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His tone left no room for misinterpretation—they were in danger—and so she immediately complied. When the door opened again, their more powerful friends stood between them and the visitor.

“Who is that?” she whispered to Toni, squeezing her hand.

“Oh God. I wondered why Lawrence wasn’t returning my calls.”

“Toni?”

“That would be Kenton’s brother.”

She couldn’t get a good look at him from this angle, not with the others crowded around, but Charlotte had no trouble hearing him.

“I’m here for a simple drink—”

“We’re closed.” That was Lawrence.

“Well, you don’t look closed.”

Kenton’s brother stepped around Laria and looked right at her.

Intense.

It was the best word she could think of to describe him.

Though he looked a lot like Kenton, his face was slightly slimmer, his eyebrows thicker. He was handsome, of course, fiercely so, but he seemed neither approachable nor friendly.

“He’s . . . kinda scary looking,” she whispered to Toni.

“Yeah, well, you haven’t met his other brother yet.”

“Have you?”

“No,” Toni admitted. “And I’d rather not.”

He took a step toward them, which was when Torr grabbed his arm. “Not a step closer to the women.”

“Ahh, I see. The blondie is yours?”

Charlotte opened her mouth to explain she didn’t belong to anyone, but Toni grabbed her hand.

“I wouldn’t.”

Kenton stepped between Torr and his brother. “What do you want, Drake? Why are you here?”

The others fell back, except for Torr, who stayed put but didn’t advance on the Morley brother.

“So cozy,” Drake taunted. “Not one Derrickson but two. I suppose you’ve no need for your own brothers now that you’ve got two Scottish lapdogs.”

Charlotte didn’t even see Torr take a swing, but before she knew what was happening, Drake’s head snapped back.

“Get everyone out of here,” Kenton yelled. Alessandra didn’t need to be asked twice. She and Laria hustled the waitresses out of the bar, leaving Charlotte and Toni the only two humans present.

A good thing, because the speed at which Torr and Drake went at each other was mind-blowing.

Charlotte had never witnessed a fight this close up, and it was awful. The sound of Drake’s fist connecting with Torr’s face was nearly as bad as the sight of it. Torr struck back, while Kenton stood to the side, arms crossed, as if he were bored. Lawrence didn’t look bored, exactly, but neither did he seem concerned for his brother.

“They’re going to kill each other,” Charlotte cried out.

“They can’t hurt each other,” Toni said. “Not really. I mean, temporarily, but—”