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“I swear I’m not that drunk,” Kevin muttered, laughing softly.

Marco looked the man over all the same. His body had a definite looseness, and a slur hung around the edges of his words. No sloppiness or confusion, though, and other than that one stumble, this blond stranger had kept to his feet quite well.

Satisfied that Kevin was just drunk instead of out of his head, Marco let him right himself. He also had no doubt the last few drinks he’d had would settle in and leave him in a similar state.

“Why don’t we get something in our stomachs?” Marco suggested.

That earned him a smile. “Now, that sounds real good to me. I know a place a couple of blocks over. Not the best neighborhood, but ooh, the pizza is amazing.”

Marco’s stomach growled. He had no idea what he wanted, but the sound of delicious pizza immediately sold him.

“Lead the way,” Marco told him.

They had left Pulse before the crowds, keeping the foot traffic minimal. It didn’t take long before Kevin stopped, squinting and pointing down another street.

He hadn’t been kidding when he said the neighborhood wasn’t the greatest. Only glancing at some of the buildings was enough for Marco to know they needed to be cautious. The fact that the sidewalk was cracked and littered with trash and the dim quality of the streetlights didn’t help.

“There it is!” Kevin said proudly, pointing to a small shop between two grim-looking apartment buildings.

Marco opened his mouth, snapping it shut when he heard a cry from around the next corner. “Did you hear that?”

Kevin, who was focused on their destination, looked around. “Hear what?”

Marco let go of the man, stepping away. “Someone just screamed.”

Kevin warned, “You probably shouldn’t get in the middle of stuff around here. That’s asking for trouble.”

Probably. His instincts told him to follow Kevin to the pizza place or turn around and find somewhere better to eat.

“I’ll meet you there,” Marco told him, making his decision instantly.

Kevin raised a brow. “You’re serious? You’re going to get mugged.”

Raised voices came from around the corner, and Marco winced. “Maybe, but I have to go see.”

His mother would never have forgiven him if he let someone in trouble go without help. Hell, he wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself.

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Fine, but I’m only waiting for a couple of slices. If you’re not there before I’m done eating, I’m going home.”

“Sounds fair,” Marco said, watching him walk off, still muttering.

He reached the corner in time to hear the screech of tires and the roar of an engine. Marco stopped as a car gunned toward the intersection, turning hard. The windows were down, and he saw the guys in the front seat. Marco couldn’t help but stare at the brief image of their blood-smeared, battered faces before the car was out of sight.

A sharp voice shouted, “You motherfucker.”

Followed by a gruff, masculine voice. “Get off me, bitch, I didn’t do anything!”

“Fuck you,” another female voice shrieked. “We caught you and your buddies red-handed. I’m calling the fucking cops!”

Marco stepped around the corner to see the source of the argument. It was hard to make out distinct features, but he could see what looked like a tall man hunched against a wall with two women in front of him. Another two stood by a lamppost, one holding up the other.

“If I was with them,” the bowed man growled, “why thefuckwould I have been fighting them?”

“Figuring out what piece of her you were going to take? I don’t know, and I don’t fucking care. Don’t you fucking move,” the first woman shouted.

“I was the one whostopped them,” he snarled. “Jesus, are you fucking stupid as well as drunk?”

The woman chose that moment to slap him, the sound sharp and cutting. Marco winced, stomach twisting when the man’s head barely moved, but he didn’t retaliate.