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“Yes, he is,” I said. “A loser with a badge. There’s nothing worse.”

“Luke?” Tamara said into her phone. “Luke, it’s Tamara. We have a problem. Arnold Anderson just showed up at the Millers’. He’s trying to get Amber outside to talk.”

“Oh God, he’s going to kill him,” Amber said.

“No, he won’t,” I said, not knowing if I was lying to myself or not. “He’s smarter than that.”

“You don’t understand,” Amber said. “Arnold and Luke both want to kill each other already. This is just going to set him off.”

“Well, maybe his brothers will hold him back,” I offered.

As if on cue, shouts were heard outside.

“Luke, is that you out there?” Tamara said on the phone, her eyes wide. She turned to me and shook her head no.

“Aw, hell,” Mrs. Miller said, looking out the window. “It’s Jesse. They’re going to kill each other on my front lawn.”

“Jesse?” I asked, my throat closing up and my skin flushing.

“Yup,” Mr. Miller said, joining his wife at the window. “Looks like Owen behind him.”

“That’s who’s shouting,” Mrs. Miller said. “It’s Owen trying to stop Jesse.”

I took off from where I was, bounding through the door and down the steps. Indeed, Jesse was coming up the driveway, Owen trying to pull him to the side and hold him off while Arn and Eugene advanced on them.

“You worthless piece of shit,” Jesse shouted. “You leave them alone, you hear me?”

“You want to talk about worthless?” Arnold argued. “You are the worthless one, Jesse. Look at your brothers. The whole group of you are worthless bums, but at least they aren’t long-haired pretty boys pretending to be a country star. How fucking pathetic.”

“Screw you, Arn,” Owen said. “You don’t know shit about shit. Get on out of here.”

“And you, you big, dumb oaf,” Arnold said. “How’s that dream career coming, huh? Oh, you thought I didn’t know, didn’t you? How’s it feel running around in your underwear?”

“What the hell is he talking about?” Jesse said.

“Just, nothing, just leave it be,” Owen said, then turned to Arn. “You keep your mouth shut, Arnold. Or else I swear I will shut it for you.”

“You threatening an officer?” Eugene thundered, stepping in front of his smaller brother. “You want to say that to me, big boy?”

“I’ll say it all damn day,” Owen said. “But you need to leave us be. And the Millers too.”

“Get out of here, Arnold,” Jesse said. “Now.”

“Jesse!”

His name came out of my mouth just as I saw him lunge, and it stopped him cold. He turned, and our eyes met for the first time in two years. Owen took the opportunity to move his brother out of harm’s way and drag him a little closer to the house, around the Andersons’ cars. Jesse put up a small fight, but then gave up when he realized he didn’t really have a choice in the matter, and he was being brought closer to me anyway.

“Charlotte,” he said.

“Come with me,” I said, reaching out my hand. He took it, and I yanked him, Owen letting go just as I did, and Jesse stumbled after me.

I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but I knew it had to be somewhere away. Away from the Andersons, away from Tamara and Owen and Amber. Away from the whole world. Somewhere it could be just me and him and I could calm him down.

“Where the hell are we going?” Jesse shouted as I pulled him behind a shed.

“Right here,” I said. “Jesse, you have to stop. It’s only going to make this situation worse.”

“I don’t care if it makes it worse. That dumbass deserves a fist to the jaw for having the damn gall to be here at all right now.”