“Give me the fucking keys asshole! Or I’ll kill you.” He jerked his head at me. “And your whore.”

“No you won’t. You’re a thief, not a killer. Or a rapist. And your friends are less prepared than you are.”

The lead thug moved to cut him. Joe had already slipped away to the side of the cut, his arms behind, pulling me safe into his shadow.

“If I hadn’t moved then, you’d be a wanted murderer right now, not a thief. Did you really…” He attacked again. “Cut his nuts off Blade,” one of the gang laughed. But Joe had taken the upper hand, literally. The laughter died as suddenly as it began.

Joe was in close now, holding the leader’s knife arm out to his side. He still spoke gently, and with conviction. “You didn’t come here for this, Blade. My answer is no, and I won’t be forced. One of you might cut me, eventually. I still won’t give you the key codes.” He paused, relaxed a little, and spoke more gently. “You came to steal from easy prey. My kind are no threat, yet nor are we easy prey. Go home. Heal.”