All of us regarded Emerson. There was a moment of silence.

I burst out laughing. “Who are you, and where is my usual-hating cousin?”

Both of his lips curled up, and he was seething at me. “Don’t start, Bri.”

“You don’t start,” I shot back. “What the hell, Emerson? You’re always up for a fight. You’re always up for partying. And there are girls here, who, I’m sure, are only too eager to hook up with a musician. It’s like shooting ducks in a barrel here, and you want to leave? Out of the goodness of your heart?”

“I’m looking out for my best friend.” He stepped closer to me, his neck craning forward as a vein stood out. “Something you wouldn’t know about.” He gave both Elijah and Luke a meaningful look.

Now my blood was boiling. Crossing my arms over my chest, my chin lowered, setting in place. I was just getting started. “Fuck that. I was being nice just now. I was leaving out the big one, the one that seems to be your only priority. You know what else is here? Your favorite. Dru—”

“Okay.” Luke clamped a hand over my mouth and pulled me into this chest. He kept his hand there, lifting his arm over my head so he could lead me away from Emerson. His other hand urged me forward, pressing against my hip. “Let’s not do this. We’re going to go. This probably isn’t the best place for any of us to be, considering the circumstances.”

I pulled his hand from my mouth. “My brother.”

“I’ll get him,” Elijah said too quickly. He was walking toward the group before any of us could stop him.

“Oh, fuck.” Emerson released a resigned breath of air. “This isn’t going to end well.”

“I’ll stop him.” Luke moved around me, and he was off, hurrying after my ex before I could blink an eye.

“What just happened here?” I grabbed my hair and held on. An anchor dropped to the bottom of my feet, and I couldn’t move.

“Shit.”

For once, my cousin wasn’t spewing his hatred at me. He was focused solely on the impending clash that was going to happen as Elijah was already to the group. Luke was right behind him. As we watched like spectators, four guys I didn’t recognize moved forward to meet Elijah. Three were shirtless and wearing swimming trunks. One wore jeans, but was still shirtless. He was tall, too tan, and looked like a bodybuilder. Two of the others had similar physiques, while the fourth was tall and lanky. All four of them were covered in tattoos, up and down their arms, over their chests, and around the necks.

As we waited, I felt my pulse starting to beat harder and harder.

Luke got to Elijah, and he pulled him to the side. Braden noticed them and stood. Avi slid off his lap, and he hurried over to them. All three stood in a small circle, having a conversation. Elijah looked over at his competitors. The one in jeans made a show of cracking his knuckles, and he smirked.

Luke moved so he was blocking Elijah’s view, and he gestured to Emerson and me. Elijah wasn’t concerned with us. He stepped around Luke, raising his chin at Jean Guy. The small gesture was enough of a challenge. Jean Guy started toward them, but then Paul stepped in the middle. He was strumming a guitar and inclined his head forward. He said something to Jean Guy, who was still watching Elijah. As if sensing the impending fight, a group of girls started dancing between the two groups. One girl, I recognized her as Avi, touched Paul on the shoulder and started belting out a song. She began swaying to the music again, and soon the crowd had moved over to completely block Elijah, Luke, and Braden from Jean Guy and his three friends. It was then that I let out an exaggerated burst of air.

Elijah, Luke, and Braden were heading back to us.

“What are you so goddamn worried about?” Emerson was glaring at me.

“You might not want to start with me.”

“Oh, really?”

“Really.”

He folded his arms over his chest, turning the same loathsome focus back on me. “Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m fairly certain those guys are your drug dealers, and Elijah won’t like finding that out since you’re his best friend.”

“He won’t sell to me.”

My body had stiffened again. I expected another snarl from my cousin, but that was all he said. Then the guys were to us, and without saying a word, Elijah went past us, heading for his car. Emerson hightailed it behind him, leaving Braden and Luke with me.

All three of us waited and watched them go.

I had a feeling that we had escaped a disaster waiting to happen.

After driving back, Braden wanted to go to Rowdy’s to see Kelly, but first he headed home to check on our mom. She was still sick. When he got to the bar, he reported that she was sleeping, but it was my turn to check on her before bed. He was looking at Kelly as he said that and added, “And you have to sleep there.”

I didn’t ask where he was going to be. The answer was obvious. When I tried to help Kelly behind the bar, she waved me off so Luke and I played pool, drank beer, and hung out like we were best friends again. While watching my brother at the bar as he flirted with Kelly¸ I gripped my pool stick tightly for a moment.

I was happy.

I didn’t want anything to take this moment away.

“You okay?”

Luke was waiting for me to take my shot. I replied, meaning it, “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Good. Now don’t sink the eight ball.”

“Smart ass.” I winked at him, then bent down, and hit the white ball. The eight ball was the only one left to sink, but I missed it. As Luke took his shot, I put my stick away. I didn’t need to look to know he had won the game.