Page 109 of Five Brothers

“You son of a bitch,” he growls.

But he stops just short of getting in my face.

He shifts on his feet, his dark hair wet with perspiration and his shirt nearly soaked. I’m sure he thinks I helped lock him up.

“You gonna hit a kid?” he challenges me. “Huh?”

Gotta hand it to him. He knows I’d kick his ass, but he still talks like he’d kick mine.

“Clay’s here if you’d rather she do it.” I plant my hand on his face, brushing the scar down the side of it before I push him away. “She made you prettier.”

Turned out, my sister didn’t need her brothers to protect her. That Saint of hers was only too happy to take care of businessherself. And being as connected as she is, she knew she wouldn’t get in trouble for spilling his blood.

But Milo isn’t scared. “You know where I’ll go.” He closes in, a few inches from my face. “Pleasestop me.”

I smile at his dare.Why does he think I let him out of the pantry to begin with?

“You better hurry.” I step out of the way. “The rain is starting.”

He remains in place for another few seconds and then walks past me, never turning his back until he’s out the pantry door. “Don’t be long,” he says.

“I’m right behind you.”

He leaves, and I follow, weaving through the crowd until I make it to the foyer. The music pumps, the black lights showing off all the artwork over all the naked skin, and I look around for Krisjen.

But I don’t find her, thankfully.

I spot her brother instead, the twelve-year-old huddled in conversation with Santos’s son, JC. Mars is shirtless, some kind of anime character drawn on his arm.

I charge over, yanking JC’s arm. “Hey!” I glare down at the kid. “What are you doing here?”

His eyes go wide, and he straightens, clearly shocked to see me. “What? Um …” He struggles to find his words. “Well, they sneak over to our side all the time,” he says, as if that’s an excuse to come here.

He lowers his hands, trying to hide the beer, but I grab it. “Give me that.”

“It’s dark in here,” he argues. “No one knows I’m Swamp.”

But I turn my scowl on Mars. “And where the hell are you supposed to be?”

He swallows. “My grandma’s.”

I grab his beer, too. “Y’all get out of here. Goddammit.” I wouldn’t let them come to any of our parties, either. “Get home!”

They scram, running out of the front door, and I start to tellMars to get his ass upstairs, but it’s too loud for him to sleep here anyway. Best that he heads back to his grandmother’s, where Krisjen probably still thinks he is.

I set the beers down and take off outside, just in time to see a dark silver Audi speed out of the driveway. And if it’s Milo, he’s not alone. There are two others in the car with him.

I glance over at Dallas. “Let’s go!”

He throws his cigarette down and starts for me, Trace rising from underneath the girl’s hood.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Trace asks.

“Stay,” I tell him. “Help Krisjen get these people out of here.” Dallas climbs into the truck, and I open the driver’s side door. But I hear Trace call out, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

I haul my body into the seat and slam the door. I meet Trace’s eyes through Dallas’s window. “Me?”

I’m legit asking, and he knows it. He laughs, and I start the engine, racing out of the driveway.