Page 42 of The Brave and the Reckless

“Shit, Sanny, she’s your family, so I wouldn’t call it hate.”

He shook his head at me with an amused grin. “What’s said on the intercom, never stays on the intercom. There’s a pool going on which one of you will snap first.”

“Okay, so we’re not exactly friendly…” And I probably owed Vivi a giantthank youfor not telling Sinan about me storming into the office the other day, ready to get Esra fired. Seeing the confliction on his face now, I actually felt bad for doing it. I might be an only child, but I still knew what it meant to take responsibility for your family.

“If Zuri and I both go home now, can you just keep an eye on Ez? She’s having a good time, and I’m glad she’s getting along with everyone, but she’s only been here three weeks, she’s never lived away from home… I know it’s only like a two-minute walk. She’s probably perfectly fine to get home on her own. I mean, she’s an adult, right?”

“I’ve got it,” I said, mostly because I still felt like a dick for trying to get his little sister fired, and partially because the last time Esra and Zuri had agood time, she wanted to blow up heads of lettuce with fireworks. Unsupervised, she might end up burning down the whole park.

As if on cue, Esra crowed like a rooster in the next room.

Sinan wrinkled his brow and touched his hearing aid. “Was that… ?”

I just nodded, and he sighed before thanking me again and going off to find Zuri.

That ass took my bag of chips.

I snatched up another one and settled in at the kitchen table, keeping an ear on the quiz show in the living room while I scrolled through the social media posts I’d been tagged in. I untagged myself from all the ones that criticized the new Annie Lou.

At some point, Vivi joined me at the table. She’d changed into striped PJs, her blue hair piled into a bun atop herhead. Without asking whether or not I wanted to play, she started passing out Uno cards. Two games later, she was barely able to keep her eyes open, and went upstairs to her room.

Judging by the sounds of it, the lightning round was going strong.

I was just going to check on Esra before finding something else to keep me busy for a while, but the display in the living room sent blood roaring through my ears. Not the way Richard stood on an old crate, towering above everyone. Not the way Esra and Lucas stood in the center of the crowd, each of them gripping a bottle in one hand and a horn in the other. But the way Esra had to tilt her head back, because Lucas’s white Kit Holliday hat had been crookedly shoved over her wavy hair.

I was across the room in an instant. I wasn’t thinking. Some sort of instinct took over as I stopped in front of Esra and grabbed the hat.

“Absolutely the fuck not,” I growled.

“What the hell? I’m winning the game.” She stuck her full bottom lip out in a pout, and I almost would have fallen for it and backed off if she hadn’t pronounced itwin-nin-ing.

“You’re going home,” I told her and tossed the hat at Lucas. “Keep your fucking hat to yourself.”

“Dude, she took it.” He held his hands up in capitulation, but he was grinning widely. I usually didn’t mind his antics, but fuck, I wanted to wipe that grin off his face right now. Preferably with my fist. The urge was startling. I didn’t lose my temper or get involved in drunken brawls.I’d promised Sanny to get his little sister home safe.That was all. And that certainly didn’t include Lucas.

“I need a hat ’cause I’m a cowgirl now,” Esra giggled, pulling my attention back to her, “yeehaw.”

“All right, cowgirl, do you know the hat rule?”

“Yes!” Her whole face lit up and she squeezed her red squeaker, back to trivia mode. “Don’t leave a hat on the bed because it’s bad luck.”

“No.” I curled my hand around hers, pressing another squeak from the horn. “You wear the hat, you ride the cowboy.”

“Oh.” She furrowed her brow as she looked back and forth between me and Lucas, processing that information. Leaning in conspiratorially, she whispered, “I didn’t know that.”

I shot Lucas a glare, because he sure as hell knew about it– as did everyone in this room– and he’d let her take the hat anyway. “Let’s go home before you get yourself into trouble.”

“No!” She wrenched her hand and the claxon out of my grip and glared up at me. “I’m winning.”Win-nin-ing.

This woman was going to be the death of me.

“Are you the only other person still playing?” I turned to Lucas, who nodded in response. “Do you forfeit?”

“Uh…” He must have realized how close he was to meeting my knuckles, because he tossed his squeaker to the ground and backed away. “I’m out.”

“There. You won,” I told Esra and turned to Richard. “What does she win?”

He wordlessly pulled a medal from his pocket. It was a plain purple ribbon with one of the star-shapedBRAVEpin badges on it. Esra still squealed and dove for it with grabby hands. She draped it around her neck, smiling from ear to ear.

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