“Fuck!” I screamed.

“We don’t have time!” Luke yelled at me as he and Eli threw Emerson into the back of the car. They both climbed inside, and Kelly yelled from her window, pounding the steering wheel, “Come on, Bri!”

Spying a chair, I wedged it underneath the handle. As soon as I did, they were there. I heard shouts from the other side and then someone ordered, “Go around the back. Block their car in!”

“Let’s go!”

I sprinted and dove for the seat.

Kelly pressed her foot down on the accelerator, flooring it before I even shut my door.

We got out of the alley just as they were running for their cars.

Kelly was a badass driver. She ducked down side streets, through alleys, and took us on a drive down streets I didn’t know existed in Grant West, but no one had followed us. When we finally relaxed, Emerson farted.

“Seriously.” I groaned, covering my nose.

Kelly was hunched forward, her knuckles almost white as she held the steering wheel with a death grip. A laugh fell out of her, and she whispered, almost to herself, “You guys are nuts.”

“Yes, nuts.” Elijah was waving his hand in the air. “That’s apparently what Em ate last. Shit, man. Seriously.”

Emerson laughed, still sounding high as a kite. “Sorry, guys. There were peanuts everywhere. They were talking to me.”

“I’m sure,” Luke griped. “Move over, come on. Kelly, you need a bigger car. Three guys in the backseat is not comfortable.”

She glanced up in the rearview mirror. “No offense, but I don’t usually buy my vehicles based on how many guys I can fit in the backseat, although, maybe I should.” Then she shrugged, turning onto the main highway that ran through Grant West. “This night’s been lovely, so enjoyable, but, uh, where am I supposed to be driving to? I’m running low on gas.”

Luke met my gaze in the mirror, too, but he asked Elijah, “Do we need to worry about retaliation?”

“No.”

Elijah’s answer was too short.

I turned around in my seat. “Hey. Retaliation. Give us the truth this time.”

He looked up, searing me with the anger still suppressed there and said, “I said no. I meant no. You won’t be touched. I promise.”

My eyes narrowed. “I don’t like how you’re saying that.” My fingers curled into the seat, and I swallowed over a knot forming in my throat. “Are you going back to finish things?”

“You can’t do that.”

Elijah whipped his head to Luke’s, silencing whatever else he was going to add. Then Eli murmured, way too softly, “This is my business. I know how to handle things.”

“You didn’t back there,” I argued.

He snorted. “A mistake I won’t be making again.”

I remembered his words. That he could’ve taken his crew there in the first place. “You really thought you could go in and get Emerson, and there wouldn’t be a fight?”

“I had hoped.” He turned to look out the window, raising his hand to idly tap against it. “I know better now. Trust me, Bri, I won’t be involving you or Pretty Boy in any more situations. I guarantee that.”

Luke spoke up for him, telling me, “Emerson was personal, not business. That’s why he got me.”

“I know.” But I was still worried about Elijah. I looked back at my ex. “Just don’t get yourself killed.”

“What?” Elijah snapped. “You mean like my old man? My brother? Nah, no way, Brielle. They both got shanked in prison. No, no worries. I won’t get myself killed, not like them anyway.”

“Elijah—” I started.

Emerson quieted me. “Shut up, Bri. I’m seeing fucking rainbows, and even I can tell you’re fighting a losing battle. If the moron wants to throw down, let him throw down. It’s what he does. He’s stayed alive this long. He must know how to do something right.”

I growled back, “Go back to fucking a rainbow, Em. All of this happened because of you.”

“Whatever. Worse shit has happened because of you.”

The car got deathly silent.

Let it go, Bri. Let it go. My blood was starting to boil. Think cold showers.

I waited, but nothing. My blood was still boiling. It kept going higher and higher, until I couldn’t contain it anymore. It exploded out of me. I looked back and locked eyes with Luke. He saw what was going to happen and started to throw up a hand, but dropped it right back down. A slow smile started to spread across my face. It was probably an ugly looking one, but I didn’t give a crap. I wanted Emerson’s balls. He was going to keep riding my ass if I didn’t do something about it, and today was that day.

I lunged for Emerson.

Throwing my body toward the backseat, I ended up sprawled between the seats. Without pausing, I rained punch after punch on him, using my fists. I didn’t use my hands—not dainty-like little slaps. I wasn’t going for his hair. I wasn’t going to scratch his face. I used as much of my body behind my blows as possible. Like I said before, I wasn’t a stranger to a fight.

Then everything turned into chaos.

Elijah and Luke did nothing. They didn’t hold me back or anything. Emerson was dazed after the first punch, so I continued, and Kelly screamed. The car veered toward the middle of the road, but she righted it before slamming on the brakes. At the abrupt stop, I fell backwards. Luke grabbed my arm, holding me still so I didn’t go through the windshield, but he wasn’t going to stop me. I wasn’t done with Emerson.

Then Kelly threw open her door, and so did Elijah and Luke. Emerson was still in the middle, covering himself with his arms now. He hurried out the side, and I tried to climb after him, dropping all the way into the backseat and following behind him, and he tried to shut the door in my face. Curses were spewing from him now. Seeing the door coming for my face, I blocked it. Flipping around in the seat, I kicked it open and was on my feet instantly.

I charged for him once again, but Luke wrapped an arm around my waist. He hoisted me up in the air, holding me like I was a doll. He said over my head to Elijah, who was somewhat blocking Emerson, “Are we going to let this happen?”

“Fuck you, Brielle! You whore!”

Elijah shrugged, ignoring Emerson. “I’m game. He deserves an ass kicking anyway. Bri can hold her own.”