Chapter 28

Toby shook his head and added, “We’ll see about that.”

“You can’t interfere, Toby. Gray and I are in love. We’re planning on getting married. Gray told me last night that he loved me. He said he made a mistake with you. He apologized for it and—”

Outraged at my spiel, fire burning in his eyes, Toby shouted, “Shut the fuck up, Dixon!” and threw a punch at me, his right fist swinging up as fast as a lightning bolt. The man nailed me in the jaw, knocking me back a foot, two feet, as he shouted, “You stupid sonofabitch!”

Pain speared through my head, through my neck and shoulders. The man could hit. I shook it off, regained my balance, and decided to hit back with my left fist, which I thought was stronger than my right. I rushed forward and swung into his gut; he fell backward, the wind knocked out of him in a loud grunt. He looked caught off guard, like he hadn’t expected me to retaliate, as he doubled over my fist.