I hadn’t noticed him earlier.
He looked to be in his late seventies, with thinning white hair, weathered hands, and the observant expression of someone who had spent a lifetime paying attention to details other people overlooked.
His eyes moved
from my face to my feet.
Then they settled on the scar along my forearm.
Something changed in his expression.
Blake clapped his gloves together.
“Last chance to walk away.”
I met his gaze.
“Same offer.”
His jaw tightened.
Then he moved.
The first punch came fast.
It was a straight right, aimed directly at my chin.
Blake drove his shoulder into the movement, expecting me to panic, retreat, or duck wildly out of the way.
Instead, I shifted my head barely two inches.
His fist passed beside my cheek.
I felt the movement of air as it missed.
Blake had committed too much weight to the punch.
Before he could recover, I stepped slightly to the side.
