33. CHAPTER 33
The screech of tires stiffens me.
A car skids on the crosswalk. Half on, half off. Diagonal.
The old lady holding onto my arm loses grip and falls to the ground. I try to grab her, block her, but drop her shopping in the process.
I pound my fist down on the hood.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I yell at the driver, then drop to the pavement to scoop up the trembling woman.
I hear a deep shout behind me, and when I look back, the driver’s side door is already flung open and Tek is reaching inside, dragging a kid no older than me out by his jacket.
The sounds coming out of him aren’t human.
They’re raw.
Animalistic.
The kid's legs get tangled in the seatbelt, but Tek keeps pulling him anyway.
His face smashes into the doorframe, his nose bleeding instantly.
Tek slams him down on the hood, holding him there with his forearm.
The driver's feet scramble as Tek roars, “You hit him! You fucking hit him!”
Shawn howls like a banshee from the sidewalk.
Liv runs to my side. I hand the old woman off to her then make a B-line towards Tek, kicking aside the strewn groceries as I go.
He winds his fist back—“I’ll fucking kill you”—and lands a punch before I can reach him.
He winds up again, and I wrap my arms around his chest, pulling him off the driver and sending us both into the side of the car.
The kid slides off the hood, limp and weeping.
Tek bares his teeth at me. It takes all my strength to hold him back.
“Tek!” I shout. His eyes stare, but he doesn’t see me. He’s completely gone.
I try again. "Tek! Oppa! Stop!" but there’s no pause, no recognition, and he pushes me so hard I crash into the open car door.
I lunge after him, catching him in a bearhug from behind; locking my forearms above his elbows before he can land another hit.
“He didn’t hit me,” I yell in his ear. “I’m fine. Just look at me.”
He doesn’t hear me, his body vibrating with every breath.
He throws his weight forward again, nearly bucking me loose, but I hold on, squeezing until his shoulders fold in. He twists, wild-eyed in my grip. There’s zero logic in him right now. No Tek at all. Just a wild, rabid animal.
"Tek, it’s Carey." I try again, my voice cracking, "Look at me. You have to look at me. You’re scaring the shit out of everyone."
Shawn screams again, “He’s gonna kill him!” And I want to tell her to shut the fuck up, piss off, be anywhere else right now, but I can’t drop my focus for even a second.
I manage to back Tek up a few steps, then push in front of him, blocking his line of sight to the driver.
He tries to barge past and I force him against the back door.
With all my strength I hold him with one hand and slap him hard with the other.
But he still doesn’t see me. I do it again, his neck cracking as his head flies to the side.
As though he’s moving in slow motion, he turns to me, blinking.
There’s a flicker of confusion.
I plant my hands on his cheeks. “Are you back with me?” I ask, not caring who hears or sees. “It’s over. Nobody got hit. I’m fine, Tek. You didn’t lose me, okay?”
He grabs my biceps, rough, but not to hurt me, more testing to see if I’m real.
“You’re okay,” he whispers, like it’s a fact he still isn’t sure if he believes.
I nod, and take one of his hands to place over my heart so he can feel it hammering away. “See? It’s beating. I’m alive.”
Tek closes his eyes and breathes in deeply. When he opens them again, I can see that he's back with me fully. But then he pushes me aside. “Tek,” I call out to him. But he doesn’t look back. His mission has changed from kill, to run away.
I go to follow him but the driver starts complaining.
I spin back; “Get the fuck out of here,” I curse as he pulls him self up. “You’re lucky you didn’t kill anyone, so I’d count my blessings and keep your mouth shut.”
Movement across the street catches my attention, and I watch for a second as Liv and the old guy from Watersons’ help the woman inside the shop. She’s safe, now I can get back to Tek.
I run inside Teken Ink and am instantly met with Shawn. “He’s fucking crazy,” she barks at me, like I have anything to do with his behavior. But… I guess I do. I guess I’m the cause of it. He snapped because he thought he lost me too.
“He’s not crazy,” I snap back at her, “He’s just—” But I can’t finish the thought because as I scan the shop I don't see him anywhere.
I sprint to the back room and find him rummaging through his locker.
A second later he has his truck keys in his hand.
“Where are you going?” I ask, but he just stares blankly past me, his jaw clenched so tight I can see the veins in his neck. “Don’t you dare run away.”
His eyes meet mine for a flash, then they’re gone.
He tries to get past me but I grab his hand that’s holding the keys. “You’re not driving.”
He shoves me, but I step straight back forward and slap him a third time.
“Don’t fucking do this,” I growl, my finger in his face. “You don’t get to lose control like that then run away from me.”
Tek stares at my finger, his shoulders wide. But he’s forgetting his intimidation doesn’t work on me.
“Anywhere you run, I’m going to follow.”
“Fuck you!”
“That’s not gonna work. The second you kissed me, you were tied to me forever.”
I watch as he tries to remain strong.
His lips tremble, and his eyes redden. “I’m no good for you.”
“Quit your bullshit.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll just end up hurting you.”
I scoff, “You think you haven’t done that already?”
His gaze meets mine, but there’s no rage, just a tiredness that goes all the way to his bones. He tries to step around me again. “Just leave me alone.”
“That’s not gonna happen.” I push against his chest and snatch the keys from him with my other hand. “If you’re leaving, I’m coming too.”
Tek stares down at the keys, out to the shop's back door, and then back to me like he’s about to challenge my power.
I inch closer and grab a handful of his shirt. “I’m the one in control here. So you’re gonna march your ass out to the truck, and wait there for me. Do you understand?”
He bares his teeth, and grits out, “Yes, Sir.”
“Good boy,” I tell him, and shove him out of the back room.
I call out to Shawn and find her sitting on one of the front chairs with her arms and legs crossed like her precious time has been wasted. “Yes?” she asks with an attitude.
Swallowing down most of the feelings I have towards her, I ask, “Can you please shut the shop?”
“Why should I?”
“Why should you?” I snap. “Did you enjoy the show? Did it make you feel better about all the shit you put everyone through?”
“Maybe… But what just went on back there,” she gestures towards the break room, “Is a hell of a lot more interesting.”
“Were you born a cunt, or did you wake up one day and decide to make a career out of it?”
The look she gives me is as evil as it is smug. “Those are big words for a guy hooking up with his brother’s best friend.”
“Feel free to tell him if he’ll pick up the phone when you call.”
Her face turns sour. “You know this is gonna fuck things up even more.”
“I didn’t know it was a competition.”
“You saw how Eden reacted when he found out about me and Reeze.”
“Tek and I aren’t cheating on anybody.”
“Except for their friendship… Your parents must be so proud, having two fags in the family.”
“Get the fuck out!”
“So now you don’t want my help?”
I tear open the front door. “I said, get out.”
“Suit yourself.” She shrugs as she saunters past me. “I’m sure everyone's gonna love to hear about this.”
“I couldn’t give two fucks who you tell,” I say, and just before closing the door I finish with, “But I’ve only been back for five minutes, and everyone in this town already likes me better than you.”
I latch the door and lock it before she has a chance to say anything else.
Good riddance. Good fucking luck to her.
Tek is the only person I truly care about, and right now, he needs me more than anything.
Fuck my brother.
Fuck Broadrock.
Fuck anything else that threatens to come between us…
It takes me less than three minutes to shut down the computer and put the money—uncounted—into the safe.
Without taking off my slippers, I lock the shop and pull down the back roller door.
Tek is slumped against the truck’s passenger door, both hands deep in the front pocket of his hoodie.
I move towards him with purpose. I grip his jaw and dig my thumb in.
His eyes snap to mine. They’re wet and bloodshot, but not angry.
All the fight floods out of him in one exhale.
I kiss him, for the first time out in the open. Anyone could walk past, but I can tell by the way his lips submit to mine, that he doesn’t care anymore, either.
The truck unlocks with a beep. “Get in.”
“Y-yes, Sir,” he stutters out, all breath, no resistance. Completely willing to hand over his trust.