Page 12 of Puck’N Enemy (Thunder Knights #2)

Dylan

The streetlamps flicker, barely cutting through the shadows that cling to the edges of the crumbling factory buildings. It’s not even that late, barely past nine, but this part of town always looks like midnight has come early.

Coach Becker asked me to pick up some of his prescription meds, so I’m a bit late going home tonight. The bottles of pills rattle in my backpack, knocking together with every hurried step I take along the cracked sidewalk.

The sparse hair on the back of my neck suddenly prickles. I halt in my steps, my gut churning with unease.

I shouldn’t have taken this shortcut. This area, with its overflowing garbage cans and slashed tires on the side of the street, is especially creepy at night.

I knew it was better to avoid this route, but Coach needed his meds and I didn’t want to waste time. My gaze roves around the street but I don’t see anyone.

I continue walking.

My footsteps feel too loud in my ears as I stay alert. Suddenly, I hear the unmistakable crunch of gravel from behind me.

I freeze immediately. Slowly turning around, I see six men stepping out from the shadows. They’re dressed in cheap black suits and have ultra-luxury watches on their wrists. The smell of cheap cologne wafts into my nostrils.

Just one look at them is enough for me to guess who they are.

Pete Volkov’s men.

“Come with us,” the man in the front says with a sneer. “He wants to see you.”

“No, thanks,” I say flatly, walking past him.

A second guy blocks my path.

“You know it doesn’t work like that,” the first man says from behind me. “You don’t get to say no, kid.”

I glance over my shoulder, counting their numbers and scanning the area to see if there are more of them.

At least a dozen men are surrounding me. While I can fight two or three at a time, six is too many for a straight-up brawl. This area is deserted but maybe if I could make some noise and draw attention, I could find a way to escape.

Pulling my backpack over my shoulder, I make a sudden move, stomping the foot of the guy closest to me.

He lets out a grunt, momentarily disoriented, and I take the opportunity to kick him in the face.

His companion comes at me from the back. With my instincts kicking in, I slam my elbow into his gut before he can throw a punch at me.

“Get him!” someone shouts but I’m already sprinting down the street.

Someone grabs my backpack, pulling me backward.

It’d be so much easier if I could just drop it and run. But it contains Coach’s meds and I can’t lose them.

So, I duck and roll, punching the guy who’d grabbed me.

A fist grazes my jaw, making me aware of another presence. Before I can react to him, I catch a punch to my ribs.

Damn it! They’re coming at me from every direction.

I fight off another guy while two others kick me from behind, making me stumble forward and hit the hard ground. Someone grabs me by the back of my hoodie and fists me in the gut.

A grunt escapes me as pain spreads through my body.

Shit, they’ve got me , I realize with a surge of desperation.

“Get the hell away from him!” An all-too familiar voice shouts from somewhere behind me.

I turn around while several hands grab onto me.

Logan.

I blink several times, making sure I’m not hallucinating.

The glow from a street lamp lights up his wild, thunderous face. His jacket hangs open, giving me a glimpse of the black T-shirt that clings to his muscled abs.

For a moment, I can’t believe he’s here.

Before I have a chance to say anything, Logan launches himself at the nearest thug. The attack makes the men holding onto me panic as their leader gets the shit beaten out of him.

A few of them leave my side to help him but Logan’s like a hurricane. He hits them with clean, brutal punches, knocking them down within seconds.

I surge forward, breaking free just long enough to elbow the guy holding me.

The thrill of the fight shoots through me. I run toward the chaos, kicking the men who’re trying to get a hold of Logan.

Someone tries to attack me from the back but Logan steps between us like a wall. “Try that again,” he growls, “and I will end you.”

The guy staggers back while the rest of his friends squirm on the ground, groaning and grunting.

Heart racing, I turn to look at Logan.

He still looks wild and angry. His massive chest rises and falls erratically as his eyes lock onto mine.

He still looks furious but surprisingly, his anger isn’t directed at me.

He rushes over to me, his gaze scanning my body from head to toe. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I—I didn’t think you’d—”

“Shut up.” Grabbing my hand, he pulls me alongside him.

“Logan—”

He doesn’t respond but breaks into a sprint. Holding my hand tightly in his, he runs through a maze of alleyways.

I don’t ask him where we’re going. I just run alongside him, just happy to feel the rough warmth of his palm against mine.

He could be leading me to the steps of hell but I don’t care.

Even though he hates me, he stepped up to help me escape those thugs. He’s still the guy who’d do the right thing even though it can come to bite him in the ass.

A cool night breeze lifts the stray strands on my forehead as I continue to run. At this moment, nothing matters more than the man on my side, intent on getting me to safety.

He pulls me into a dark alley and comes to a sudden halt. He holds my hand tightly and looks back at me.

I keep my ears pricked for the sound of heavy footfalls and men’s voices but all I hear is the erratic hammering of my own heart.

Stepping closer, Logan lifts the stray strands falling over my eyes gently. A deeply anxious expression spreads on his face as he meets my gaze.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice sounding raw and ragged.

“Yeah,” I mutter, barely feeling the bruises I received during the brawl. Those thugs’ punches were nothing compared to getting hit by hockey sticks during a game. “What about you, though? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good.” Now that my initial concerns are gone, a new worry takes root in my mind.

Logan helped me escape Pete’s men. He got involved when he should’ve stayed away and let them take me.

Logan’s hands slip over my cheeks, gently raising my face to him. “Why do you still look scared?”

“You shouldn’t have helped me,” I say slowly. “You should’ve stayed back like the time at the food court and let them do what they wanted. I could’ve taken care of myself.”

Something flickers in those chocolate-brown eyes.

“Dylan...I’m sorry about Mitchikov.”

I stare at him. Did he just apologize?

“I appreciate what you did just now but you need to stay away from me,” I tell him. “The next time you see a bunch of guys coming after me, just walk away. That’s the kind of payback I deserve after what I did to you.”

I expect him to get angry at reminding him of my betrayal but to my astonishment, the look in his eyes softens.

Stepping closer to me, he slips his hand over the back of my neck and pulls me against him.

“Logan—” I barely get to say another word as he shuts me up with a kiss.

His kiss is hard and rough but it’s lacking the bitter emotions I usually feel from him. I’m too stunned to react for a few seconds but I stand still, taking in whatever he has to offer me.

Logan’s tongue pushes between my lips.

I don’t open up to him immediately. No matter how much I want to kiss him back, I don’t dare cross the line between us.

It’s even more important than ever before to keep Logan away from me. I must protect him from becoming Pete’s target again.

With all the strength I can muster, I push him away. “Don’t!” I say, panting hard. “Just go home already.”

Logan swipes a thumb over his lips and then, pops it into his mouth.

My jaw nearly falls open at the gesture. What the hell’s wrong with him?

“Are you high or something?” I ask, feeling uncertain about this calm Logan.

A rough chuckle escapes him but the next moment, he’s on me, coming at me with the force of a hurricane. His arm wraps around my waist as he leans in to capture my lips.

Now that he has me in his hold, there’s no escaping him.

Logan takes advantage of my surprise and slips his tongue into my mouth, tasting me thoroughly.

I don’t want to react to him initially but it’s becoming impossible.

His familiar citrusy scent wraps around my senses, disorienting me. He still tastes like bitter coffee, reminding me of all the good memories I had with him.

Logan is persistent. He continues kissing but he doesn’t get violent or hurt me.

This kiss feels like he almost...cares.

“What the hell are you doing, Logan?” I shout, finally pushing him away.

Breathing hard, he grins at me. “What I should’ve done years ago.”

His reaction is so unexpected, I can’t help but wonder if he’s really on drugs.

“You don’t get to do that,” I say, breathing hard and trying to gain some control over the situation. “You don’t get to swoop in, throw punches, and kiss me like you didn’t hate my guts last week.”

“I don’t hate you,” he says, looking anxious. “I never hated you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Dylan, I know what happened,” he says in an unusually soft voice. “Coach Becker told me everything.”

I flinch at the mention of Coach Becker.

I take a step back, feeling like I can’t handle a Logan who knows everything that happened in the background all those years ago.

Logan grabs my elbow, preventing me from taking another step.

“You left because you thought it was the only way to protect me,” he says, pulling me against him. “You broke my heart to save me. You sacrificed yourself to protect me and my family. And this time, you’re about to do the same.”

My jaw clenches. I can’t keep looking at that adoring expression on his face. It makes my heart throb with emotions I can’t deal with right now.

“I’m not letting you do it again,” he says in a low but firm voice. “You don’t get to destroy yourself just to keep me safe. That’s my job now. I made promises back then, and this time, it’s my turn to keep them.”

“This isn’t your fight, Logan.”

“You’re not the one to decide that.” His jaw clenches, reminding me of how stubborn he can be.”

“You’re overthinking things,” I tell him, wishing he’d just understand how dangerous the situation is. “I had everything handled.”

“You had nothing handled!” His voice cracks. Gesturing toward the mouth of the alley, he adds, “There were six of them, Dylan. They’d have broken your legs and dragged you back to Pete. I won’t watch you get destroyed. Not again.”

My shoulders slump in defeat. “You weren’t supposed to see any of that. I left you alone so you wouldn’t get involved in my mess.”

“This isn’t your mess,” Logan says in a soft voice. “Because I’m the reason you got caught in it in the first place.”

“Logan, you don’t understand—”

He steps closer. “I never hated you for beating me up. The thing I couldn’t accept was you leaving me. But I know why you left now. You were protecting me. But I don’t want that, Dylan. I never wanted that. I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Then, what do you want?”

“I want you.”

My breath hitches. How can he say something like that so easily?

Reaching out, he gently brushes a thumb over my bruised lips. “You’re not alone anymore, Dylan.”

I want to believe him so damn much but I know Logan can’t fully commit to me. “You don’t understand—”

“I do,” he cuts in. “And I don’t care.”

“You have a family , Logan. A mom. A sister. They need you.”

Reaching out, he gently caresses my cheek with the back of his hand. “You need me too.”

I freeze.

“You’re my family too,” he says, leaning in closer and letting his forehead rest against mine.

My heart races. The words I’d only ever dreamed of hearing from him are being said aloud to me. An ache goes through me, and suddenly, I can’t get a word past the painful lump in my throat.

But Logan doesn’t need me to say anything.

Pulling me closer, he captures my lips in a gentle kiss. He’s so damn soft and slow, taking his sweet time to really taste me.

My hands come up to hold onto his broad shoulders but I don’t know whether to push him away or pull him closer. So, I just hang onto him, suspended in this unreal moment.