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It was coming from the neighbors’.

Dread pounded into my soul as feminine mirth joined with Max, and then I closed my eyes, as the pain seemed to increase tenfold.

“Jason!” Max called. “You said four hours! It’s barely been one!”

“You can count,” I said without turning around. “Shocked.”

“I’m ignoring that insult!” Max yelled. “It wasn’t even a good one. You’re losing your touch, Jason.”

I gave my head a shake and kept limping.

“Holy shit, what did you do?” His voice was closer.

Footsteps sounded.

And then I realized my fate. I was too injured to run to the door and lock it behind me, making me officially the baby turtle crawling across the sand toward the ocean.

And Max?

The giant dumbass bird was seconds away from sweeping my shell away and devouring me whole.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Max grabbed my shoulder and flipped me around.

I let him, because fighting just seemed like another way to somehow get hurt, and with my current luck, I could see myself flailing backward and becoming concussed across the gravel by the one rock big enough to do any bodily harm.

“Did you get shot?” He frowned down at my foot.

Maddy and the little girl followed behind Max a few feet, but kept somewhat of a distance.

There may as well be a chasm between us.

“I didn’t get shot,” I grumbled.

Max’s eyes narrowed. “So then, why are you limping?”

“People limp,” I said defensively.

“Old people with arthritis, maybe. And though you are getting up there in age…”

I glared.

He just kept talking. “…I highly doubt it’s because you have arthritis in your foot. Well, let’s have a look.” He snapped his fingers.

I glanced around me. “What do you mean, let’s have a look?”

Max actually looked offended. “I’m going to see if you sprained your foot. It’s what best friends do.”

“You’re not my best friend.”

“You say that all the time, and why? We’re spending the weekend together!”

My ears started to ring. “I’m sorry. Did you say weekend?”

“Didn’t I mention that before? The whole spa thing is for the weekend, some sort of girls’ trip. Milo and Jordan went too, so it’s just us guys.”

“Us. Guys,” I repeated. “You, me—”

A Town Car pulled up to the house.