“Don’t hit me!” Gavin shouted at our brothers.
He wasn’t scared of them, he just knew how hard they could hit, and he didn’t want to feel any pain.
“You’re goin’ to explain what you have gotten yourself into. Now!”
I blinked.
James. Was. Pissed.
“I don’t need to do a fuckin’ thing- Harley!” Gavin roared when Harley reached down and grabbed hold of what looked to be Gavin’s dick and his balls.
Ouch.
I pulled a face and tried to cross my own legs as if I could feel Gavin’s pain, but my ever-growing belly got in the way.
“So help me God,” Harley growled. “I’ll rip your pride and joy off in ten seconds if you don’t answer the question.”
“Wait- just give me a SECOND!”
Harley pulled or twisted something, and it definitely hurt because Gavin’s voice rose an octave or two.
Harley evilly chuckled, “Talk, little brother. Now.”
“Okay!” Gavin bellowed.
Harley released his privates and stood up straight. He stared down at Gavin, who pressed his hands between his legs and groaned in pain.
“Gav,” James pressed.
Gavin looked up at my brothers through hard eyes. “You don’t need me to say it; you know I’m jumped in.”
Dante reached down, and for the second time, he whacked Gavin across the head. “You just up and made a decision to join a fuckin’ gang? Brandon Daley’s gang? You stupid little eejit!”
Gavin growled, “It’s was my fuckin’ choice. I didn’t need permission from you or anyone else.”
James was lightening fast when he hit Gavin. He landed a punch directly across his jaw and it caused me to jump up to my feet.
“James!” I screeched.
Without turning around my brother said, “Sit back down, Aideen.”
How did he know I was standing?
“Don’t hurt him!” I snapped. “He is stupid beyond measure, but he is our brother. Our little brother!”
“Which is exactly why I’m goin’ to knock some fuckin’ sense into him. Now, sit back down. Please.”
Bossy bastard.
I grunted, but did as he asked and sat back down on my settee.
“Hit me all you want, nothin’ will change.”
All three of my brothers glared down at Gavin.
“Why?” Dante asked.
“Why what?”
“Don’t play stupid, boy,” James growled.
“Why join a gang? Why do somethin’ so out of character for you? Why do somethin’ plain fuckin’ stupid?”
Gavin set his jaw. “Because I wanted to, okay?”
“That’s your answer?” Harley asked, his voice firm. “Because you wanted to? Are you fuckin’ jokin’ me?”
“Just leave me alone. I don’t do anythin’. Brandon just has me hang around, and that’s it. I don’t do anythin’ wrong.”
Bullshit.
“Not yet,” I muttered.
Gavin switched his gaze to me and glared. “Shut up, Aideen.”
Yeah, like that would happen.
“You shut up and listen to sense,” I countered. “Being in a gang is dangerous, it’s run by scumbags and you aren’t a scumbag. You’re tryin’ hard to be somethin’ you’re not.”
Gavin pushed himself to his feet and shouldered past Dante and Harley.
“Where are you goin’?” I snapped.
“Away from you four. I don’t fuckin’ need this bullshit,” he snarled then slammed my apartment door.
“I’ll go get him,” James growled.
I began to tear up. “Leave him. The more we force him to do somethin’ he doesn’t want to, the more it’ll push him away.”
“So we’re just supposed to accept he is in a gang now?” Harley asked me.
I shook my head as tears slipped down my cheeks. “No, I’m handlin’ it.”
“You’re pregnant,” Dante frowned. “You shouldn’t be handlin’ anythin’.”
I sighed. “Just trust me. Keela can convince her uncle to do almost anythin’. She said she will get Gavin out without a scratch on his head.”
“When?” James questioned.
“Soon,” I replied.
He nodded.
Harley frowned at me when I wiped under my eyes. “Don’t cry, sis. It’ll be okay.”
I nodded my head and sniffled.