I trained the motherfucker.

I knock him in the ribs, first right, dodging his uppercut, and connect with his left next. He allows himself a single second to breathe, and I use that second to bend my upper body back, twist and spin around him, wrapping him into a headlock.

His next move is to give me all his weight, but I drop us both to the fucking ground before he can and scoot my ass back until the passenger side door meets my back, offering more balance.

Bass growls, his hands locked on my arms, his legs fighting for dominance he won’t get.

But then my hair is pulled from above and my head darts up to meet the Malibu fucking Barbie hanging half out the window.

“The fuck?!” I shout, banging my head against the door to jerk myself free, but she digs her claws in deeper.

“I said stay in your fucking seat!” Bass shouts.

“I’m in the fucking seat, you said nothing about the window.” The girl smirks and his growl turns into a groan.

“Hey, Pamela Anderson’s spawn, get your fucking hands off me or you’re gonna have problems.”

“Oh.” She fake pouts. “I’ve got plenty of those, what’s one more?”

“How ‘bout one that ends with a knife in your side?”

Our heads jerk toward the porch to find Raven, Victoria, Maddoc, and Cap all standing there.

Raven flips her knife open, running it along her index finger, her eyes popping up. “Been a while since I’ve got to use this baby. Give me a reason to.”

A rasped, mocking laugh leaves the girl but Bass cuts her off quickly.

“Cut it, rich girl. Let the bitch go.”

I tighten my hold, digging my knee into his spine and he jerks, trying to reach back.

He manages to slip around, and then we’re rolling again.

We jump to our feet, his grip tight on my stretched collar, until he has my chain locked in his fist.

The motherfucker meets my eyes, and a fire flares in mine.

He knows better than to touch—

He rips it off, my family crest flying somewhere to the left, so I lay his ass out.

He falls back, slamming hard onto the rocks beneath his feet, and I jump on top. I serve him another hard hit to the jaw and his hand shoots up to grip my neck, squeezing, and my airway closes.

But I wink at the bitch, wishing for unconsciousness.

It’s only fair I lose it too, right? Like she did?

I let him go, allow him his other hand to fly up and grip me tighter.

The world around me starts to spin, and when a grin starts to split my lips as the gray takes over, his eyes narrow.

The bastard sees what I want and tosses me aside instead, refusing to give it to me.

I cough, choking for air, and he pants, climbing to his feet as I do.

“Are you guys done now?”

Our eyes fly to the porch to find Brielle standing there.

It’s Bass who speaks first. “You’re in his house...” He trails off, pushing to his full height, and we both slip closer. “I know what this place means to them, to him. If you’re inside this house, then you’re...” His features pull tight.

She gives a small smile. “Inside his heart?”

Fuck me, my chest pounds heavy.

His jaw tics, the tension on his face doubling. “Brielle,” he edges.

Her eyes find mine and I have to grip the porch railing to keep myself standing.

Baby girl...

Brielle’s eyes soften, a small curve to her lips. I don’t realize I’ve moved closer until I’m shoved aside, and Bass slips between us.

He dashes up the steps, grips her by the arm, and pulls.

I lose my shit, dart forward, rip his arm from her body and gently nudge her back.

My brothers come to stand before her, and Bass’ eyes shoot wide.

“Are you for fucking real?!” he shouts. “You want to guard her from me? That’s my fucking sister!”

Brielle’s hand lands on Captain’s arm and his eyes find mine.

I give him no sign, so when she goes to step around him, he lets her.

She steps closer, toward me, and my gut twists when she inches past. “Bass, please. Don’t do this.”

“Seriously?!” is shouted from behind us and all eyes snap that way.

Barbie sits on the edge of the door, her arms folded over the hood. “We drove ten fucking hours through the night to get to you, then you ignore him for days, and that’s the first shit you say when he whoops ass in your name?!”

“Shut up!” Bass shouts.

You can spot her eye roll from here. “What, you know you’re thinking the same thing!”

He whips around. “I said—”

“Yeah, yeah,” she cuts him off, dropping back in the seat and rolling up the window.

Brielle tips her head, squinting at the car, at the girl. “Who is that?”

“Don’t.” He glares at her. “Get in the car, Brielle. Now.”

My heart stops.

She can’t leave.

I need her here, we need her here.

As if he could hear my inner thoughts, he says to her, “You don’t belong here, Brielle. Let’s go.”

“You’re an idiot if you think that’s true.”

“And you don’t know shit,” he forces past clenched teeth. “Stay the fuck out of it.”

“I know you haven’t been to see her, that you don’t have someone watching out for her. That you pretty fucking much dropped her and ran and she was miserable before us.”

He rushes me, pushing his bloody forehead to mine. “Watch it.”

“Nah, motherfucker.” I’m getting pissed over my own words, over what she went through. “You watch it. You might not be under our thumb no more, punk, but don’t forget where you’re at. I could run you over with that sweet little ride of yours, and there ain’t shit you could do about it.”

“I will—”

I meet his step forward with one of my own. “You’ll what?”

“Stop!” Brielle shouts, coming down the stairs and facing off with us both. She frowns from me to him. She looks ready to say something, to shout, but the longer she stands there, staring at him, reality slips back where it belongs, front and fucking center.

This is her brother, her family.

The one person in the world she felt she could—can—depend on. Her safe place.

And she’s missed him, she told me so.

What am I supposed to do? Make her choose between me and him? One or the other?

We’re no longer in the same place, so how can she have us both?

If she leaves, I’ll crumble.

It will break me.

Goddamn it, I might have to follow her.

But my family...

“Stop thinking about what you want, Brielle, and think about what’s best for you.” Bass glares at her.

I almost feel bad for the dickhead after that, because those are the wrong words to say to the girl who has only ever done what her big brother asked of her.

Brielle comes down the steps, her eyes tight, unease heavy within them, but she’s strong, and she’s ready to make him understand.

So I step back and let her take the lead.

Brielle

“Are you really going to stand here and pretend you know what’s best for me?” I ask, but not for a response. “You have no clue what my life has looked like since the day I was sent away, and now I know that all that time you lied to me about the one thing in my life I hated more than our parents.” My voice dies down, and my brother’s features grow taut. “Do you even know what that was?”