Lane and Joey (2nd in werewolf series)

Lane and Joey

"You're not interrupting." Lane said looking at the five sub demons. "I like an audience." The tallest of the sub demons and the leader of the little group took a step forward.

"We want our damn money, Lane." he said. Lane looked at the brunette beside of him and saw that she was shaking with fear as she stared at the dirty and rotting sub demons in front of them. Lane sighed and counted to three in his head. He had no sooner gotten to the number three when she let out an ear piercing scream and turned and ran away back out of the alley.

"Guess now it's going to be a solo performance." Lane said taking a step back. He wasn't sure if the sub demons could understand his drunken words but they didn't really care about what he had to say anyway.

"Where is our money, Lane?" the sub said again.

"Hey, I hope you aren't too upset that I don't remember your name but uh.. Well you all look alike so I can't really tell you apart." The sub swung out his arm and caught Lane's jaw hard. Lane's head whipped around and he laughed as he rubbed his jaw and spit out blood.

"Oh I remember you now." he said.

"Where is our damn money? You either pay up now or we'll take it in blood."

"Well see but if you do that then you'll never get your money." Lane said matter of factly. He thought about dashing but the sub seemed to read his mind.

"There's no point running from us anymore, Lane."

"Well okay then. I wouldn't want to try too hard to get away.. I've always been a bit of an underachiever." Lane thought about calling Jake to help him but then he thought better of it. His brother would probably give him a bigger ass kicking than the subs.

"Money." one of the other subs said.

"No money." Lane replied with a shrug. "I need some more time."

"You're fresh out of time my friend." the lead sub said. Before Lane could think of a witty response the subs fist connected again with his face. Lane stumbled backward and in his drunk state he was unable to right himself and fell to the ground with a thud.

The subs were on him in an instant. Lane grunted in pain as the steel toed boots they wore connected with his ribs, stomach and face. He tried to get up but he was no match for fifteen on one.. Of course only five of the subs were real but the whiskey had him seeing triple.

He felt himself losing consciousness. He hoped someone would find him soon after they killed him while he still looked good. He didn't want to be a half rotted corpse when everyone said goodbye to him. He had an image to uphold.

Lane heard someone else run into the alley but he couldn't see because his eyes were swollen shut from the beating the subs were giving him. The subs started to curse and jumped away from him. He could hear fighting going on and was happy that the grunts of pain he was hearing weren't his own for a moment.

The alley became silent. Lane listened close and heard footsteps walking toward him. Thankfully his eyes were already starting to heal a little so he could at least open them. He tried to take a deep breath and winced at the pain in his ribs. Those bastards must have broken them. Seemed a bit much over a couple thousand dollars.

"Oh my God, you're still alive!" A woman exclaimed, her voice full of surprise and shock. Lane looked at her but she was blurry. All he could see was flyaway red hair and giant glasses looking down at him.

"Yea." he grunted. "Though at the moment it would feel better if I was dead."

"I'll call you an ambulance." she said pulling out a cell phone.