Zee shouldered into the dusky club. Strobes flashed. Bodies were packed wall to wall, the seedy, lusty crowd lit up in bursts of white, blinding light for the briefest of moments before they fell back into darkness.

Again and again.

It set the scene to slow motion.

Zee felt like he was wading through a dense fog that fought to hold him back as he pushed through the crowd.

Relief slammed him when he saw the group huddled in the far corner around a booth.

Distinct and sharp.

Familiar faces and the same goddamned scene. Just when he thought maybe Mark was pulling it together, shit like this had again become routine.

He knew Julie was trying to be understanding. But there was no chance of missing her concerned judgment when he’d slid out of bed and tugged on a pair of jeans after he’d gotten Baz’s text.

Zee stormed that direction, giving zero fucks about the sneers and annoyance of the people grinding against each other as he barged through the middle of the dance floor.

Baz spun around when he felt Zee approach. “Zee, thank God you’re here.”

“What’s going on?”

Baz ran a weary hand over his face. “Sorry to drag you out in the middle of the night. We tried to handle it, but he was insistent. Said he needed you.”

Zee shook his head and took another step forward. Mark was slumped back in the booth, fading in and out of lucidity as his head rocked back against the leather seat.

His eyes fluttered open, pupils pinpoint. They shot through Zee like a goddamned spear. His voice dropped in worry, muttering mostly to himself because it seemed not a soul listened to him. “Fuck, Mark, man, what the hell are you doing?”

Mark’s fingers fumbled across the collar of Zee’s tee. Like he was searching for something to hang on to. “Little brother, you’re here.”

“Of course I’m here. You said you needed me.”

A smile fluttered at the edge of Mark’s slack mouth. “Always need you, man. You’re my best friend. Always there for me. Love you…love you like crazy. You know that, right? You’re the best.”

Zee sighed. Of course he knew.

Lyrik, Ash, and Baz crowded behind Zee, peering over his shoulder at Mark like they didn’t have a clue what to do with him.

“Come on, Mark, let’s get you out of here,” Zee said. “Do you think you can stand?”

“Think so.”

He helped his brother slide out from behind the booth and onto his feet. The second he did, Mark canted to the side, nearly toppling over.

Zee grabbed him before he face-planted, hauling him back up and slinging Mark’s arm around his shoulders, hoping he could at least support some of his weight. Zee belted his arm around Mark’s waist. “I’ve got you,” he promised.

Ash rushed forward to take the other side. “Got him?” he asked.

“Yup,” Zee replied.

Baz and Lyrik took the lead as they worked their way back through the crowd, down the dimly lit hall, and into the back parking lot where Zee had parked. Ash and Zee maneuvered Mark into the front passenger side of the car.

The second he hit the seat, Mark nodded out.

Zee slammed shut the door, gusted out a strained sigh, and leaned his back against the door. As he pressed both palms to his face, he tried to rein in his frustration. The pain and hurt and worry that was the root of it all.

Unease sifted through the night as the club pulsed on behind them.

“He’s bad, man,” Baz said.

Zee dropped his hands and gave a tight nod. “Yeah, I know. It’s getting worse.”

Lyrik paced in the distance, the dark, dark silhouette a squall of turmoil where he raged.

A storm.

Baz’s voice dropped low. “Listen…Mark’s our brother…just as much as he’s yours. Doesn’t matter we don’t share the same blood. He’s family. But we’re trying to get our shit together. Things are finally really happening for the band. Ash, Lyrik, and I…we all kicked, but Lyrik’s still struggling bad, trying to get his life together after all the shit that went down. Can’t have Mark spiraling like this. Worried he’s gonna drag the rest of the crew right back down with him.”

A wave of helplessness crashed over Zee. “What the hell do we do? I mean…I’ve been trying, begging him to see reason. He’s good for a few weeks, and then it’s this all over again.”

Zee toed at a pebble on the pitted pavement, wary of what to say, wondering if he should bring it up or let it lie. He glanced up at Baz. “He came to me a couple months back…said he’d gotten himself into some trouble. Involved with some bad people. You know anything about it?”

A frown cut a path through Baz’s expression before he anxiously rubbed at his chin. “Nah, man. Don’t know what’s been going on with him. You know Mark. He’s always quiet. Keepin’ to himself. But anytime someone’s dealing in that world? You can rest assured the people he’s gonna be hanging with aren’t gonna be saints.”

Zee’s nod felt reluctant. “Yeah…probably.” Hands stuffed in his pockets, he lifted his shoulders to his ears. “So what the hell do we do? How do we help him? He can’t keep going on like this.”

Baz blinked at him. “He’s got to want to. Problem is coaxing him to that place.”

Zee’s head rocked back against the top of his car, face turned toward the sky, the stars obliterated by the city lights.

But he knew they were there.

Waiting with all their promises.

With all the good things the world had to give.

His brother deserved it all.

Zee made a silent wish.

Please, give me back my brother.