“It means your first attack failed.”
His jaw tightened.
The neighbors began whispering among themselves.
Mr. Palmer folded his arms.
“I think this should end right now.”
Grant pointed across the lawn.
“Stay out of it!”
“No,” Mr. Palmer replied.
“You brought this into all our front yards.”
Sophie took one cautious step closer to me.
She wasn’t hiding anymore.
She was watching.
Not with fear.
With hope.
Travis noticed.
His pride couldn’t accept it.
He raised both fists again.
One of his own training partners stepped forward.
“Travis.”
“I’m serious.”
“Don’t do this.”
Travis never looked back.
He only stared at me.
“Nobody embarrasses me in front of my family.”
I met his eyes without changing my expression.
“I never embarrassed you.”
“You did that yourself.”
For the first time that afternoon…
Even Grant looked uncertain
Part 7: Control
The silence stretched across the cul-de-sac.
No one spoke.
No one reached for another burger.
Even the children at the far end of the street had stopped playing.
Travis wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
His breathing had changed.
It was no longer steady.
He looked at the four men from his gym.
None of them smiled.
None of them cheered.
One slowly shook his head.
