Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

JJ

What the fuck is he doing? Has he gone mad? I couldn't make out all the words being exchanged between Four and the man— I think I heard Four say his name was Maxwell —but I could tell it was bad and Four was there to kill him. So, why would my boyfriend think it smart to expose himself with no protection at all?

I figured I'd stay put, and if Four advanced on Shep, I'd…I'd what? I surveyed my surroundings and found a decent-sized branch. I gripped it; it felt sturdy. I could possibly knock someone out with this.

I peeked around the tree, and Shep was talking once more.

"How about we all sit and talk this out?"

When did he become an idiot? He wasn't always one, was he?

Four didn't budge an inch, but Maxwell was nodding.

"Yes…I can put on coffee."

Four returned his attention to Maxwell. With his other hand, that wasn't holding the door open, he reached for Maxwell's shirt. It was still hard to hear, but I made out "Consortium" and "sentencing."

Maxwell was sweating now, and Shep was slowly making his way behind Four.

"Okay, branch, I have a feeling you're going to come in handy if my boyfriend opens his mouth again."

"Please, help me," Maxwell begged, and it must have brought awareness to Four that Shep was behind him, because in a move out of The Matrix , Four pushed Maxwell into the house with such incredible force, I swore the man flew. He then spun on Shep and leaped onto his body and…was he trying to bite him? Nope, only I'm allowed to bite him!

"Hey!" I shouted. "Back the fuck off my man, Four! This is not allowed. Bad Four! Bad boy!"

"He's not a dog." Shep's words were strangled as he tried to pry Four off his body.

"Maybe he shouldn't be acting like one. Four! Dammit, enough! Stand down!"

Like a switch was hit, Four fell to the ground onto his knees. Frozen.

"What the hell?" Shep was out of breath and took a few steps away from Four.

"I thought maybe a military command might work." I shrugged. "I guess it did."

The branch firmly in my grasp, I walked over to Four. "Four, I know you can hear me. I need you to stand up and come with us."

"Hold on." Shep gently pulled my arm. "He came here to kill a man, and we need to find out why."

"We need to get Four out of here before the police show up. This Maxwell guy could be calling them now."

Shep narrowed his gaze at the yellow house. The door was now closed, and Maxwell was likely hiding inside. His car was still in the driveway so I gathered he was either hiding inside or running.

"I don't think he's calling the cops. This whatever Four works for sounds scary enough that Maxwell doesn't want to get more of their attention. But I think he might be a way we get any answers at all."

I looked down at Four. "What do we do with him?"

Shep smirked. "Take him with us."

He lowered himself and took Four's hand. He followed willingly, and the three of us went to the door. Only, Shep didn't knock; he kicked it in once he'd determined it was locked.

"Classy," I muttered, my branch still in hand as I remained vigilant.

"You're carrying a piece of tree. Don't make fun."

I snorted because he did have a point. There was a knocked-over table and a vase with artificial flowers scattered on the floor. It was the hole in the wall a good twenty feet away that proved how far Four had thrown Maxwell.

"Does he have superhuman strength?" I cocked my head at the mess.

"Probably." Shep's nonchalant answer wasn't reassuring.

"Do you think he left?" I whispered but a thump on the second floor was all I needed to know that he was in fact still here.

"Stay with Four. Hit him with your tree if he moves." Shep handed him to me, and I took his hand in my free one.

"Be careful." I watched as Shep ascended the stairs. Four was so still, I wondered if he was even breathing.

A bang made me jump, but Four didn't even flinch. It was as if he were turned off.

A moment later, Shep was descending the stairs with Maxwell. The man was struggling, but he was no match for Shep. When he saw Four, he tried to run again but Shep held tight.

"No, you don't. You're going nowhere until we've talked. Let's go to your kitchen and have that coffee you promised." He dragged Maxwell into the other room while Four allowed me to guide him.

Shep plopped Maxwell into a chair, and I brought Four to another one that was on the other end, far from Maxwell.

"Now, Max, how about you tell us why Four here wants to kill you and what the hell the Alabastrine Consortium is?" Shep grinned and leaned on the kitchen island.

"I…" Maxwell's eyes darted from Shep to Four. "I'm not allowed to talk about the consortium."

Shep tutted. "We're all friends here. Well, Four doesn't like you, but JJ and I, um, we can maybe be friends with you."

That wasn't happening, and I was sure everyone in this house knew that.

"They'll kill me if I talk."

A laugh busted out of me. "Seriously? Did you miss the part where they clearly already want you dead?" I gestured dramatically to Four.

"I need to run. Once they've enacted a judgment and punishment, there's no escaping it."

"You lost me. What are they, like gods or something?" Shep sniggered. "No offense, but that shit isn't real."

"You make jokes, but you have no idea."

Shep pushed off the island and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're right, I don't, so maybe you enlighten us and maybe we help you."

"Help me?" Maxwell chuckled darkly. "You can't help me. You can't fight them."

Shep took three steps and he was next to Maxwell. He crouched, his face mere inches from the other man's.

"You have no idea who I am or what I'm capable of. I've taken down giants that everyone said were impossible to crush. My whole life has been about righting wrongs and not giving a shit about the trail of despair I leave behind me. So, maybe start worrying about the danger in your kitchen right now instead of the monsters outside."

Holy shit, my man was hot.

"All I can say is, they are powerful and they handle things for people, but at a cost. If you don't make good on your debt, they judge you. But they said I had another week. I don't know why he's here. No one told me about a second judgment."

"That tells us pretty much nothing. How'd you find them?" This was some next-level weird, and I needed to know a lot more.

"They sort of find you." He scrunched his nose. "I was desperate, and the next thing I knew, a man came to my door. The offer was too good to be true, but like I said, I was desperate."

I surveyed the kitchen. The house was beautiful and it was obvious from the Mercedes in the driveway that he wasn't hurting financially.

"What were you so desperate about?"

He sighed, flicking his eyes to Four and settling on me. "My daughter disappeared six months ago. I began getting ransom demands and I paid them, but she wasn't returned. I couldn't call the police—they said they'd kill her. I didn't know what to do."

"And suddenly, out of nowhere, your fairy godfather comes to your door and tells you he can make your dreams come true?" Shep lifted a brow.

"Yes…I'd owe, but that was fine. I just wanted Georgia home."

"Then what happened?" I asked.

"A week later I get a call from the hospital. Georgia was admitted. She was severely malnourished, had some trauma, a broken leg and wrist. But she was alive. They made good on their word."

Shep looked at me before speaking. "And what did you owe them?"

"Two million dollars."

I whistled. "That's a lot."

"And I could get it. I just needed time. The deadline was next week."

"It's odd." Shep scratched his beard and paced the kitchen. "If the deadline was given and you hadn't passed it, why would they order your death?"

I had a lightbulb moment. I loved when that happened. "Unless you broke the rules in your agreement."

Maxwell's eyes widened. "I…"

Shep pulled the chair Maxwell was in back and got right in his face.

"What did you do, Max?"

The two men had a stare-down, but my guy never blinked. Maxwell's shoulders sagged and in a voice so broken, so defeated, he answered.

"My friend was in a bad situation with his wife. She was taking his kids away…I…"

"You told them about the consortium, didn't you? So, you did, in fact, talk." I guessed.

He nodded.

"And now we're getting somewhere." Shep stepped away. "You're going to have to come with us."

"But…my daughter…my family."

Shep checked his watch. "They want you dead. So, until we know more, you and Four are coming with us. No arguments. Let's go."