Page 24 of The Lost Zone (Dark Water #3)
His head connected squarely with flesh, causing a spray of blood to go flying as he dispatched the man in front of him with a savage headbutt.
Then he whirled around fast, throwing off the third man, who’d attached himself to his back.
The man landed on the sofa, and Josiah didn’t give him a chance to get up again.
He grabbed his shirt, pulled him up, and then punched him hard several times.
He heard the satisfying crunch of fist on bone, and then turned to go after the fourth – the one guarding Tyler.
It was the work of seconds to headbutt the man until his eyes went blank and he lost consciousness.
Josiah straightened, feeling fantastic. He was aware that his knuckles were bleeding and his forehead was bruised, but there was no pain – that would kick in later.
He advanced on Tyler and, for the first time, saw a look of fear in his enemy’s eyes.
He picked Tyler up by the throat, wanting to squeeze the life out of him, like the vermin he was…
“Joe,” a quiet voice behind him said, breaking through the red mist. “No,” Alex told him, his cool hand squeezing his arm firmly. Tyler’s eyes were wide, his breathing coming in panicked gasps as Josiah tightened his grasp around his neck. He took a deep breath and slowly released him.
“Get out,” Josiah rasped. Tyler didn’t need telling twice; he was already edging towards the door. “And Tyler? Don’t follow me again. Don’t come near this house again, and never, ever try to take Alex away from me again.”
“This isn’t over,” Tyler croaked.
“Oh, I know that.” Josiah went around the room, booting the thugs into consciousness and off his floor.
“I’ll be in Lomax’s office tomorrow morning with my paperwork,” Tyler hissed, holding on to the edge of the door, far enough away from Josiah now to risk riling him.
“Alex is legally mine and I will take him. I’ll have your career for this – hell, I’ll have your entire life.
You should have accepted my job offer when you could.
Within a couple of days, the only people who’ll hire you will be third-rate security firms looking for a grunt to patrol offices. I’ll ruin you, Raine.”
“You can try,” Josiah said contemptuously. “Now, fuck off – and take your pathetic crew with you.”
The lawyer, the thugs, and Tyler all disappeared in a scurrying mass.
Josiah strode after them, locking every single door in the house, then drawing the curtains, but he wasn’t worried.
Tyler wouldn’t be back tonight. It wasn’t his style.
He’d bring all his lawyers to Inquisitus tomorrow and try and get the suits to remove Alex.
Returning to the living room, he found Alex picking up the furniture, righting a couple of chairs that had fallen over during the fight. He straightened up, gazing at Josiah miserably.
“Is he telling the truth?” he asked. “Do I still belong to him?”
“I don’t know, but it would make sense. We had wondered why he’d ever sell your contract, given what you know.”
“But surely it can’t be legal?”
“That’s for the lawyers to fight over, but knowing Tyler, I’m sure it’ll be legally airtight.”
“If he takes me, I’m as good as dead. It’d be too much of a risk for him to keep me alive.”
“I know. Why do you think I fought those bastards so hard?” A thought occurred to him suddenly, and he set his bug app to work.
“Just checking that Tyler didn’t leave anything behind,” he murmured, but his holopad registered no unexpected recording devices.
“I’m guessing even Tyler wouldn’t dare bug a senior investigator in his own home, but it seemed wise to check. ”
Alex gently touched his forehead, and Josiah winced. “You have a nasty cut. Sit down. I’ll bathe it for you.”
Josiah caught his arm and drew him in for a kiss instead.
“I won’t let him take you,” he said throatily. “You know that, don’t you?”
“You might not have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.” Josiah took his hand and sat down on the sofa with him.
“Look, I’ve taken countless indies out of the country.
I wasn’t going to take you because you’re too famous.
They’d look into it too closely, and that would bring the Kathleen Line down.
I also knew they’d send so many bounty hunters after you that you’d struggle to get very far, even if I could get you safely out of the country.
This new information changes everything, though. We have to rethink.”
“They’d know it was you,” Alex protested. “They’d arrest you.”
“I’d come with you. We’d have to go on the run. It wouldn’t be an easy life, but with me by your side, you’d at least stand a chance.”
“You’d leave everything behind and become a fugitive… for me?” Alex asked, his eyes wide.
“I’d do that and much more for you. Did you think I’d believe Tyler’s nonsense about you? Or imagine, for one second, that I was tempted by his job offer?”
“No.” Alex shook his head. “I’ve seen him buy and blackmail people into doing whatever he wants, but I knew it wouldn’t work on you.”
“So, what’s it to be?” Josiah asked. “Do we stay and fight him, or do we run?”
“I don’t think you’ve ever run from a fight in your life,” Alex retorted with a wry smile.
“This is different. This isn’t just about me, it’s about you, too.”
Alex hesitated. “If we run, we give up all hope of bringing Tyler to justice, don’t we?”
“Yes.” Josiah shrugged. “If we run, then that’s the end of it. We’ll be running for the rest of our lives.”
“I can’t do that to you. I can’t ask you to give up everything for me.”
“If Tyler wins, he’ll take everything from me anyway.”
“ If he wins. Do we stand a chance of defeating him if we stay?”
“I don’t know.” Josiah shook his head. “Honestly, Alex, I can’t make any promises on that score, but I can promise that if we stay, I’ll fight him to the bitter end.”
Alex squeezed his hand. “I know,” he said softly. “Look, this is too big for me to decide alone. It has to be a joint decision, not just mine.”
“No – it has to be your decision, because if I can’t keep Tyler’s lawyers from taking you away tomorrow, then you’ll be dead within a day. I might lose everything, but he won’t kill me.” Josiah looked him straight in the eye. “So, what’s it to be, Alex? Fight or run?”