“What the fuck,” Royce yells.

Maddoc moves just in time to meet the dude’s blow.

They start swinging like crazy, and then Royce and this guy start full-on fighting again.

“Damn it!” I shout and rush for the vehicle.

“Is this shit normal?” Victoria shouts after me.

“Get over here!” I yell at her and throw the trunk door open, pulling out two bats.

I toss one to her and her eyes pop open.

“Basketball players just happen to have two bats in their trunk?”

“No.” I glare. “They have four. Now shut up and help!”

But right as we round the back, we’re bulldozed by two newcomers.

The bat falls from my hand and the blonde chick who bum-rushed me kicks it away.

With a growl, I look to her.

“Oh shit,” she mumbles, bracing herself, and I spin away kicking her in the stomach, making her fall to the ground, but she grips my foot and yanks, taking me with her and rolls on top. I’m able to throw her tiny ass off just as fast.

I scramble for the bat, but right as I lift it, it’s ripped from my hand and I’m gripped from behind, the guy who had Victoria stopping me from slamming it across this chick’s fucking face.

“Captain’s here!” Victoria shouts and the guy holding onto me curses, pushing the girl behind him when she stands to try and shield her.

Victoria lifts the bat and aims it at her while keeping her eyes on the guy at my back. “Let go of her or blondie takes a hit to the head!” she shouts, and he instantly lets go, stepping back.

To my fucking surprise, Victoria pulls back, ready to slam her with it regardless, but Captain appears and yanks it from her hand doing a double take when he sees who it is.

He grips my wrists and yanks me behind him, but I move to stand beside him.

Cap holds the bat with both hands, speaking to the tatted-up guy.

“Tell them to stop,” he says of the others still boxing Maddoc and Royce.

“Fuck you, tell them to stop,” dude throws back.

“You’re not from around here.” Cap takes a step forward. “Here, you do what we say. Tell them to stop, or we’ll have half the town here in minutes to take all four of you out, not that we need the help.” He eyes him suspiciously. “But something tells me you don’t wanna be seen. You’ve already got one on the ground and the other won’t be far behind. Your fucking call how bad of shape they are when you try and leave.”

The guy’s glare intensifies, but a whistle leaves him in the next second, so Cap calls out to Maddoc and Royce and all the grunting stops.

“Who are you?” he asks.

“Fuck—”

An arm snakes around my neck and I’m dragged a few feet to the right.

“Maddoc!” Cap shouts and Victoria picks up the other bat.

The grip tightens, so I lift my legs and drop all my weight, while pulling on the arm and the guy is forced to bend his back.

Maddoc comes rushing, but I swing my leg forward, then back, kicking him square in the dick and he collapses behind me, his grip falling so I spin, but I’m shoved away in the next second and Maddoc starts pummeling him.

His opponent is quick and spins, jumping to his feet and steps back in the next second.

I glance behind me and see the rest are in a standoff, except Royce. Seems he refused to let go and has got his guy’s arms lifted from behind, his knee in his back.

“Raven?” the guy who just attacked me whispers, looking from Maddoc to me.

Maddoc’s eyes cut to mine.

I step forward, but Maddoc yanks me back in the same second.

“G?” I ask, my eyes widening when I realize it’s him.

He nods, blood in his teeth when he grins.

“What the fuck are you doing here? And what the fuck is this?” I throw my hands toward the rest of us.

“Raven,” Maddoc growls behind me.

I lift my hand over my head, and slide it along Maddoc’s neck, leaving it there in an attempt to soothe him. It works and he shifts, breathing against my palm a second, so I lean farther into him.

“Tell your people to get away from mine,” I tell him and his eyes pinch, but he nods.

He looks over, and Maddoc takes advantage of his eyes being elsewhere and puts some distance between us and them.

“We good?” the tattooed guy calls over – he must be the boss – and G nods.

He looks to me. “I need you to tell the other one to release mine.”

His?

“RaeRae?” Royce calls, having heard him.

“Down boy,” I tease to be an asshole and laugh.

“Mama said you’re free, little bitch,” Royce jokes, pushing off him and coming to stand beside us.

I look back to G and his jaw ticks, his eyes locked on Royce.

“Hey,” I snap, and his attention comes back to me. “What the fuck is this? Why was he tailing us?”

“Can you have her put that down,” the tattooed guy looks to Victoria.

Captain rolls his eyes at her, tearing the bat from her hand, and she growls, crossing her arms.

“We need to talk to you guys, but not here,” tattoo says.

“And you fucking are?” Royce glares stepping toward him.

The guy stands tall, a lazy tip of his head that almost reminds me of my boys cocksure attitude. “Name’s Alec.”

“Pansy ass fucking name,” Royce goads him and I fight a grin.

I look up at Maddoc. “Where can we talk?”

“Here,” he forces through clenched teeth, glaring at me for suggesting we let them decide.

“Brother,” Cap calls, his eyes sliding to mine.

Maddoc’s features tighten, but after a moment he agrees.

“Fine.” He steps back but keeps me at his side.

He lets his eyes travel Gio then move to Alec. He gets in his face and Alec stands against him. “You get in one vehicle. Pull out behind my brother, I’ll be behind you. You think about taking off, I’ll run you into a fucking canal.”

Alec eyes him, but the blonde at his side tugs on his arm and when he looks down at her, his entire demeanor seems to soften and he nods, reluctantly agreeing.

They start to walk toward their vehicle, but Royce pops off again.

“Pussy whipped fucker.”

Alec spins, but Gio steps in front of him.

“Just go, man. We’re here for a reason.” Gio looks back at me and winks.

Instantly my eyes fly to Maddoc’s finding his jaw set tight, angry eyes on G.

“Maddoc,” I call, and he shakes his head no, moving for his SUV.

“All you in Captain’s, group home girl, too.”

What the fuck?

Yeah, right!

I dart forward, but Royce wraps his arms around mine and lifts me off the floor.

“Royce—”

“Nope. Not this time, RaeRae. You’re in trooouble.”

“I’m not going,” Victoria snaps.

Royce spins around, his laugh obnoxious and right in my ear.

Yeah, I know how this goes...

Captain frowns as he steps toward her, and her back straightens.

In one swift move, she’s over his shoulder.

“Are you fucking joking me right now?” she shouts, banging on his back.

When Captain moves along like nothing, she growls, lifting her head to look at me being carted away a few feet in front of her, my back flat against Royce’s chest, arms stuck beneath his hold.