Page 129 of Five Brothers

“I’m getting out of here,” I tell him, “and I’m not leaving her alone with you.”

I take her hand, but he grabs me by the neck and slams me into the wall this time. The breath is knocked out of me, and my spine feels like it was knocked into my sternum.

A picture comes down, and I hear Krisjen cry out.

“Krisjen, go!” I yell. “Just get out of here.”

I don’t wait for her to leave, though. Hooking an arm around Macon’s neck, I drag him to the floor, both of us tumbling and rolling into furniture. I accidentally kick the TV, and feel hot blood dripping from my nose.

Macon flips me over, but I slam my fist into his jaw, jarring him long enough to throw him off. He lands next to me, and I scramble, getting on all fours, ready for him to come at me again.

But then I see that we’re not alone.

I trail my eyes up four black-clad legs, and recognize the two men in full uniform, silver badges shining, and sidearms locked at their hips.

“Macon, what the hell?” the younger cop asks.

The other one steps up. “Man, we just came over to—”

But Macon blurts out, “Take him!”

What?

I stop breathing as Krisjen turns her worried eyes on me.

“What?” one of them asks, looking stunned.

Macon gets up to his knees, wiping the blood from under his nose. “Take Army. Let him cool off in a cell tonight.”

My mouth drops open.

“No!” Krisjen cries.

“Jesus Christ,” I grit out.

The older cop, Tom Chavez, asks, “Are you sure?”

“Take him now!” Macon bellows.

Every muscle knots, and I struggle to climb to my feet. They move in, but I grab the TV and throw it onto the floor, growling.

Chavez and Marquis, the younger one, grab me, each of them holding an arm and forcing me toward the door.

Krisjen moves. “Macon, don’t,” she begs him. “I’ll leave. I’ll go.”

“Good idea.” He takes her arm, pushing her toward the cops. “Take her home, too.”

They grab her as she yells, “I have to get my brother and sister!”

But Macon has lost his goddamn mind. “Get them out of the Bay!”

“What about Dex?” I scream back.

But I’m out the door, being pushed down the steps even as I dig in my heels.

He’ll stop them. He’ll call them off in a second. He’s never kicked me out of the house before.

“Stop, please,” she says to the police. Then she calls back to Macon, “Are you serious?”

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