Page 32 of Throw Down

Derek paused, panting, and braced one arm against the frame of the Buick.He grabbed a bandana from his back pocket and cleared the sweat from his vision.

“What do you want?”

“You haven’t answered my calls for a whole week.Not since you swooped in to play hero the other night.I never asked for your help, Batman.”

“Never need to,” Derek grunted.

West’s eyes sharpened, his jaw tensing.“Michael was right there. He wouldn’t have let anything happen to me.Besides, I’ve already proven that I can handle my own fights.You need to give me some space.”

“Yeah?” Derek pinned him with a hard look.“What happens when you show up at Sunday dinner with another broken nose?Mom will make it my business too.Face it, little brother, you’re always going to be the baby, and it’s always going to be my job to watch out for you.”

“Things are different now,” West protested.He looked intensely frustrated, but tough shit.Derek felt like that every day.“I’ve got a family of my own, Derek.I've got the rodeo. Got a life!Mom and Dad have learned to let go, but you’re still hanging onto your goddamn hero complex!Who asked you to be everyone’s savior, huh?”

“Who asked me?” Derek felt a vein ticking in his forehead. His argument with Briar had already whittled away the last of his self-restraint.“You did, West, from your very first breath.”

West flinched, his face draining of color, but Derek wasn’t finished.If West thought he was man enough to force a confrontation, he could take what was coming to him.

He jabbed a finger at his brother’s stricken face and said, “I stepped up because nobody else would.Mom had four other kids, but you were the one who mattered most.They almost lost you so many times.Making sure you were healthy and happy was the only thing that ever mattered to her.It was her obsession. Dad was gone.Who was going to take care of the rest of the family, West?”

His brother opened his mouth, but Derek plowed on before he could speak.

“I stepped up because nobody else would.I made sacrifices so the rest of you could live normal lives, and all I've ever gotten from you is your spoiled fucking attitude about how I choose to do it.”

West stared at him, wide-eyed, and something about his wounded expression reminded Derek of Briar earlier that day.There was no excuse for hurting the two most harmless guys in town.

Maybe he was the brute everyone thought he was.

In the end, West stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, “We’re adults now, Derek.You can’t keep taking my choices from me.”

Derek barked out a laugh, but it didn’t sound like one.The edge was all wrong, raw and condescending and ugly.He didn’t like who he became around his youngest brother.

“Sure, baby bro,” he said dismissively.“I’ll treat you like an adult when you start acting like one.”

“God, you’re a jerk.”

“Takes one to know one.”

They stood there, facing off and glaring at each other for so long that they began to feel ridiculous at the same time.West’s lips gave a reluctant twitch, and Derek rolled his eyes.Then West laughed. He’d never been able to hang onto a bad mood for long.

“Look,” West said, removing his ballcap and smoothing back his hair before adjusting the brim.“Just…tone it down, okay? It’s not just me you’re hurting.Michael was furious that you spoke for him—and what about that little guy?”

Derek’s eyes narrowed. “What little guy?”

“You know.” West gestured vaguely.“Nate’s assistant, Briar. Maybe he doesn’t understand how bar fights work around here, but he had to know what would happen when he stepped in front of you.Sutter cleaned his clock because he was protecting you.I think he might be sweet on you.”

Derek’s body tensed all over.“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m just saying it’s possible.” West chuckled.“He likes ‘em brawny. I heard he was making cow-eyes at Eli when he first rolled into town, back before he knew Eli was taken.I know for sure that he had a thing for Michael for a while.The little shit.”

Derek remained stonily silent, but he felt the deep rage that had been simmering all afternoon begin to boil over.

What was that he'd thought earlier?Briar had substance? Based on what—his gut feeling?

Stupidly, Derek had assumed Briar knew how to look past his rough looks.Briar acted like he saw Derek—truly saw everything that lay beneath his gruff disposition.But it turned out he was just a soft, spoiled city kid looking to slum it with whichever cowboy responded to his advances—and Derek was the jerk who'd fallen for it.

West seemed to notice the shift in his brother’s mood.His gaze transferred from Derek’s face to the cracked knuckles of his clenched fist.He took a step back, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

“Easy there, Cujo,” West said lightly.“It was just an observation. The kid’s a flirt.You know it doesn’t mean anything.”

---