Read Online Moonstone Promise by Karen Wood - Free Book Online Page B

what they’re told, even if it’s wrong. They have strict rules in their work, but not in their lives, and this makes problems too.’
    He screwed the wrapper up in his hand and tossed it into the coals. ‘Today you young fullas wanna carry on like warriors, but you’ve got no code,’ he said. ‘I can tell you now, it’s not the fighting that makes you feel good, Luke.’ Tyson paused and wiped his mouth with a sleeve. ‘It’s the violence.’
    He pointed half a muesli bar at Luke. ‘Me, I love a bit of violence. But it’s gotta have some rules. If you don’t have rules, you just end up a criminal. You end up in prison.’
    â€˜Lawson broke the rules,’ said Luke coldly. ‘I was fine until he broke the rules.’
    â€˜What rules?’ asked Tyson. ‘You tell me what rules he broke.’
    â€˜He got in my face at the wrong time,’ said Luke flatly. He didn’t need to give this guy any more information than that. It was none of his business.
    â€˜That’s bull,’ said Tyson. ‘You were totally out of control.’ He sprang to his feet in a sudden, swift movement and stood in front of Luke. ‘Here, get up,’ he said, gesturing at him with an arm. ‘Get up and show me that knife.’ He pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground. Then he pulled his knife from a back pocket, flicked it open and held it in front of him.
    Luke shrank back, dumbfounded.
    â€˜Come on, powerful boy,’ Tyson taunted. ‘Let’s see what rules you fight by!’
    Luke put up his hands in a gesture of peace. ‘I don’t want to get into a fight with you.’
    â€˜Come on,’ said Tyson in a more friendly tone. ‘Violence can be good. I’ll show you.’
    â€˜It’s all right, I believe you,’ said Luke. There was no way he was getting up and going face-to-face with that man and that knife. Tyson was tall and probably fairly fit, although he might have eaten a few too many muesli bars in his time.
    Tyson rolled his eyes. ‘Comahhhn, I’ll take it easy on you. Get up!’
    Intrigued, Luke stood up.
    Tyson waved a hand towards himself. ‘Knife.’
    Luke pulled it from his pocket and held it out to Tyson.
    Tyson shook his head. ‘Open it.’
    â€˜What for?’
    â€˜Trust me.’
    â€˜I don’t know you from a bar of soap, mate,’ said Luke, ready to walk away. He was no stranger to violence, but not with big hairy blokes like Tyson, and not with knives. ‘That’s dirty fighting.’
    â€˜Nah, this is a good knife-fighting way,’ Tyson continued, unperturbed. ‘It came from the fullas down south, you’ll love it.’ He set his feet apart and held his knife up. ‘We can only cut and stab each other on the arms or the back, okay.’
    Luke took another step back. ‘You’re not serious?’
    â€˜It’s okay,’ Tyson assured him. ‘It’s hard to land a shot if you follow the rules.’ He grinned. ‘That’s if you follow the rules. And there’s a twist. We’ll get Tex to check out our wounds at the end and he can say the winner, and then whoever that is, he gets cut up same as the loser.’ He was beaming. It was obvious he loved this stuff.
    Luke just stared at him.
    â€˜It’s pretty cool, ay?’ said Tyson. ‘If I get you a good one, you get to cut me back. That way no one can walk away with a grudge.’
    â€˜What makes you think you would get me ?’ asked Luke, feeling himself being sucked into the challenge. ‘You might be three times the size of me, but that doesn’t mean you’re quick.’
    Tyson chuckled and switched his knife from hand to hand. He eyeballed Luke’s knife. ‘You gonna open that thing?’
    At that moment, a deep, gentle voice spoke behind him. ‘Put that away, Luke.’
    Luke spun around and