"Oh, I don’t, eh?" I haul him to his feet. "We made a promise to each other when we survived the incident. That come what may, we’ll be there for each other, you remember?"
He opens his mouth and I snap, "Do you remember, you reprobate?"
He glares back. "Of course, I do, you shitstain. Which is why I am trying to figure this out without putting the rest of you in jeopardy. Can’t you see?" he yells.
The sound of a whistle cuts through the space. Then Baron saunters over to us. "Chill, you guys." He claps Damian on the shoulder. "D here, got carried away, probably because his music’s the only time he feels half-way alive since the incident. Besides, do you blame him? He was promised a lead to our kidnappers and isn't that what all of us want? To hunt down the perpetrators behind the incident and punish them for what they did to us?"
I grimace, then set my jaw. Hell, if Baron doesn't have a point; not that I am going to tell him that.
"As for you," he turns on me, "you’ve got to stop feeling like you owe us. Since we were rescued from the kidnappers, you’ve been the most obsessed with trying to find the perpetrators. You’ve taken it on yourself to become our self-appointed leader, and that’s fine."
"It is?" I frown. "I’ve always thought you wanted to be in charge.
"Me?" He laughs. "Naw." He scratches his beard. "I’m a lone wolf, man. I prefer doing things on my own, in my own time, with my own techniques." He bares his teeth, and his smile is brutal, his eyes vacant. Each of us came through the incident with our own particular brand of nightmares haunting us, but Baron here… He’s never given much of an inkling of how much it bothered him… Except at moments like this, when he’ll allow a glimpse to shine through, and fuck, if it doesn’t scare the shit out of me.
"So," I release Damian and step back, "what's the plan then?"
"I fight the Bratva," Damian declares.
"No," Edward widens his stance, "you’re not the strongest among us."
"I am the only one with experience taking on men in the underground fighting ring," Damian reminds us. "The kidnappers made me do it."
"Only because you were the strongest among us then. Not anymore." Arpad stalks forward. A late growth spurt means, at six-five he’s the tallest among us, and thanks to his obsession with working out, the strongest. "Also, I am better equipped to defend myself against fully-grown men." He pulls out the pieceof rope he carries in his pocket and winds it around his palm. "Damian may have the experience but he's out of touch, not to mention that his mind's occupied with music right now. Me?" He winds the rope around his palm. "I can't wait to get out there and taste blood."
Silence descends, as each of us acknowledges what he’s referring to.
"I’m more agile, more strategic than you, and I am meaner." Baron’s lips twist. He turns that dead gaze on each of my friend’s faces before he tips up his chin in my direction. "You know it’s true, Sin. When push comes to shove, I won’t hesitate to take out my opponent. I’ll fight as dirty as the Bratva."
"And you think I won’t?" Arpad snaps.
"No." Baron turns to Arpad. "You have too much of the gentleman in you?—"
Arpad protests.
"Unlike me," he interjects.
"Oh, yeah?" Arpad snorts. "Like you’re not a trust fund whore, yourself?"
Baron’s jaw clenches, "My parents may come from money, but considering they couldn’t deal with the fall out of the incident… Well… Let’s just say, I have no use for them. I parted ways with them a while back."
I frown. "And you didn’t think to tell us about that?"
He raises his shoulders, "Didn’t seem important. Whatisimportant is that I am the only one who’s sparred on the streets. I know how the street-fighters think. I can get inside their minds and anticipate their moves, which is what you need to defeat them at their own game."
He glances around the room, makes eye contact with each of the guys. "You know it’s true." He turns to me. "If there’sanyone who stands a chance against the man the Bratva fields, it’s me."
I turn to Arpad, "He’s right."
Arpad clenches his jaw. "Fine," he replies. "Baron can try his luck, but I’ll be right there on site. The first sign he’s not able to keep up, and I’ll be in the ring."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Baron smirks. "I got this."
"You guys are bat-shit crazy." Edward drums his fingers on his chest. "You realize you are both going to get hurt?"
Just then the door swings open and the blonde woman we'd seen outside sashays in.
She glances among us, then waves her hand, "Hello boys, were you waiting for us?"
