a menacing grin.
“Hey,” my dad said, reaching into his back pocket. “Can I buy you a beer, maybe some lunch?” He pulled his wallet out and opened it up, showing the guy the money that was inside.
I noticed that he kept looking at the guy’s other hand. Not the one that tightened further on my shoulder until I muttered, “Ouch.”
“Pax?” Dad said, glaring at the guy. “You okay there, buddy?”
I swallowed and nodded, wondering why Dad didn’t just tell this bad man to quit touching me.
“Seriously, man,” Dad said, removing all of his cash and holding it out. “Just take it. There are way too many people around, you won’t get far, and I don’t think you want to hurt him.”
The guy looked at me. I scowled at him. Then he grabbed at the money but didn’t let me go.
“I’ll find you again if you try to stop me,” he growled before he shoved me away and started running through the place, slamming into people as he went.
Dad grabbed me before I could fall and wrapped me in his arms. “Oh my God,” he whispered. “God, Pax, I’m so sorry, buddy. Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Dad. I’m okay. But who was that man?”
“Come here, little dude.” He lifted me off the ground and moved at the speed of light to the main counter where the arcade workers were.
Within a few minutes, there were police crawling through the place and Dad was sitting in a back room with me on his lap, telling the story to a guy who’d said that he was a police detective. I still didn’t know everything that had happened, but I did hear my dad say the man had had a gun. The next thing I knew, Uncle Joss was there with Ethan and some more of the security guys Lush used when they had concerts at the big venues. The security guys took us home, where Aunt Mel and Mom were waiting, and there was a lot of crying and people kissing me.
It was lucky that the only attempt to kidnap me was made by a mentally unbalanced dude who hadn’t planned the damn thing at all. The police caught him within a couple of hours, and he was prosecuted for attempted kidnapping, possession of an illegal weapon, and some other minor offenses. But it changed my parents’ outlook on our safety in Portland. It made them realize that, while it might be their hometown, they weren’t just Tammy and Walsh anymore.
Money changes everything, and now, I’m admitting I have access to a great deal of it. Admitting it to the kind of guy who won’t hesitate to use that fact against me in any way he can.
Asshole raises his eyebrows and smirks as he glances at his buddy. “Well, well, well. Mr. Lagazo will be interested in this new twist. Found yourself a sugar daddy, have you, Carly?” he asks, looking at my left shoulder, where I assume Carly is peeking out.
In all of her maneuvering to see around me, her hands have landed on my waist, and I feel her fingers tense as he addresses her. He shouldn’t be allowed to look at her, much less speak to her, and it takes every bit of patience I can muster to keep from flying at him with both fists cocked.
“Think of me as her agent,” I growl. “And address your remarks to me, not my client.”
“Yeah.” He snorts. “Whatever. Let’s go. You can list your client’s demands to Mr. Lagazo himself.” He and Sidekick bust out laughing as they move into the hall and gesture for us to follow them.
Once we’re out of the closet, Sidekick leads the way with my least favorite man at our backs. I make sure to keep Carly in front of me, my hand resting on her hip. I feel like I need to stay in physical contact with her. I hate the idea of these guys anywhere near her.
As we leave the small hallway, I find that Carly was right—we’re in a warehouse. The main area is full of wood crates that I’m guessing are not boxes of toys for needy kids. Judging by the size and shape of them, some are guns. I can’t tell what the others are, but I sure wouldn’t be surprised to open one and find
“Hey,” my dad said, reaching into his back pocket. “Can I buy you a beer, maybe some lunch?” He pulled his wallet out and opened it up, showing the guy the money that was inside.
I noticed that he kept looking at the guy’s other hand. Not the one that tightened further on my shoulder until I muttered, “Ouch.”
“Pax?” Dad said, glaring at the guy. “You okay there, buddy?”
I swallowed and nodded, wondering why Dad didn’t just tell this bad man to quit touching me.
“Seriously, man,” Dad said, removing all of his cash and holding it out. “Just take it. There are way too many people around, you won’t get far, and I don’t think you want to hurt him.”
The guy looked at me. I scowled at him. Then he grabbed at the money but didn’t let me go.
“I’ll find you again if you try to stop me,” he growled before he shoved me away and started running through the place, slamming into people as he went.
Dad grabbed me before I could fall and wrapped me in his arms. “Oh my God,” he whispered. “God, Pax, I’m so sorry, buddy. Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Dad. I’m okay. But who was that man?”
“Come here, little dude.” He lifted me off the ground and moved at the speed of light to the main counter where the arcade workers were.
Within a few minutes, there were police crawling through the place and Dad was sitting in a back room with me on his lap, telling the story to a guy who’d said that he was a police detective. I still didn’t know everything that had happened, but I did hear my dad say the man had had a gun. The next thing I knew, Uncle Joss was there with Ethan and some more of the security guys Lush used when they had concerts at the big venues. The security guys took us home, where Aunt Mel and Mom were waiting, and there was a lot of crying and people kissing me.
It was lucky that the only attempt to kidnap me was made by a mentally unbalanced dude who hadn’t planned the damn thing at all. The police caught him within a couple of hours, and he was prosecuted for attempted kidnapping, possession of an illegal weapon, and some other minor offenses. But it changed my parents’ outlook on our safety in Portland. It made them realize that, while it might be their hometown, they weren’t just Tammy and Walsh anymore.
Money changes everything, and now, I’m admitting I have access to a great deal of it. Admitting it to the kind of guy who won’t hesitate to use that fact against me in any way he can.
Asshole raises his eyebrows and smirks as he glances at his buddy. “Well, well, well. Mr. Lagazo will be interested in this new twist. Found yourself a sugar daddy, have you, Carly?” he asks, looking at my left shoulder, where I assume Carly is peeking out.
In all of her maneuvering to see around me, her hands have landed on my waist, and I feel her fingers tense as he addresses her. He shouldn’t be allowed to look at her, much less speak to her, and it takes every bit of patience I can muster to keep from flying at him with both fists cocked.
“Think of me as her agent,” I growl. “And address your remarks to me, not my client.”
“Yeah.” He snorts. “Whatever. Let’s go. You can list your client’s demands to Mr. Lagazo himself.” He and Sidekick bust out laughing as they move into the hall and gesture for us to follow them.
Once we’re out of the closet, Sidekick leads the way with my least favorite man at our backs. I make sure to keep Carly in front of me, my hand resting on her hip. I feel like I need to stay in physical contact with her. I hate the idea of these guys anywhere near her.
As we leave the small hallway, I find that Carly was right—we’re in a warehouse. The main area is full of wood crates that I’m guessing are not boxes of toys for needy kids. Judging by the size and shape of them, some are guns. I can’t tell what the others are, but I sure wouldn’t be surprised to open one and find
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