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Everybody moved, with Jonas, Jaden, and Josiah reaching for Jonathon and Phoebe, Eden, and Jasmine running across the bar. None of them was quick enough. Jonathon tackled Quentin, and they fell into a table and toppled to the floor.

“Jonathon!” Phoebe screamed as the men wrestled on the ground.

“You son of a bitch!” Jonathon barked as his brothers drug him off of Quentin. “Take that shit back!” Jonathon shouted as he tried with ferocity to push against his brothers’ stronghold.

Quentin rose from the floor, checking his lip with the back of his knuckle. It had split, causing a little blood to seep out. Quentin’s dark gaze cut straight to Jonathon. Phoebe slid to his side with her mouth hanging open and eyes wide.

“What the hell are you doing?” Phoebe snapped at Jonathon. Eden and Jasmine stood next to Phoebe but off to the side. There had been many times they’d seen their brother angry, but this was a whole other type of madness.

“No, what the hell are you doing, Phoebe?” Jonathon yelled. He pushed and pulled, trying with all his might to get to Quentin, but Jonas, Jaden, and Josiah had him locked in their grasp.

Quentin slipped Phoebe further away from him, taking her out of the line of fire. He stepped forward and opened his arms.

“Let ‘em go,” Quentin growled, a dark challenge in his eyes.

“Oh yeah, please let me go,” Jonathon said, steadily pushing against his brothers.

“No! This is not happening,” Phoebe said, stepping back in front of Quentin.

“Come get your sister,” Quentin said, speaking to Eden and Jasmine.

“No!” Phoebe took her attention from Jonathon to Quentin, leaving her back to her brothers. Eden and Jasmine stepped in, attempting to pull Phoebe away, but she refused. “I won’t let this happen.” Tears stung her eyes. “This is not supposed to be happening!” she shouted hysterically.

“Phoebe, what are you doing?” Jaden asked.

“Dating Quentin is not a bad thing, he’s your best friend! You know he won’t do anything to hurt me!”

Jonas, Jaden, and Josiah all groaned. The owner Lamar approached the group. Lamar knew each one of them personally because the men had frequented his bar for years. It was the very place Jonas met his wife Samiyah one evening while she sat at the bar drinking a mimosa.

“Fellas, what’s going on here?” Lamar’s elevated voice boomed.

“Get off of me!” Jonathon said, finally shoving away from his brothers. They reached to grab him again, but he pivoted on his heels and stormed across the establishment, disappearing outside. They all watched him go then slowly turned back around to Quentin.

“I need to holler at you,” Jonas said.

“Now,” Jaden added.

Quentin held his arms out. “I’m an open book.”

The men stared each other down. Jaden, Jonas, and Josiah stood inches in front of him, contemplating whether to knock his head off or talk some sense into him.

Quentin stood ready. Regardless of how many of them there were, he would take a few down as he fell if need be.

Jonas took his attention to Lamar. “I’ll pay for the damages and any upgrades required.” Looking back at Quentin, he spoke, “This is not a game, man, you’re playing with fire.”

“Just a minute ago, you guys were all laughing and nodding. You were okay with the possibility that I had found someone I wanted to be with. But not now I guess. Hoping that you brothers would have my back and congratulate me was too much, huh?”

“You know good and damn well that telling us you’re dating our baby sister would not go over nicely. Phoebe is not someone you can try out to see if you’re ready for marriage.”

“I’m not trying her out for anything. As of now, we are just dating.”

“That’s even worse,” Josiah said.

“Who knows? Phoebe might decide she doesn’t like me after all and ditch me for the new kid on the block.” Quentin tossed his hands up. “Will you guys have pity on me then.”

Phoebe wanted to tell him that would never happen. Unless he did something stupid like cheat on her of course.

“We’ve had these conversations before. Family is off limits,” Jonas said.

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