“I don’t need a ride. I got my truck.” Dylan stormed toward Ryder, grabbed her brother’s T-shirt, and hauled him to his feet. “Get outta the way.”
Arms crossed, her gaze hopefully stern and unflinching, she stared down Dylan, and nodded toward Ryder. “He doesn’t have a choice, but if you want to call a parent to get you, that’s fine.”
In fact, she preferred he do so. Then they could chat, but she kept that detail to herself.
“Forget it. I’m outta here.”
“Not unless it’s with me or a parent.”
Dylan leaned Ryder against a wall and stalked toward her. When his chest bumped hers, she stumbled backwards before regaining her balance.
“Move, or next time you’ll end up on the floor.” Teenage arrogance, mixed with stupidity, fueled by alcohol and Lord only knew what else, twisted Dylan’s features.
Her palms sweaty, her heart raced with fear, as she bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She refused to back down, but she didn’t want to escalate the situation either. A tricky tightrope to walk considering this kid was primed for a fight. She swallowed hard as, hands fisted, Dylan stepped closer.
“Lay a hand on her, and you’ll lose it.” Owen’s voice boomed from behind her.
When had he arrived? She hadn’t heard the door open.
“You could try,” Dylan said, full of teenage defiance.
She glanced over her shoulder at Owen. His stern visage startled her. “I’ve got this.”
Instead of leaving, Owen slid in front of her, leaving him almost nose to nose with Dylan. Not only did a still lean Owen outweigh the teen by thirty pounds, he stood three inches taller. Stern, in control, and forceful in the way only military-trained men could be, he’d make a guard dog think twice about barking, much less attacking.
“I survived a suicide bomber. You’re strictly amateur. I’ve forgotten more about fighting than you know. I suggest you listen to Carly, because kid, you don’t want to take me on.”
The two males stood braced, staring each other down. Carly shook her head. If she waited for Owen to back down, they’d be here all night. Hoping the teenager would be more biddable now that she had an enforcer, she said, “Come on. Let’s get you two home.”
Dylan shook his head. While his earlier bravado had slipped a notch since Owen’s arrival, it hadn’t disappeared. He raised his chin. “I can take care of myself.”
“It’s clear you’re under the influence so you can’t drive.” If she allowed him to get behind the wheel and he was in an accident, she’d never forgive herself. “You can pick up your truck tomorrow.”
“I’m over eighteen. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Yes, you are,” Owen said.
While she appreciated Owen’s assistance, if the testosterone flooded the room further, she’d grow hair on her chest. It also appeared to be making Dylan more determined to prove his manhood.
Carly glanced at her brother hoping to appeal to him to calm down his friend, but he looked on the verge of passing out. She couldn’t let this escalate further. With Owen’s brain injury, if this kid landed a glancing blow to his head, he could suffer further trauma.
She placed her hand on Owen’s arm. “Owen’s going to help Ryder to the car before he falls on his face.”
When Owen failed to even blink, she resisted the urge to groan in frustration. The only thing worse than dealing with a stubborn male was dealing with two caught in a pissing match. “The options haven’t changed, Dylan. Ride with us or call someone to get you, but you’re not driving. What’s it going to be?”
“Some dried up old—”
“I’ll add another option,” Owen said from where he now stood with his arm around Ryder’s waist holding him upright. “I’ll call the police. They can throw your smart ass in jail for the night.”
Dylan paled.
“I bet Carly’s choices look a lot better now.”
Dylan’s shoulders rounded, and his stance slumped, the last of the teenager’s defiance vanishing as he nodded.
As the four of them stumbled from All American Lanes, Carly found it was much easier being the bad guy when she wasn’t the only one. She could get used to having backup.
The biggest issue dealt with, Carly breathed easier. Now all she had to deal with was telling Dylan’s parents what had happened when they took him home.
