, “my Special Ops training would be awful fun to try out on those sad ingrates. Delta North training is like backwoods fighting only with the strength of steel and the unpredictability of a hurricane. You really want to take that on?”

The man swallowed, then mustered his balls up. “Watch your back.”

“Watch yours.”

He headed to the car without a backward glance, splashed stone and dirt over the yard as he gunned it in leaving.

Nathan stood there, breath still coming fast. Jiggled his hands in his pockets, now that the threat was gone, felt the big load of nothing.

Empty. As was his bank account. What the hell had he just done?