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“Should we grab a drink at Julian’s bar?” Anthony asked.

That was the name we used for the Lucky Bar because it was where we all went most often. In the past, Julian was there on Friday and Saturday evenings, too, to keep an eye on business. But lately, he hadn’t been making as many appearances.

“Sure,” Beckett replied.

“What have you two been up to?” I asked.

“Same as usual,” Beckett said with a shit-eating grin. “I won’t be staying long, though. I’ve got a date later, if you get my drift.”

“So do I,” Anthony added.

I wasn’t bothered by that in the slightest because I had plans of my own. And I didn’t necessarily want my brothers to know about them. They wouldn’t understand.

When we arrived, the Quarter was already packed.

“Anyone else think we live in the best city in the world?” Beckett asked as we headed down Bourbon. Many people avoided this street, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, but I liked the energy. This early in the evening, there weren’t that many drunkards. They came out later.

“We’re lucky,” I replied.

As we walked down Bourbon, I texted Grace.

Zachary: Hey, are you already in the Quarter?

Grace: Yes, we’re at a place on Chartres.

She sent me her location pin.

My entire body filled with tension. I’d planned to head over once my brothers and I parted ways. But now that I knew exactly where she was, the pull was simply too strong.

“Let’s head down Chartres,” I said.

“Why?” Anthony asked. “That’s not the shortest way to the Lucky Bar.”

Beckett replied nonchalantly, “We could switch things up a bit. Check out the competition for Julian now that he’s spending Friday evenings cooped up at home.”

“Don’t be so judgmental,” I said.

I could definitely see the benefits of being cooped up with Grace right now. And that thought alone was insane. I’d always relished being a bachelor, doing what I wanted when I wanted without having to check with anyone. But things were beginning to change.

As we turned on Dumaine and approached the location she’d sent, I kept looking around for Grace. They were at the outdoor bar, of course. Most everyone was outside on the street because it was so damn hot at this time of night, and even with AC, it was hot inside. It wasn’t easy to spot her.

But then I heard her voice, and she sounded annoyed.

“No, really, we’re good. We don’t need any drinks.”

“Oh, come on, really? Two single women coming out looking like that? I know women like you. It’s what you came for, so someone can buy you drinks.”

The moron sounded inebriated. Who the hell talked like that to women? He thought he was going to pick someone up with those lines? More likely he’d pick up a punch to the face. And I wasn’t opposed to being the one who delivered it.

Grace was standing between two buildings on a narrow pathway. She looked fucking stunning in a gold dress that was short enough to send my imagination running wild. She was wearing high heels, too, and the shoulder strap from her purse crossed her chest. Her hair was pulled to one side with curls cascading down her shoulder.

The woman next to her had to be her friend Lais. I headed straight to them. They both had their shoulders hunched and had moved back until they’d almost reached a wall.

Why the hell was no one else stepping in? If I’d heard Grace, then so had a group of men who were just two feet away. Then again, this was Friday night in the French Quarter. People usually tried to stay out of trouble, not get themselves into it.

“Fuck off,” I said the second I was close enough for him to hear me.

He snapped his head in my direction. His eyes were bloodshot already. He was a big guy, but not bigger than me.