Josh survived, but it was a close thing. He’d never quite understood the full significance of the phrase “steam coming out his ears” until Russell rounded on him.
Suddenly two hands as big as meat cleavers were inches from his throat. Hogan pulled Josh back toward him for protection—or so he first thought. Instead, Hogan wrapped an arm around Josh’s throat, not quite choking him.
“I’ve got him for you Russell. Go for it.”
Josh didn’t know whether to feel betrayed or terrified. Then he realized that Hogan’s move had neatly blocked Russell’s first instinct to simply strangle Josh with his bare hands.
“What do you mean, ‘shacking up with Melanie’?”
“I—”
“Hey,” Hogan cut off Josh’s attempts to explain. “If you had Melanie—The Melanie—practically living with you, would you throw her out
