Chapter Four

Fresh from the shower, nervous and almost desperate, Nikki drove down the empty roads with Brandon beside her and Justin in the back seat. She’d expected more questions, but the men must have seen something in her face that convinced them, so that when she’d said they needed to come with her, they had.

She tried tell them something, but every time she opened her mouth, she couldn’t get the words out.

“Nik,” Brandon called softly. “What’s going on?”

She had to give him credit that he had remained quiet for so long. In only a few more minutes, they would pull up to the house RJ and his brothers shared. “I need you to trust me, Brandon. To know that I love you more than anything.”

“I do trust you,” he assured her.

“Then you have to do what is right.”

“What are you talking about?” He covered her hand on the wheel. She released her grip and held on to him. “You’re scaring me,” he said, kissing her hand.

“Brandon, please trust me.” She made the turn to the Cross house, feeling him tense next to her.

“What did you do? Nikki, why are we here?”

She shook her head and continued to drive.

“Stop the car,” he ordered.

It took all her willpower to remove her hand from his hold and put it back on the wheel to continue toward the house.

“Nicole Stratton, pull this car over!”

She whimpered at the tone, her wolf wanting her to obey the dominant wolf next to her. It wasn’t often that he used the big guns. But Nikki had to remain strong. This was for his own good. “Please, Brandon.” She pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, moving them quicker not wanting to lose her nerve. The house came into sight, with RJ standing on the porch.

She drove up in front of him and took a deep breath. “Just come inside. Talk to Dylan, work this out. I beg you.”

Brandon growled long and low. Nikki shuddered. He was pissed. The scent of fury that filled the car actually made her nauseous.

“Oh, shit!” Justin barked a laugh from the back seat. “This is actually a good idea.”

Brandon snarled at him and wrapped his hand around Nikki’s upper arm. “What were you thinking?”

She shook, his anger hard for her to handle, but she had to try.

“Get us out of here,” he demanded, shaking her a little. He was still in control, making sure he didn’t hurt her, but she still wanted to roll over for him.

“Too late,” Justin piped up. “Look.”

They glanced toward the porch, where two other men had joined RJ.

“Just talk to him,” she begged her brother.

“Come on, man.” Justin gripped Brandon’s shoulder. “What have you got to lose? I can’t believe that no one else thought of this sooner. And I thought I was the smart one in the family.”

“You’re not funny,” Brandon told him.

“I’m not trying to be,” Justin replied. “It’s either this or you challenge him and possibly die. You might be okay with that but Nik and I aren’t. We need our big brother.”

“We’ll discuss this later,” Brandon warned her.

Oh, I have no doubt.

Brandon leaped away, throwing his door open then slamming it closed. Nikki and Justin scrambled to catch up. They met at the front of her Jeep. Nikki peered over the two men she hadn’t met, but her eyes were drawn to RJ. His gaze flickered to her but settled on Brandon, his body full of tension. No one moved for several moments.

“This isn’t a good idea,” Brandon whispered to her.

“It’s all I could come up with,” she said. “The ceremony is in two days.”

“Less than,” Justin added.

“When this all goes to shit I want the two of you to get out of here,” Brandon ordered. “Do not worry about me. You are not to get hurt.”

Jesus, does Brandon expect to be attacked? She glanced toward RJ. Has he set me up? “We’re not leaving you.”

“Promise!” Brandon demanded in a low tone.

“Yes,” she managed. Nikki did not feel good about her decision to trick Brandon into meeting with Dylan. What if he gets hurt? All this had the potential to blow up in her face.

“Justin?” Brandon pressed.

“Okay,” Justin agreed. Nikki didn’t think that Justin would leave Brandon alone any more than she planned to. This was one promise that she’d have no problem with breaking.

Brandon straightened his shoulders. He looked like a man about to face a firing squad.

Nikki had fucked up. If RJ betrayed her, she’d find a means to get him back. He’d suffer in the worst way possible if she had any say about things. As much as she wanted to trust RJ, she had some serious doubts. His comment from earlier that she’d strolled into town thinking she could solve this problem bothered her. Brandon must have his reasons for not going to Cameron or the new Alpha. Yep, Nikki had once again gotten caught up in trying to save the world without thinking things through. If they made it out of this meeting unharmed, she owed her oldest brother an apology.

Or maybe she was brilliant.

“Let’s do this,” she muttered, opening the door. Hiding her concerns from both her family and the Cross brothers she could do. Besides, she didn’t in fact know this would backfire.

All Nikki needed to do was have faith. Forget the moments of reservations. This needs to work.

RJ watched as the three Stratton siblings stood together, Nikki placed between the two brothers just like he and Dylan had put Ben. No one moved or spoke. He’d convinced Ben to help set Dylan up to meet with Brandon, but now, with the tension flowing through all the shifters, he had to wonder if it had been a good idea. Nikki’s distress was evident in her face and it took all his control not to go down and comfort her.

Ben broke the silence. “Please, won’t you all come inside so we can talk?”

Brandon glanced at his siblings before he nodded and started toward the house. RJ never took his eyes from the pissed-off shifter, though. Dylan, for his part, seemed loose and relaxed, but RJ could tell he was just as wary. Ben turned and led the way inside. Brandon, Nikki and Justin followed with RJ after and Dylan bringing up the rear.

The biggest room was the den and that was where they headed.

“Please sit and be comfortable,” Ben invited.

Brandon took one of the recliners and Nikki sat on the couch while Justin shifted nervously from foot to foot.

“I just put some coffee on. Let me bring it in,” Ben stated once everyone was in the room.

“I’ll help you,” Justin offered.

Dylan took the recliner across from Brandon. RJ squeezed his shoulder when he passed and sat on the fireplace hearth across the room. He hoped by taking himself out of the situation, Dylan and Brandon could work something out. The emotions in the room were almost stifling and he didn’t need another display of aggression between his brother and the sheriff.

“Thank you for coming,” Dylan began until Brandon snorted.

“Like I had much of a choice?” Brandon accused.

Nikki pressed her hands together in her lap, seeming guilty.

Dylan sighed and leaned forward. “It seems to me my brother and your sister had a little more sense than us. We should have met earlier.”

Some of the fury seemed to leave Brandon after he took deep breaths. Brandon glanced at his sister and RJ watched them lock gazes. Brandon’s eyes narrowed. It was clear when Brandon realized something more was going on.

“You son of a bitch!” Brandon yelled and launched himself at RJ.

RJ took a hard knock as Brandon’s fist hit his chin. His head snapped back and he tasted blood in his mouth. He vaguely heard Nikki scream and Dylan hollered. He managed to block the next punch to his head but missed the left to his stomach. Dylan pulled Brandon from him and pushed him across the room to face off against him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ben and Justin rush into the room.

“Brandon, stop!” Nikki tried to grab her brother, but he pushed her behind him.

RJ growled, but Dylan blocked his path. “No, we finish this now. If you have a problem with my family, you come through me,” Dylan told Brandon.

“Is this going to be how you run the Pack?” Brandon spat at him. “You have a problem and you send in one of your brothers to seduce an innocent?”

“No!” Nikki gasped.

Dylan had obviously been caught off-guard, because he took a step away and faced him. “RJ?”

RJ laughed. “Are you serious?” he asked Brandon. “Have you met your sister? She’s the last person who’d allow anyone to get one over on her.”

“Because you know her so well?” Brandon pressed.

“Better than you, obviously,” RJ responded.

“Not helping,” Dylan warned him.

He couldn’t believe this. RJ had taken a chance trying to get this asshole in the same room with his brother and the guy accused him of using Nikki for his own gain. “Come on, Dy, you know me. This is bullshit.”

Dylan stared at him as he searched RJ’s face for something. At last, he nodded. Dylan turned to Brandon. “I do know my brother. And whatever you think, you have it wrong. But this isn’t about them. It’s about us. Do you want to challenge me? You want to do this now?”

Brandon still fumed. “Fuck you. This is about all of us. If I didn’t want to challenge you before, you crossed a line tonight. She”—he pointed at his sister—“has nothing to do with this.”

“Brandon—” Nikki started.

“No, I don’t want to be the damn Alpha. I never did. But I won’t let this Pack belong to someone with such little consideration and respect. This is just too much. Do you know what is going to happen in three months when we go public? No, none of us do. We have to trust our leader.”

Brandon grabbed Nikki’s arm and pulled her toward the door.

“Wait!” Nikki dug her heels in. “Just listen to me.”

“We’ll talk about this in the car or at home. We’re leaving now.” He tugged her again.

“We’ll talk about this now,” Nikki argued and yanked her arm from his hold. “RJ didn’t seduce me or whatever you think happened.”

“Nik, this isn’t the time or place.”

“We didn’t do anything wrong and certainly not what you’re thinking. I thought you knew me better than that.”

The hurt in her voice had RJ wanting to punch Brandon. He massaged his jaw where Brandon’s fist had landed. If Brandon fucked this up, RJ wouldn’t take it easy on him. So they’d kissed. That didn’t have anything to do with trying to fix the issue of him challenging the incoming Alpha. “Dylan and Ben didn’t even know we were coming up with this. Can we please just sit down and try this again?”

“Brandon…” Justin moved from the doorway to his brother. “We need to hear Nikki out.”

Brandon looked torn, but eventually he nodded. Ben gripped Dylan’s shoulder and led him back to the chair. Once Brandon and Dylan were settled in their seats and Ben and Justin on the couch, Nikki stayed standing by her oldest brother. RJ wanted to reassure her, pull her into his arms, do something to help. But he stood silent while she worked out what she wanted to say.

“First, let me clear up one thing. I went to RJ,” Nikki informed them. “I’m sorry, Brandon, but I couldn’t let the Pack pressure you into doing something you didn’t want. I understand you have to look out for the Pack. But you’re my brother and I have to look out for you.”

Brandon opened his mouth but straight away snapped it shut. Instead of speaking, he just nodded.

“I knew you didn’t actually want to be Alpha. I also know that Dylan doesn’t want to meet you in a challenge. A challenge would leave one of us”—she gestured between her and RJ—“without one of the people we love the most.”

“Why him?” Brandon questioned.

“That’s a little more difficult to explain.” She glanced around the room.

Oh, this is interesting. A blush spread across her cheeks as she fidgeted.

“I might have run a search on all of you,” Nikki said, but she looked at RJ.

RJ nodded. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done the same.

“You did what?” Dylan asked, his voice even and low.

Uh oh, Dylan isn’t going to like the invasion of privacy.

She shrugged. “Do you blame me?” she asked. “I needed to know if you were trustworthy.”

“Then you ask me,” Dylan demanded. “Or go to Cameron. You don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Well…” RJ held up his hand. “I sort of did the same thing to them.”

Dylan snapped his hard gaze over to him and stared at him for several moments then sighed. “Of course you did.”

“That doesn’t explain why you approached RJ,” Brandon pointed out.

Now that the subject had been brought up, RJ was curious as well. Nikki could have gone to Ben today, but instead she’d been in his shop.

“I figured anyone with a record like his had to be moral.”

“Record?” RJ asked.

“Your military file,” she explained.

“My missions are classified,” he said slowly. There was no way she’d be able to get that kind of information.

“Yes,” she said. “But if you know the right people, you can still get some of it. Anything that had to do with names, places or national security was blacked out, but I had enough to form an opinion on what kind of man you were.”

RJ could only stare at her. Fucking unbelievable. “No,” he said in horror. The details in those files were something that he didn’t even want to read.

“I’m sorry! I had to know,” she exclaimed.

RJ stared at Dylan for some kind of help. Words were just not coming to him.

Dylan held up a hand. “Maybe we should skip over this right now.”

Brandon nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think I want to know what laws my sister broke.” He glanced up at her. “I know you’re doing what you think is best, but you’ve been here two days. You can’t just come in and fix things.”

“Why not? No one else was doing anything.”

“This is bigger than just our family.” Brandon ran a weary hand over his face. “Even if I don’t challenge, I know someone will,” he muttered.

“Can I ask a question?” Ben asked from the couch where he and Justin had settled. “Who approached you to challenge?”

“I can’t…I can’t tell you. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”

“But it’s fair to let him pressure you to challenge an appointed Alpha?” Nikki questioned.

“Let’s start this way,” Dylan offered from across the room. Everyone peered over at him and he smiled. “Let’s address the issues one at a time. First, I support the shifters going public.”

Brandon shrugged. “I see both sides of the argument. But I guess I have been lax in supporting it, so that is what’s brought up the most. And I don’t honestly think that is what this is about. I think they’re using it as an excuse. They’re more worried about losing the ear of the Alpha. Especially when you decide on your own inner circle. That will leave a lot of us out in the cold.”

“Okay.” Dylan leaned forward. “Cameron had agreed to go public, and when I accepted the Alpha position, I kept the agreement. I have also discussed my inner circle with Cameron and he has agreed. You can’t tell me that Cameron would have been challenged.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Brandon conceded.

“So what else is the problem? Me being a stranger? Cameron spoke to several of you, from what I understand, about bringing in an outsider.”

“He did,” Justin spoke up. “To all of his inner circle plus several of the younger wolves who were dominant.”

“Did he contact the elders of the community?” Dylan asked next.

“Not until he’d decided on you,” Brandon answered.

“Now, I’m not trying to get out of you who approached you, but I would bet it was one of the elders. Maybe an elder who’s worried that if you don’t challenge me, his own son will,” Dylan guessed.

RJ stared at his brother, open-mouthed. What in the hell was Dylan talking about? Or who?

“So you know?” Brandon inquired.

“I suspect,” Dylan corrected. “The reason I’ve been spending so much time with Cameron is because I’m learning about all of you that I will be answering to. See, that’s the difference to being an Alpha, in my opinion, from some of the elders. I don’t believe the Pack is here to protect and work for me. That’s my job. To make sure we flourish and remain safe at all times.”

Brandon inclined his head.

“I haven’t told Cameron about the rumors. I’ve been hoping I could take care of it. I made a mistake,” Dylan admitted.

RJ didn’t like hearing Dylan sounding so defeated. “Dylan—”

“No,” Dylan interrupted. “I should have been spending more time with the Pack. There’s just been so much to do and a short amount of time to learn about the people who’ll be under my protection.”

“I haven’t been looking at things from your point of view,” Brandon said.

Finally, the lines of communication were opening up. RJ was beyond relieved.

“I appreciate that,” Dylan said. “I want to work with you and the Pack. I don’t expect a perfect transition, but I am becoming Alpha. A challenge won’t change that.”

“I wish everyone thought that way,” Brandon said.

“I understand it being hard for you. I don’t think pushing you into the challenge is the right thing to do, though. You obviously care about these people. Can you say the same about them?”

Nikki gasped. RJ figured she knew who their brothers were talking about. He wished he had a clue. “You can’t protect him forever, Brandon. I know he used to be your best friend, but he’s not the same kid you grew up with,” Nikki told her older brother.

“I know.” Brandon sat. “I know.”

The room fell silent. “Have you tried talking to him?” Nikki asked, after a pause.

“Yeah, couple of weeks ago. He won’t listen to reason. His father’s not helping. That old man should have been put down years ago. He’s not happy unless he’d making someone miserable, usually his son.” Brandon peered around the room. “I wasn’t born to lead, I know that, but I don’t want to see my Pack split in half, either.”

“I don’t want to see that, either. It’s not only me, but my family and my friends. I want this Pack to be strong and grow. I want everyone to be happy,” Dylan stated, with conviction.

“So now what?” Brandon asked. “I won’t challenge you.” He reached out to take Nikki’s hand in his. “I can’t do that to my family. But that doesn’t make the problem go away.”

“Then let’s figure out what will,” RJ suggested.

Brandon glanced at him. “Sorry I punched you. I haven’t been thinking clearly lately. The thought of you using Nikki to get to me had me seeing red.”

“No problem,” RJ replied. He grinned at Nikki. “We could have probably come up with a better plan than ambushing you both, but we were running out of time.”

“Yes, you could have,” Dylan said. “And I’m pretty sure I told you I would handle this.”

RJ laughed. “True, but did you really expect me to listen?”

That had Brandon chuckling. “We may have to watch the two of them together. I can see nothing but trouble in our future.”

Nikki huffed. “Whatever.”

“I think we need something stronger than coffee,” Ben stated, standing. “Not that I ever brought it in.”

“A beer sounds good,” Dylan said.

“Yeah,” Brandon agreed.

“Beers all around,” RJ declared.

“Can you help me?” Ben asked Justin.

“Sure,” Justin agreed.

As they left the room, Nikki moved and sat next to RJ.

“Good work,” he whispered. Dylan and Brandon would both be able to hear them, but RJ didn’t care. Nikki had stood up to and for her brother. The time had come for the Pack to do the same.

“Now comes the hard part,” she responded. “Actually figuring out what to do.”

“I have some ideas on that,” Justin announced as he returned with three beers in his hand.

“I do as well,” Ben added.

RJ accepted the cold brew from his brother and tilted the bottle at him. “About time you pulled your weight,” he teased.

“Well, now let the smart brother talk,” Ben quipped. “Maybe you’ll learn something.”

* * * *

The plan was simple. So simple it might just work. Get everyone involved who would support them and spread the word that the Pack needed to stick together and support Cameron’s decision. Cameron and Dylan went to the diner for breakfast before walking the around town together, Nikki wrote articles for the paper to publish the next morning. RJ would speak to the new Pack members, asking them to mingle with the older members, and Justin talked with the kids at the school and in his shifter classes. Hoping the support of the Pack and bringing everyone together prior to the ceremony would calm the waters, they all worked hard to do their best.

Once Nikki had turned in her special edition article, about her hope for the future under Dylan and her support of the Cross family, she walked out of the newspaper office and headed downtown. She was lucky that the editor of the paper hadn’t had a problem with her plan. Since he was related to Cameron and good friends with her brother, Nikki had felt confident approaching him with her idea.

She waved at Sabrina and Max, who were posting flyers about the pre-ceremony barbecue on shop windows. Ben had come up with the idea of getting the Pack together before instead of just after the ceremony and Nikki thought that was brilliant. The youngest Cross brother had turned out to be smart as a whip…and, if she wasn’t mistaken, taken with her own sibling, the middle child. Justin had been sending sly looks Ben’s way also. It would be fun to see where that went.

Her own attraction to a Cross brother was a little more of an issue. Brandon still suspected something was going on and, in all honesty, there was. Even though they’d all been up late working out who would do what, she’d managed to find herself backed against a wall with RJ’s tongue in her mouth once again. She’d been coming out of the bathroom and when they’d passed he’d grabbed her.

Nikki hadn’t wanted to get away, either.

Which would probably explain why she was walking toward his shop. Since they’d separated, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. Nikki crossed the street a few stores from RJ’s tattoo shop. He stepped out, holding the door open as another man walked ahead. The stranger was shorter than RJ but had the same muscular build. His hair was buzzed and the Marine Corps tattoo down his left arm that matched RJ’s had her figuring this was one of RJ’s military buddies. RJ glanced up when she got to the sidewalk and the smile he sent her was so bright her breath caught. God, he’s handsome.

“Hi,” she greeted.

“Hello there,” he replied. RJ ran his gaze over her and Nikki felt somewhat embarrassed. There was no question that he appreciated what he saw. She liked that about RJ. There was no playing games needed, just like the previous day when they’d kissed, RJ was not making excuses for finding her attractive. “Miss me?”

Then there’s his smart mouth. Nikki wanted to shut him up with her lips. And there was nothing to stop her. She grabbed a hold of his T-shirt and yanked him forward, laying her mouth over his lips in a sweet, deep kiss.

RJ slipped his arm around her waist, tugging her up against his body.

The strong hold felt damn good. She pushed her tongue along his.

A throat-clearing broke the sexual haze and she pulled from RJ but didn’t look at the stranger yet.

“I needed that,” she whispered across RJ’s lips.

“Well, honestly, I’m not gonna complain about that.” He turned her toward the stranger, who grinned from ear to ear. “This is one of my best buds. Mike Jackson,” he informed her. “Mike, this is Nikki Stratton.”

Mike held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” Mike was a good-looking man, but Nikki preferred her biker. She peered up at RJ. Too bad his friend had decided to visit. Nikki had been ready to see if she could tempt RJ into a make-out session before she had to meet her brother. “I finished my article. It’ll be in the paper tomorrow.”

“We’re heading over to the café for lunch. Join us?” RJ asked.

Nikki glanced at her watch. She needed to meet Justin in an hour. “Sure, I have time.”

They started down the street receiving several smiles and a few waves, even. Some were from her old Pack members and others from people she didn’t know.

“Is this usual for you?” she whispered to RJ.

He swung a casual arm over her shoulder. “No, never. Either we’re making progress or it’s the calm before the storm.”

Nikki hoped the reactions meant good things. “So, Mike, where is your Pack?” she questioned RJ’s friend.

“Northern California. I haven’t been visited in a couple years. The last mission…made me miss it, though,” Mike admitted.

RJ stiffened.

“What?”

“We haven’t talked about what you might have read in my file that you shouldn’t have gotten access to,” RJ said.

Yeah, she hadn’t thought last night would be the end of that conversation. “You did the same thing,” she defended.

“I didn’t break into classified information!” RJ pulled her to a stop in front of the café door. “There’s stuff in there that I don’t want anyone to know.” He looked at Mike. “Right?”

Mike held his hands up and took a step back. “I don’t think—”

Nikki slapped his chest. “This isn’t the time or place to discuss this. People are watching and we’re supposed to be getting along.”

“Is that so?” he almost growled.

“Yeah I—”

She was lifted off her feet so fast that she didn’t have time to brace herself. Instead of finding herself face to face with an angry RJ, Nikki was kissed, deeply and thoroughly. Fuck, if he keeps moving his tongue over mine like that, I’ll lose control and begin humping him in front of a café full of people.

“Well, looky here, boys. Nikki Stratton has returned and is playing in the gutter.”

RJ set her down and she whirled around to face the speaker. Her back was pressed to RJ’s chest, which could very well end up being a good thing, as she couldn’t see this interaction going well.

“Samson,” she greeted him in her best polite tone. She nodded at his two friends. “Will, Body, how’s it going?” If she could keep everyone calm, maybe they could get out of this without bloodshed. It hurt to see the man she’d once been close enough with to consider a brother so bitter and acting ugly.

Samson sneered. “Didn’t your brother teach you any better than to hang out with trash?”

She gripped the bottom of RJ’s shirt when he moved past her. Nikki managed to stop him from charging Samson, but they both knew Nikki wouldn’t be able to hold him off if he really wanted to get at the guy.

“You got a problem, man?” RJ snarled.

Mike darted a little to the side and straightened his shoulders, bracing his feet. RJ vibrated in fury next to her. Crap, they didn’t want a brawl in front of the café the day before the party to unite the Pack.

“Yeah, I got a problem. You. You and your brothers.” Samson’s lip curled.

Nikki stepped between Samson and RJ. “That’s enough. Why don’t you just keep going, Samson?”

He snorted. “I see where your loyalties are. Brandon knows about this?”

“Why? You gonna tattle on me?” she challenged. She wasn’t afraid of him. Brandon and Samson had been best buds until they’d reached high school. After that time, Samson had changed, turned into a bully and Brandon had spent less and less time with him. “Don’t forget, Samson, I grew up with you. I know all your secrets, too.”

Samson shook his head. “Bran’s always been too easy on you, should have turned you over his knee. Maybe I’ll do that myself.”

RJ surged forward. “Touch her. I dare you.”

Samson’s eyes narrowed. “You think I’m scared of you? I’ll touch who I want.”

To prove his point, he grabbed her left wrist. She managed to hold off RJ with her right, but barely. It was Mike who moved the quickest. He had Samson’s free arm up and angled. Samson hissed.

“Why don’t you just let her go?” Mike suggested, his tone level and calm. “You really don’t want to do this here.”

Samson released her and turned on Mike. “You’ll regret that.”

Mike scoffed. “Get out of here, man. You’re making a scene. Just go and get control of yourself. Sober up some. I can smell the alcohol on you.”

Samson brushed past them and headed off, cursing them and making threats. Nikki looked up into the wide café windows and saw several tables of people staring at them.

“Damn it,” she muttered and dropped her head.

“Asshole,” RJ grunted, still watching Samson as he crossed to an old Chevy truck.

“Hey.” She yanked RJ forward by his belt loops. “Let it go.”

He frowned and twisted his neck. “He fucking put his hands on you.”

She held up her wrist. “And I’m fine. But now we have to go eat and make sure we show a united front.”

He glanced up at the café. “Shit. That was him, wasn’t it? The one that Brandon is trying to protect.”

“He wasn’t always like that. At one time he’d have thrown himself in front of a speeding car to protect me.”

“This isn’t going to end,” RJ said. “He was more than drunk. I could smell some chemicals, too.”

“I didn’t realize how far gone he’d grown. If he challenges Dylan, he won’t win,” she said.

“That’s why they’re trying to pressure Brandon.” RJ threw his arm around her shoulder and herded her to the café door with Mike following behind. “I can’t believe your brother used to be best friends with that dick.”

She sighed. “My second year in college, they had a final falling out. Bran never told me what about, though. I didn’t think it was my place to push.” Now she regretted that decision. Brandon had to know Samson wasn’t going to make it much longer if he didn’t get help.

“Well, let’s try to enjoy our lunch,” RJ suggested, opening the door.

There was still a fire in his eyes, but she let it go. It would be a long day.