18. Brock

Chapter eighteen

Brock

I did not like that asshole in the back with Eddy. I needed to figure out how to get us out of this. I didn't know everything about what was happening with this Kurt mother fucker, but I was not stupid. I knew these back roads better than anyone. At least better than anyone not from Foggy Basin. There had to be some way to use that to our advantage. I needed to be alert, to think, and most of all, not panic. Thankfully, Eddy was reading from the same playbook and stayed incredibly calm, considering the situation.

With a little luck, Evelyn would notice something was wrong. She was nosy enough to be watching our comings and goings. But would she speak up in time? And did I really want to put her in danger right along with us? No.

I needed to figure out something first. No relying on luck. This situation was in my hands.

Kurt directed us to the Lover's Butte. It was a place where kids went a lot to make out, kind of like the lover's lane of Foggy Basin. What the fuck was this dude thinking? Was he planning on killing us and dropping us over the cliff? That wasn't going to work. He should have brought the Harley and pushed us off the Carigan Pass Road. That would have at least looked like an accident. But I sure as hell wasn't going to offer that suggestion up.

"Turn there. Right there." He indicated the large meadow in front of the cliff. Probably twelve to thirteen cars could park there in two rows. "Stop the car and get out. Then step away from us. And don't fucking try anything funny, or I'll just shoot Ed here first, then come after you."

I grunted and got out of the car, moving slowly away. Right after, Kurt shoved Eddy out while still holding on to him. I didn't want him touching Eddy. Hell, I didn't want him looking at or even thinking about Eddy. Everything he did angered me more. But I had to control it. Had to stay calm and think. This fucker was so unstable.

Maybe that was my angle. "Hey. What the fuck is wrong with you anyway? Aren't you smart enough to come up with your own shit?" I started in on him, hoping it would get him to make a mistake I could take advantage of. "Why are you trying to take over Eddy's stuff? He's smarter than you. Better than you."

Kurt's face turned red as he yelled, "Shut the fuck up." It was working. Kurt let go of Eddy and rushed me, pointing the gun inches from my face.

My heart beat out of control, ramping up, and I took a deep breath. Calm . Assess the situation. Breathe .

"You don't know anything."

"I know without Eddy, you're nothing. You've got nothing. You're worth nothing."

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. And no one will even care." He yelled, his emotions obviously getting the best of him. I didn't think he had a plan at all. He was angry that Eddy was going to catch him doing whatever illegal shit he was doing. I'd bet my right arm that siphoning off money was a part of it, even though Eddy hadn't mentioned anything like that. It probably hadn't even occurred to him. "No one will miss you. No one even knows who you fucking are. In fact, you're getting the blame. Yeah, did you think of that, smart guy?"

As he was spouting off, I noticed something very important. I slowly raised my hand and then lunged. I grabbed the gun, yanking it toward me, and at the same time, I kicked Kurt, shoving him back.

Eddy screamed.

I didn't stop. I stepped forward again and raised my knee, shoving it into Kurt's gut. I pulled the gun right out of his hand.

Before Kurt could react, Eddy jumped on Kurt's back. He had a hand full of his hair and used it to wrench his head back.

I double-checked that the safety was on, and it was, which is what I thought I saw when he was waving it around. There was no red dot indicator. It was safe to attack because the odds were that nothing would happen if he pulled the trigger. It was a risk, but, luckily, we didn't have to find out.

I tucked the weapon into the back of my jeans and walked over to where the two were still fighting. Kurt managed to get Eddy off his back and onto the ground, but he still wasn't going to win this fight. I didn't waste time jumping in. I kicked the asshole in the side, sending him flying. He landed on the ground with the dried grass of the field in his hair and covering his shoulders. He brushed at it and coughed, but I wouldn't let him recover. I rushed over to him and kicked him on the same side again, in the same spot. He grabbed it and rolled over, pulling his legs up in a fetal position. I stood over him and kicked him onto his back, planting my boot on his chest. He was lucky I hadn't worn the steel-toed pair. I'm sure he was still hurt since he groaned, keeping his eyes closed

"Eddy. We need to call the cops now. See if the asshole has a phone in his car."

I didn't take my eyes off Kurt as I listened to Eddy running to the car and rummaging through things as he searched. Kurt slowly opened his eyes and then smirked at me. Stupid mother fucker. I wanted to punch him in the face.

Finally, Eddy hollered, "Got it." And then the car door shut, and I heard Eddy's footsteps as he approached. "I got the phone. The emergency 9-1-1 normally works, even if you can't unlock the phone, but it's not working. No service."

I grunted. Yep. There's never good service here. But I didn't want to move. Didn't want to give Kurt any opportunities to get away or hurt Eddy. "I left the keys in the car. Go get help. Drive until you get service, and then tell the operator we're at Lover's Butte."

"What kind of name is that?" Eddy asked.

"Just go." I waved him off.

But he still hesitated. "I don't want to leave you with him."

I pulled the gun out and flipped the safety off. "I know how to use this. Better than you, apparently, fucker. I'll blow your fucking head off to protect that man—"

Eddy squealed. "Oh God. You love me!"

It was my turn to smirk because, yep, it was true. "I do. Now go. And if asshole here tries anything, I'll shoot him in the nuts."

Kurt put his hands between his legs, apparently trying to protect those nuts he thought I was going to shoot. But truthfully, I wasn't worried about him trying anything. Despite trying to appear as if he were fine, he wasn't. He was in a lot of pain from where I kicked him.

"Okay. I'm going." Eddy rushed off, muttering under his breath. I was pretty sure he was saying something about me loving him, but I couldn't quite hear it.

When he drove away, Kurt snorted. "Do you really love that geek?"

I was pretty sure he was trying to use the same tactics on me, but I wasn't falling for it. I was more concerned with the fact that I couldn't hold this stance with the gun in my hand pointing at him for very long. I didn't want to cramp up and fuck up.

I walked backward away from Kurt a few paces. "You can sit up but not get up. If you try to stand, you're going to get shot. Don't try me. Understand?"

Kurt huffed, but not surprisingly, he didn't move to sit up.

Now, it was my turn to question him. "Do you really love Eddy's brother, Greg? Or was it always about the money for you?"

"You're a stupid hick. I'm not telling you anything."

"Well, I do have an MBA from Stanford, but I guess if moving back here to use it makes me a hick, then that's what I am."

"Whatever. Leave me alone." Kurt rolled back over to his side.

"Too bad you'll never understand. I may not be as smart as you, but I know love, friendship, and family. And you don't and looks like you never will."

"If you think any of this will stick, you're wrong."

I heard sirens in the distance. Our little chat was coming to an end. Thankfully. "Well, I guess I really should shoot you and toss you over the cliff. That was your plan, right? I could say you fought me for the gun. But see. I'm not you. And I'd never be able to live with myself. So, I'm going to do what's right. And turn you over to the authorities. Sure hope you left a nasty little trail with Eddy's trap. I bet you did because he's way smarter than you, mother fucker."

Kurt started mumbling something, but the police rolled up with Eddy right behind them. I put the safety on and dropped the gun, putting my hands up in the air so I didn't get shot.

Eddy was out of the car and screeching at the police before I could do anything. "Arrest him. The one on the ground. He kidnapped us. He's a criminal and a thief."

It didn't take long for them to get Kurt up, cuff him, and put him in the back of a car.

The lead officer came over while they were working on him. "Put your hands down, Thrasher."

I relaxed my arms. "This is his gun." I nodded to the weapon on the ground. "And he might need medical attention."

"You admit to assaulting him?" the officer asked, but he was practically laughing.

"No. Are you arresting me?"

"No." He chuckled. "I know you. Knew your Pops. I'm not at all concerned. But I do need you to come into the station and make a statement. Standard stuff."

Eddy chose that moment to walk up, and I could tell he was mad. "What? Brock didn't do anything wrong. He protected me," Eddy huffed.

"Yes, sir. Still need a statement. From both of you."

Eddy calmed down a little, realizing that they weren't arresting me or harassing me at all. "Okay. We'll do that. No problem. Sorry, officer."

"No problem." He cuffed my shoulder. "See you in town."

As the officer walked off to talk to the others, Eddy sighed. "We should, uh, go. Right?"

"Yep. Give me the keys."

He dropped them in my hand, and we got in Kurt's car to drive it to the station. We weren't sure if it was a rental or stolen or what, but we would leave it at the police station for them to figure out.