"Gloves on," Dean said.
"Put your hair up tight," Seth said.
"I think I got that part covered," Dean said.
Seth looked at Dean's bald head and smirked. There was nothing fun about what they were about to do but he could still see the humor in Dean's comment.
"Put your masks on. He can't recognize us," Roman said.
"I'm pretty sure he'll figure out I'm involved," Dean said.
"He won't say shit. We'll make sure of it," Seth said.
Dean nodded and pointed towards Vivica's door. He tiptoed over there and opened it. She had her back turned towards him and all he could see was her long, curly, strawberry blonde hair. He could hear by her heavy breathing that her ice blue eyes were closed and she was sleeping. That was a good thing. He closed the door again and looked at Seth and Roman.
"She's sleeping," Dean said.
"Good," Roman said.
"Let's get this fucking over with," Dean said.
They got out in Dean's car and drove through the night. They parked in front of Bron's house and looked up at the dark windows. They knew he was home and hopefully asleep.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Roman asked.
"Am I sure?" Dean sneered. "You saw her, Roman. You saw what he did to my sister."
"Bron motherfucking Breakker!" Seth growled. "No one fucking touches people we love, especially not someone like Vivica."
"I'm supposed to be her fortress. We were all supposed to be her fortress. We promised always to be there for her no matter what. We promised to always protect her. I don't hold you two to that promise since you were kids when you made it, but I failed her. I fucking failed my sister," Dean said. "If you wanna stay here and wait, I'll understand."
"Fuck that!" Roman said. "I'm coming."
They left the car and Dean grabbed a crowbar. They moved up to the house and Dean quickly used the crowbar to break open the front door. It made a loud crack that would wake up anyone inside the house.
"Who the fuck is there?" Bron shouted.
"Remember what he did to her," Dean whispered.
"I'm gonna fuck you up!" Bron shouted.
The three men ran through the house towards the bedroom. Bron came out and met them in the hallway. His facial expression changed from anger to fear. He turned to run back but was jumped by all three men at once. They beat him down while he cried in pain, begged for mercy, and tried covering himself as much as possible. All while Vivica's words of what had happened that day rang through their heads.
"I went over there with a box of his things. I knew he wouldn't take it well that I broke up with him. That's why I did it over the phone. He called me a coward but I had to protect myself. He wasn't supposed to be home that day but somehow he had figured out I would stop by with his things. I was going to leave the box and the key for his house but he was there. He was right there, Dean. I couldn't get away."
"You motherfucker!" Dean screamed.
"I'm sorry, Dean!" Bron cried.
Despite wearing their masks, Bron recognized Dean's voice. Dean didn't care about that as long as Roman and Seth were safe. Bron had never met them and they would swear up and down that Dean was with them tonight and that they all hung out at Dean's place without ever leaving it. Vivica would swear that too. She had no idea that they were out playing her avengers while she was asleep. They stopped beating him up and looked at him. He looked up at the three masked men, not sure if it actually was Dean or not.
"I let myself inside with the box and suddenly he was there. I didn't hear him. I just felt a blow to the back of my head. He was screaming and hitting and kicking. I have never seen him that angry before. I tried turning around to push him away but he broke my nose the moment I looked at him."
Seth placed a solid punch to Bron's nose. They all heard the crack it made and Bron howled in pain while covering his face.
"Suddenly it felt like I couldn't breathe. I didn't know he had broken my rib at the time but I've never felt anything that painful before."
Roman lifted his foot and stomped down on Bron's side. Bron tried curling up but Seth and Dean quickly grabbed his arms and legs to keep him stretched out while Roman delivered stomp after stomp in an attempt to break a rib too.
"And when I thought it was finally over, that's when he jumped on my knee and dislocated it. Even that wasn't enough for him. He kept going until he broke my leg too."
Dean jumped on Bron's knee and Bron let out a scream of pain. They could all see the knee didn't look right. Seth grabbed Bron's arms again while Roman grabbed Bron's legs. Dean lifted the crowbar and slammed it down on Bron's shin until they were sure at least one bone was broken. Hopefully more than one.
"Enough!" Roman held up a hand. "You can't kill him."
"Why the fuck not?" Dean asked.
"You know why," Seth said.
Dean gritted his teeth and then finally nodded. He knew why. It was one thing to beat up the man that had beat up his sister. It was a whole other thing to become a murderer.
"It was like the air went out of him after that. I will never forget his smile. That sickening smile while he looked at me. He was proud of what he had done. He went to the kitchen to grab a beer and then I heard the tv running. He sat down and watched football while I was lying there. I don't know how I managed to pull myself outside but I did. A neighbor saw me there and called 911. Of course Bron tried playing the good boyfriend who had no idea someone had beaten me up and left me in front of his house. He tried making it all about him and what enemy he might have. He hasn't left my side until now when you three showed up. I need to tell the police. I know that but I'm scared. They've never cared in the past when I tried reporting him. One of them even laughed at me when he gave me a concussion for not ironing his shirts. He told me to become a better girlfriend to keep Bron's anger in check. A fucking cop told me that. What the fuck am I supposed to do, Dean?"
Dean bent over Bron and grabbed the man's throat. He pulled his mask down to let Bron know it was him as Bron had guessed.
"The only reason she didn't report you is because I told her not to. She's no longer a fucking joke to the cops. I'm taking care of her business now. This is your only warning, Bron. If you come near her again, we will come near you again. If you touch her, we will touch you. If you hurt her, we will hurt you. We will mirror everything you do until you finally stay the fuck away. And if you report this, my two friends here will visit you while I'm at the station pleading innocent. And the fact that you're getting more bones broken while that's happening will prove that. Don't fucking test me, Bron. You won't like it if you do. We're her fucking fortress. Do you understand?"
Bron nodded and Dean squeezed Bron's throat tighter.
"I said, do you understand?" Dean asked louder.
"Yes," Bron cried.
"Good boy," Dean stood up. "Our job here is done."
"Wait!" Bron pleaded. "Please, call an ambulance. My phone is in the bedroom. I can't move."
"She didn't think she could move either but she figured it out. So will you. We only did to you what you did to her. I always knew she was tougher than you. Man up, you fucking coward," Dean said.
Dean, Seth and Roman hurried out of Bron's house. They jumped in the car and drove back to Dean's house.
"Out of your clothes," Dean ordered.
They all stripped down to their briefs and handed everything to Dean.
"Take a shower fast. I'll burn the evidence and shower afterwards," Dean said.
Roman took the master bathroom while Seth took the smaller one. They showered as fast as they could and came out to Dean waiting. He stepped into the master bathroom and closed the door. Water started running shortly after and the two men looked at each other and sighed.
"For a moment I thought I was still sleeping and having an erotic dream," Vivica said.
Seth and Roman turned to look at Vivica. She was standing with her crutches to keep her bad leg from touching the ground. She still looked banged up but she was slowly healing.
"You should be in bed," Seth said.
"And you should be wearing clothes," Vivica said.
"Vivica!" Roman giggled.
"I just need some water," Vivica said.
"I'll get it for you," Roman said.
"Thank you," Vivica said.
She went back to her room and sat on the bed. Roman came back shortly after with a glass of water.
"Room service," he said.
He handed her the glass and sat down on the bed next to her. She drank it and handed him the empty glass back.
"Thank you," she said.
"How are you holding up?" He asked.
"Better than a week ago," she said. "You know, you're kinda hot half naked."
"I hear you remembered to take your painkillers tonight. The good stuff sometimes makes people say funny things," he said.
"Maybe I should ask you out once I'm done being ugly," she said.
"What makes you think I wouldn't go out with you looking like that?" He asked.
"Too many dangerous variables when you're on crutches in a restaurant," she said.
"I'll bring us takeout and set up a nice table in the garden. I might even buy you flowers," he said.
"As long as they're pink. It's my favorite color," she said.
They looked at each other and giggled. At least Bron hadn't broken her.
"Is everything okay here?" Dean asked.
Roman and Vivica looked at Dean standing in the door, and Vivica started giggling again.
"Are you three in a secret relationship or something?" Vivica asked.
"What?" Dean asked.
"Why are you running around half naked?" Vivica asked.
"Oh," Dean smirked. "Long story."
"I wanna hear it," Vivica said.
"You're not getting out of this one," Roman said.
Roman leaned in and placed a kiss on Vivica's temple.
"I'll talk to you in the morning," Roman said.
Roman got up and squeezed Dean's shoulder as he passed his friend. He closed the door after him to give the siblings some privacy. Dean sat down on the bed and looked at Vivica.
"You went to see Bron, didn't you?" She asked.
"Of course you knew," he chuckled.
"And the small bonfire in the garden was you burning the evidence, right?" She asked.
He looked at her window and chuckled again.
"Why are you sleeping with your curtains open?" He asked.
"I like looking at the stars," she answered. "Don't avoid my questions."
"Yes, we went and beat him up. And yes, I burned the evidence. And no, none of us are lovers. In fact, I think both of them have had crushes on you at some point during all these years. I wouldn't even be surprised if they still do," he said.
She looked over at the door and then back at her brother.
"Should I ask one of them out?" She asked.
"I won't be against that," he said.
"Which one?" She asked.
"I don't care, Vivica," he smiled. "I just want you to be happy."
"Which one would you choose?" She smirked.
"No one," he chuckled. "I'm not gay, and you already know that."
"I know. I would totally support you if you were though," she said.
"I know. You have a good heart. Just don't give it to an asshole like Bron again," he said.
"I won't. I promise," she said.
"Good," he patted her hand. "Go back to bed. I'm going to bed too. Seth and Roman are crashing here tonight."
He stood up and walked over to the door.
"What if I date both of them at once?" She asked.
He laughed and turned around to look at her.
"Then I have two asses to kick at the same time if they break your heart," he said.
"Damn, nothing makes you upset when it comes to me and them," she said.
"Not a damn thing," he smirked. "As long as you're happy, then I'm happy."
He turned back around and opened the door.
"Roman," she said.
"Yeah, I figured," he said.
"He said he'll plan a date in our garden," she said.
"That sounds lovely," he said.
"I'll ask him to arrange that tomorrow," she said.
"I'll make myself invisible when it happens," he said. "Goodnight, sis."
He closed the door and walked into the living room where Seth and Roman were settling in on the couch and an air mattress.
"Is everything alright?" Seth asked.
"Yes, everything is alright," Dean said.
Dean moved his eyes to Roman and grinned.
"What?" Roman asked.
"Oh, nothing. She'll talk to you about it tomorrow," Dean said.
Roman smiled widely and nodded. He laid down on the mattress and folded his hands behind his head.
"I'm looking forward to it," Roman said.
"To what?" Seth asked.
"I'll tell you tomorrow when she has asked," Roman said.
"Asked what?" Seth asked.
"Don't be so nosy, Seth," Dean chuckled. "And Roman?"
Dean looked at Roman again.
"You better be her fucking fortress," Dean said.
"No one's coming through me," Roman said. "I won't let anything or anyone hurt her."