Chapter 42

Phiz gasped, Dan scrambled to try and catch the post, and Tony yelped like a

helpless pup.

Bryan

just stood there, unmoving. He wondered at what angle the board would have to

fall, to knock out any of those brilliant white teeth. He didn’t know he had

such childishly vicious thoughts in him.

At

the last second, Phiz and Dan wrangled the board to a halt, with only a minimal

thump to the nape of Tony’s neck and part of his shoulder. He still bleated

like a sacrificial lamb, hanging an arm around Dan’s neck as if needing full

physical support.

Bryan

risked a glance at Phiz. Phiz winked back at him.

“Shit,

I’m sorry, man,” Phiz said to Dan. “Bryan knows what a clumsy berk I am, don’t

you, Bryan?”

“Yes,”

Bryan said. “I do.” He wanted to say much more but was damned if he would in

front of Dan and Tony. He could feel panic rising like a lump in his throat at

the thought of spending even another second in Dan’s company. He turned to