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Jeremy grows a backbone and stops moving. Luke stops right in front of him so they’re nose to nose, not backing down an inch.
“I know what you’re up to. She told me all about it. I won’t let you hurt her.” Jeremy’s voice gets louder as he speaks, and the vein on his forehead throbs. What the hell? Something is wrong with him.
Luke doesn’t get the chance to respond. In a blur of movement, John pushes past me, reaches around Luke, and grabs Jeremy by the throat. He lifts him off his feet as Jeremy scratches and pulls at his wrist. His feet dangle as he makes choking sounds and his eyes bug out. Luke puts me behind him. I peek around his shoulder, not believing what I’m seeing.
“I warned you, asshat,” John bellows. His voice echoes into the house and around the yard. The veins of his arm bulge with the effort of lifting a 180 pound man off the ground, but he makes it seem easy.
John shoves him up against the wall. His head hits the stucco with a thud, and I wince. “You had your chance, and you blew it. Man the fuck up and move on. She doesn’t want you.”
Jeremy stares at him in terror as his face turns an alarming shade of red, and he continues to gasp and gurgle.
“Leave her alone, or I won’t be so nice next time. You get me?” Jeremy nods as much as he can, then John drops him.
He collapses in a heap, gasping for air and gripping his throat. He takes in a few breaths and coughs before he climbs to his feet on shaky legs. He looks at me with bloodshot eyes before he pushes past John and moves to his car. The tires squeal as he takes off down the street.
John slumps and rests his hands on his knees as he staggers, blinking rapidly. Luke darts out and grabs his arm. John holds onto his shoulder as he sways, and Jackson moves me aside and lunges for him. Brando follows on his tail and gets John’s arm around his shoulder just as John goes limp and his body shakes. It reminds me of an avalanche as his weight brings them down. With grunts of effort, they lower John to the ground and turn him on his side as my panic takes over. I don’t even realize I’ve moved until Mark’s hand is on my shoulder, holding me in place.
John stops seizing, and we relax a bit. Luke takes Mark’s place and wraps me up in his arms as my tears fall. My brother is the strongest man on the planet. My brain can’t process what I’m seeing.
I try to go to him, but Luke holds me back as Mark checks his vitals. “He’s breathing. Heart is still working.”
Luke holds me tighter. “He’ll be ok. His system just got overwhelmed.”
Sylvie appears and curses. She bolts over to Mark’s side and checks John. She’s not fazed by the sight of my mountain of a brother passed out on the porch. “Get him inside,” she commands, and everyone jumps to obey her.
It takes all four men, but they get him onto the couch.
Mark ushers everyone to the backyard, but Luke stays by my side.
Sylvie turns to me. “I need a bowl full of ice water and some hand towels.”
I hiccup and rub the tears off my face. Luke follows me to the kitchen. I hand him the bowl and he dumps ice in it.
John has to be ok. Questions run through my mind as I climb the stairs two at a time. Did he not eat enough today? How the hell did he lift Jeremy like that? Why hasn’t he woken up yet?
When I get back downstairs, Sylvie grabs the towel from me and soaks it in the water and wrings it out before laying it over John’s forehead. She lays another cold towel over his abdomen. After a few minutes, she takes his wrist and looks at her watch. “His heart rate is coming down, he should wake up soon.”
John lets out a grunt, then his eyes open. He seems out of it for a second, then he focuses on Sylvie. He reaches out a hand and cups her face. She smiles at him, then he blinks a few times and drops his hand.
“I’m ok guys,” he says, sitting up with a groan of effort. He takes the cloth off his forehead and puts it around his neck.
“I’ll be out back,” Sylvie says and John watches her leave.
I kneel in front of him. “What the hell just happened?”
He sighs and stretches, opening and closing his fists. He cracks his neck and looks at me.
“It’s a genetic disorder.”
I blink at him. “That causes seizures?”
“I’ve had them since the accident. They’ve gotten worse over the past year.”
“What is it?” Luke asks.
“I produce more adrenaline than the average person. It’s triggered by stressful situations.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask. We don’t keep secrets from each other. Especially not about something like this.
