Neal’s fight-or-flight instincts have always been keyed more toward flight, at least as far as his own well-being is concerned. But his well-being isn’t the only concern here. Not by a long shot.
He’s not as young as he used to be, in any sense of the word. His face stays calm and unconcerned, even as his heart rate ratchets up a notch.
“I wouldn’t advise hurting either one of us in front of this many witnesses,” Neal adds lightly. “The local authorities wouldn’t appreciate that you’re new in town, probably—-in terms of cultural leeway, I think ‘unprovoked violence’ still rests outside of the generally acceptable.”
He doesn’t want to let Malcolm stay in front of him. He doesn’t want Malcolm to be the primary target here, not when he knows this man tried to kill him once already. But there’s no natural way to bring them even again, not yet.
no subject
He’s not as young as he used to be, in any sense of the word. His face stays calm and unconcerned, even as his heart rate ratchets up a notch.
“I wouldn’t advise hurting either one of us in front of this many witnesses,” Neal adds lightly. “The local authorities wouldn’t appreciate that you’re new in town, probably—-in terms of cultural leeway, I think ‘unprovoked violence’ still rests outside of the generally acceptable.”
He doesn’t want to let Malcolm stay in front of him. He doesn’t want Malcolm to be the primary target here, not when he knows this man tried to kill him once already. But there’s no natural way to bring them even again, not yet.