AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am SO sorry for the unforgivable wait. Life has become increasingly bothersome and insists on getting in the way. Thank you SO much for all the great reviews and to all those who read my stories. I'm lucky to have you all.

The story is moving, albeit a bit more slowly than before. I'll try to wrap it up whilst still doing the story justice, but it mostly depends on you I'm afraid. As it stands I could potentially end it with only one last chapter, or I can continue? The quality will hopefully remain the same, but it will take a while for me to write up each chapter.

That being said, here's another one.

Chapter 4

Bobby's heart rate was jacked by the time he finally realized he needed to rethink his plan. Or rather, Jerry's plan. Getting Buffalo alone was harder said than done. They'd returned to Kyle's house only to find him gone. A couple of people thought they heard him say he'd go to Four Aces. A bar. The shit's goin' to a bar after breakin' into my fuckin' house! A bar Bobby no longer frequented. Not since he stopped shuffling pot and hanging out with Jimmy Buffalo.

He wasn't sure who else hung out there, but it couldn't mean anything but pain. And now he and his brother, who's health he was directly responsible for, were walking into Four Aces. All the tables were booths and the music was a mix of classic rock and whatever was playing on the radio. The beer was on tap and the only thing stronger than Jack Daniels was crystal-meth. Yep, He looked around with a borrowed six shooter stuffed in the back of his pants.

It was suddenly ironic how Jerry was always threatening that he knew 'people'. Now Bobby found himself respecting/fearing those 'people'. Anyone connected enough to go out and get a gun in fifteen minutes was bad news. He was relieved when Jerry's contact bitched about not seeing his brother for months. Meant Jerry was keeping on the straight and narrow, better than any of his brothers it seemed.

Within fifteen minutes, some guy Jerry knew from way back had handed Bobby a handgun for free. All he needed was a promise from Jerry to bring it back. It was the best he had and it apparently a favorite. Now it rested snug against Bobby's leather belt strap and lower back. He couldn't deny that carrying a gun again made him feel more at ease. But even despite that… He glanced around the room and knew he was screwed.

There were about fifteen odd people around. How the hell was he gonna get him and Jerry out if a real fight erupted? Shoot six people and tickle the rest to death?

"Bobby?" Jerry nudged him. "Where's yer head at?"

Bobby sniffed and edged further into the room. His soft, rolling gait had some of the chicks glancing up and their boyfriends scowling. He found his jackpot sitting in the back end of the room with four friends around him. "So which one of you fuckers is Jasper Harrison?" He gestured loosely around the table.

Buffalo leaned back with a grin and his arms out. "Don't know what you're talking about, man."

"Sure you do." Unfazed, he reached for the gun, but Jerry's hand curled around his wrist. With a warning glare from his dark skinned brother, Bobby pulled his empty hand back.

"You and a couple of your friends were at mah house tonight," Jerry accused, facing Buffalo. "I recognize that mother, right there." He gestured to one of the guys, flanking Jimmy.

"Oh yeah? Say we were…" Buffalo leaned forward. "Why would it concern you? Could be it was private business?"

"It concerns me because that kid your friend beat half to death is my brother," Bobby growled out in a dark voice.

To his praise, Buffalo barely looked afraid. Hadn't it been for the quick bop of his Adam's apple Bobby would've never guessed. "Your brother wouldn't happen to be little Jack, would it?"

"Quit bullshittin'," Bobby growled.

"We're here to talk to you about the money he owes." Jerry smoothed.

"You here to pay off his debts?" Buffalo looked expectant and shared a smirk with a pretty-boy on his left.

"Lemme guess: Jasper?" Bobby mimicked their slick smirks and nodded when the kid on Buffalo's left sobered. "Yeah," He yanked a chair out of the way and straddled it. "Here's what's gonna happen. You and Mr. Giggles, over there," He pointed to Jasper. "Are gonna accompany me and my brother outside for a little talk. Then we're gonna settle this money business once and for all."

Buffalo took a second to look Jerry up and down in a way that made Bobby's skin prickle, before he slid out of his seat along with Jasper. "A'ight." He smirked, passing Jerry. "We'll do it your way."

Bobby naturally took the lead with Buffalo and Jasper behind him and Jerry bringing up the rear. The rowdy establishment didn't hide the feeling of eyes following the foursome outside. It was like everyone simultaneously held their breath. Three sets of feet stepped onto the asphalt. The moment the fourth pair, belonging to Jerry, scraped across the alley, the door swung closed. Bobby barely turned before something iron solid hit him across the jaw.

He heard Jerry grunt when Jasper blindly, landed an elbow in his gut. He was on the ground with his cheekbone throbbing when the scraping of sneakers reached him. Buffalo launched a kick to his stomach and punched him again across the face. He was wearing knuckles, Bobby realized. The sonofabitch wants to play dirty! He really hated this guy. Hearing Jerry slide down the wall and hit the ground, meant to him that Jasper was now joining his buddy.

Bobby flexed his stomach muscles when another sneaker impacted solidly with a rib. All air left him and he unwillingly curled in on himself. His long leather-hide jacket had swung out to his side and revealed the six-shooter. Cursing on an exhale, when the weight of it vanished, made Buffalo giggle.

"I knew you was a dirty sunnofabitch, but I had no idea…" He let the comment hang in the air.

Bobby cursed vehemently and crouched on the wet road to look his enemy in the face. He heard the trigger cock and Buffalo's dark giggle before he realized what had happened. "NO!" A loud yell reached him from Jerry's previous spot. Jasper was knocked forward, into Buffalo and a wild shot rang out. The bullet slammed into the wall behind Bobby, about an inch over his crouched figure. "Bobbaaayy!"

Jerry was kicking at Jasper and Buffalo whilst trying to make his way over the men to check on his brother.

"I'm fine! Get the gun!" Bobby lunged for it himself just as Buffalo was about to turn it on Jerry. He threw his body over the arm and pinned the gun to the ground while Jerry lifted it. He gnashed his teeth and leaned in close to Buffalo's ear. Buffalo struggled to no avail. "You piece of shit. You EVER come after my family again, I'm gonna blow your fucking brains out!" He slammed Buffalo's head into the asphalt with a satisfying crack before getting off and running into the night.

The car screeched to a stop. Jerry and Bobby were out before it stopped rolling completely. "Angel!" Bobby hollered through the house as they entered.

Angel thumped down the stairs with a scowl. "Why the hell you yellin' for?"

"Where's the kid?" Bobby ripped off his jacket.

"Bobby, now calm down-"

"Screw calm. I don't wanna calm down." He passed Angel. "He upstairs?"

Angel was hot on his heels. "He's sleepin'." He grabbed his brother's arm. "You have somethin' to say, say it to me." Angel suddenly looked years older, but one look at the 'fro and Bobby had to keep from smiling.

"Alright. Go check on him for me, would ya?" Bobby waved his younger brother off and turned to Jerry.

"How the hell we gonna fix this, Bobby?" Jerry's empathetic eyes were drooping with worry. "If he wasn't gonna kill us before he sure as hell will now."

Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know if Buffalo's even still alive."

Jerry immediately zoomed in on him.

Bobby shrugged at the unvoiced question. "I don't know how hard I hit his head in the asphalt."

"Shit…" Jerry mimicked his brother's earlier move and spun on his heel. "Ma's gonna kill us,"

"Ma's the least of our worries. I'm more interested in what these fuckers did to my little brother to make him shuffle drugs for 'em."

"You think they forced him?" Jerry's eyes darkened.

"It's possible. Could've threatened to hurt Ma."

"Or us,"

Bobby huffed, but considered the possibility none the less.

"You still wanna wake him up and talk to him?"

Bobby looked at his watch and sighed. "It's three AM."

"When's Ma comin' home?"

"About ten or eleven tomorrow mornin'."

The eldest Mercer sighed again. "Well. . . I ain't getting any sleep for a while so we might as well wake him too. That punk's the one who started all this trouble to begin with."

Despite recognizing the soft tone as worry, Jerry still felt he needed to remind his older brother of his place second in the family and brother. "Yeah and he's hurt,"

"Yeah. I know." Bobby sighed quietly to himself as they walked up the steps.

Jack woke up when he heard footsteps outside his room. The door was open and light was streaming in from the hall. Angel was perched on the side of his bed and watching him intently. "Bobby's back,"

"Ahr, God." Jack groaned and mashed his face into the pillow.

As if called, both older brothers bounded into the room and flicked the lights. "How's the neck?" Bobby's voice was brass, but somehow still managed to sound concerned. For all his mach bravado he never really fooled anyone who knew him.

And Jack couldn't help his quick smile. "Better." Shit, he didn't sound better. His voice was raspy and his chest hurt. He didn't think any ribs were broken, but certainly one or two bruised.

Bobby pushed Angel out of the way and plumped down on the bed. "Yeah, well you look like shit." He couldn't resist running a hand over Jack's messy hair, but regretted the motion when Jerry barked out a chuckle behind him.

"How'd it go?" Jack asked with twin glances at his brothers.

"Great. We had a little talk and they totally understand." Bobby fired off without pause.

That's how his brothers always knew he lied. When he sounded too confident. Angel glared at him. "You beat their asses didn't you?" He shot a look at Jerry. "Ahr hell, Bobby! What's to stop them from comin' here?" His easy demeanor was gone and replaced with something akin to panic.

"They won't." Bobby fired off with a barely a backwards glance at his brother. "We know enough about their little dirty work to get 'em locked up for years," He turned back to Jack who had suddenly gone very quiet, very fast. "And they know that."

"They won't bother you anymore, man." Jerry said quietly from his spot in the doorway.

Jack deflated slightly. If his brothers said so, it had to be true. Even so, there was a niggling sliver of doubt that warned him only to trust himself.

"Alright? Don't worry," Apparently Bobby didn't see the hesitation in his little brother's face as he rubbed his hair back a second time. "Go to sleep." He got up and allowed his brothers a chance to reassure their brother as well.

"We got this," Angel clapped his shoulder and Jack calmed even more. The aspirin and shock of two assaults in one night were wearing him thin and he knew he needed the rest.

"Sleep tight." A quick kiss on the forehead from Jerry left him quiet. The second oldest brother hit the lights on the way out and closed the door so an inch of light was still showing. Jack sat frozen in his bed as he listened to them leave. Their heavy boots thumped softly on the carpet. Not until they reached the living room did he lie back down. He curled up on his side and stared at the light, carving a thin line through the dark.

He hadn't asked them to, but knew he wouldn't have slept without the door open. Without the sound of their voices rising up softly from downstairs. He grumbled and half regretted being so easy to read. He had never had someone know him so well he didn't have to speak to communicate with them. But that tiny sliver of light showed him it wouldn't be long before he did. It wouldn't be long before three of the four people he trusted most in the world would know him better than he knew himself.

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