Read Online Seized (Hostage Rescue Team Series, #7) by Kaylea Cross - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kaylea Cross
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prey.
His father’s stern voice sounded in his head. A real man doesn’t have to use violence to prove himself. A real man has the strength to walk away from a fight.
But Sawyer had tried walking away many times before and it never worked. And he wasn’t his father.
The voices behind him drew closer, then the sound of running footsteps reached him. Sawyer tensed. Through the trees up ahead in the distance he could make out the northernmost boundary of his father’s property. He’d never reach it before they caught him.
But he refused to run from these assholes. If they wanted a fight, he’d give it to them, even if it meant he’d have to face all four of them alone and getting the shit kicked out of him again.
When the footsteps got close he dropped his backpack and whirled around to face the threat. Richard and three of his goons, all bearing down on him. The tallest one ran straight for Sawyer, tried to tackle him. Sawyer caught him around the waist with a growl and threw him over his shoulder onto the leaf-strewn ground.
Then it was on.
The remaining three converged on him in a flurry of fists and feet. Sawyer held his own until one of them slammed a fist into his mouth, busting his lip open. He stumbled back and another one of them knocked him to the ground. Now all four of them were on him, throwing punches and kicking at his ribs while he curled into a defensive position and covered his head with his arms.
Then a yelp of surprise and pain rang out. In the lull of punches that followed, Sawyer struggled to his knees and saw his best friend, Danny, standing there like an avenging angel. Two years older than Sawyer and in junior high now, he was taller and stronger than the gang of bullies.
Danny went right for Richard, slamming a fist into his nose with a crack. Richard let out a sharp, shrill scream and fell to his knees, blood gushing out beneath his hands as he held his busted nose. The others all backed away warily, their bloodlust rapidly vanishing now that Danny had stepped in to even the odds and their leader was out of action.
“Get the fuck outta here before I bust all your faces in,” Danny snarled, fists raised as he stared them all down.
The boys dragged Richard up, who was still bawling as he covered his nose with both hands, and beat a hasty retreat back down the pathway.
Panting and trembling under the whiplash of adrenaline still coursing through his veins, Sawyer winced and pressed a hand to his left side where someone had kicked him in the ribs. Danny turned to face him and held out a hand. Sawyer took it and allowed his friend to haul him to his feet. “Thanks,” he mumbled, grateful but ashamed that he’d needed the backup.
Danny shook his head, his blue eyes burning with frustration. “I always got your back, you know that. Dammit, I wish you’d tell somebody about this.” He stared at Sawyer, taking in the damage, then shook his head. Despite the age difference and them being in different schools now, Danny never treated him any differently just because he was black, and younger. They were still best friends, no matter what. “This is bullshit, Saw. You need to at least tell your dad what’s going on.”
“No.” His dad would either give him hell for fighting, or cause so much trouble with the other boys’ parents that Sawyer would be bullied for the rest of his life. “I can handle them.” Every time they came after him he got better. A little tougher, a little faster with his fists. He was tall for ten, but given his dad’s size, he had a lot of growing left to do. Soon he’d be big enough that the bullies would stop picking on him and look for an easier target.
“Yeah, because four against one is a real fair fight,” Danny said, his voice dripping with derision. “Seriously, what do you care what happens to them once your dad finds out what they’ve been doing? They’re all racist assholes. They deserve to be punished.”
Because their parents were
His father’s stern voice sounded in his head. A real man doesn’t have to use violence to prove himself. A real man has the strength to walk away from a fight.
But Sawyer had tried walking away many times before and it never worked. And he wasn’t his father.
The voices behind him drew closer, then the sound of running footsteps reached him. Sawyer tensed. Through the trees up ahead in the distance he could make out the northernmost boundary of his father’s property. He’d never reach it before they caught him.
But he refused to run from these assholes. If they wanted a fight, he’d give it to them, even if it meant he’d have to face all four of them alone and getting the shit kicked out of him again.
When the footsteps got close he dropped his backpack and whirled around to face the threat. Richard and three of his goons, all bearing down on him. The tallest one ran straight for Sawyer, tried to tackle him. Sawyer caught him around the waist with a growl and threw him over his shoulder onto the leaf-strewn ground.
Then it was on.
The remaining three converged on him in a flurry of fists and feet. Sawyer held his own until one of them slammed a fist into his mouth, busting his lip open. He stumbled back and another one of them knocked him to the ground. Now all four of them were on him, throwing punches and kicking at his ribs while he curled into a defensive position and covered his head with his arms.
Then a yelp of surprise and pain rang out. In the lull of punches that followed, Sawyer struggled to his knees and saw his best friend, Danny, standing there like an avenging angel. Two years older than Sawyer and in junior high now, he was taller and stronger than the gang of bullies.
Danny went right for Richard, slamming a fist into his nose with a crack. Richard let out a sharp, shrill scream and fell to his knees, blood gushing out beneath his hands as he held his busted nose. The others all backed away warily, their bloodlust rapidly vanishing now that Danny had stepped in to even the odds and their leader was out of action.
“Get the fuck outta here before I bust all your faces in,” Danny snarled, fists raised as he stared them all down.
The boys dragged Richard up, who was still bawling as he covered his nose with both hands, and beat a hasty retreat back down the pathway.
Panting and trembling under the whiplash of adrenaline still coursing through his veins, Sawyer winced and pressed a hand to his left side where someone had kicked him in the ribs. Danny turned to face him and held out a hand. Sawyer took it and allowed his friend to haul him to his feet. “Thanks,” he mumbled, grateful but ashamed that he’d needed the backup.
Danny shook his head, his blue eyes burning with frustration. “I always got your back, you know that. Dammit, I wish you’d tell somebody about this.” He stared at Sawyer, taking in the damage, then shook his head. Despite the age difference and them being in different schools now, Danny never treated him any differently just because he was black, and younger. They were still best friends, no matter what. “This is bullshit, Saw. You need to at least tell your dad what’s going on.”
“No.” His dad would either give him hell for fighting, or cause so much trouble with the other boys’ parents that Sawyer would be bullied for the rest of his life. “I can handle them.” Every time they came after him he got better. A little tougher, a little faster with his fists. He was tall for ten, but given his dad’s size, he had a lot of growing left to do. Soon he’d be big enough that the bullies would stop picking on him and look for an easier target.
“Yeah, because four against one is a real fair fight,” Danny said, his voice dripping with derision. “Seriously, what do you care what happens to them once your dad finds out what they’ve been doing? They’re all racist assholes. They deserve to be punished.”
Because their parents were
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