Fraze and I were at Sunset Park, the scorching sun burning the tops of our heads. Sitting there with my brother, throwing rocks into the pond and scaring the geese, I felt like a kid again. Like nothing was as important as doing nothing in that moment.

I scuffed my sandal against the grass, flicking tiny amounts of dirt to the edge of the pond. Fraze had been in Vegas a week. He came to the diner every day when I was working, to see me and get a free meal. But what else he was up to, I had no idea. It was only a matter of time before he left again.

“Why don’t you come to the gym with me tonight?” I asked while Fraze tried to skip rocks. “You can tell me what you think of my piece so far.”

He took off his shoes and socks and rubbed his bare feet against the grass. “Nah. I don’t know anything about that kind of stuff.”

A cool breeze rippled the pond, raising goosebumps on my bare legs. I tugged my skirt down. I’d had an early shift at the diner today. Fraze had met me for lunch, disappeared, and then reappeared when my shift ended at four. We’d been walking around ever since, a bit aimlessly, but that didn’t matter. Time spent with Frasier was never boring.

“Your deadline is coming up, isn’t it?” He got up from the bench and inched toward the water.

“I don’t know if you should put your feet in there.”

Fraze took one look at me and grinned. He didn’t even bother rolling up the ends of his jeans before stepping into the pond.

“I heard there are piranhas,” I said.

He laughed. “Piranhas are people, too. Besides, I’m cooking.”

I watched him wade around the pond, peering into the water as if he could see something in all that murk. It went no deeper than his knees, even in the middle. He waded back.

“I’ve only got a few days left,” I said. “I have an appointment at the bank tomorrow.”

He shook his head. “You can’t take a loan out for that deadbeat. You’ll never get your money back.”

I crossed one leg over the other. “I don’t have much of a choice. I’d rather be in debt to a bank than a loan shark. Unless you’ve got some bright idea you’re not telling me.”

One corner of his mouth tilted. “I might.”

That’s what I was afraid of. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I am never stupid.” He stepped out of the pond, shaking his legs off. “Can’t a guy help his sister out?”

“You’re broke.”

Again with the sly grin. “Not for long.”

“What does that mean?” He wouldn’t answer. “Fraze…”

He wouldn’t let me talk. Wouldn’t hear my arguments. Wouldn’t even tell me what he was thinking. It drove me crazy. My brother wasn’t stupid, but he was impulsive, and sometimes that led to stupid decisions.

“Come on,” he said after I’d pestered him for ten minutes. “Let’s go find some dinner. I’ll pay.”

“Sure you will.”

Later that night, I was a building away from East Side Boxing when Jay stepped outside, the door swinging shut behind him. Under the streetlights, I watched him take a deep breath and run a hand over his hair as I approached.

“Four days, Maggie,” he said.

“Hi to you, too.”

He put his palm against the door, keeping me from opening it. “Four days.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, thank you, I have a calendar.”

“It’s the money that concerns me.”

Like I didn’t know that. Every time I saw him, Jay would bring up the money, and I saw him more than I wanted to lately.

“I’ve got it under control.”

He tilted his head. “Why are you doing this?”

His question caught me off guard. I looked out into the street at the cars going by. A beater, a sedan, a mini-van, another mini-van, another beater, their lights bright in my eyes.

“He’s not worth your energy,” Jay said.

“You don’t get to decide who’s worth it and who’s not.”

“It must be exhausting, being you.”

I gave him a pointed look. “Sometimes, it really is.”

He turned his head and stared at the door, or at his hand, I couldn’t tell which. “I know how it feels.”

“Then get out of my way.”

His eyes lowered to mine. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.”

He dropped his hand from the door. An imprint of his palm remained on the glass.

“Maggie—”

A car screeched up to the sidewalk. It rocked back and forth when it came to an abrupt stop. The doors opened and five men poured out, all wearing big baggy jackets despite the Vegas heat.

“Get inside,” Jay said to me. His arm was in front of me like a shield, the rest of his body tense and coiled.

Fear, curiosity, and stubbornness all kept me rooted to the spot.

“Jay, my man,” one of the men said. He was average height with a dark shaved head and thick eyebrows. One of his arms was in a sling. The other four flanked him on either side, all of them looking like they’d gotten on the wrong side of a bear recently.

“Rafael Antonio.” Jay dropped his arm but stepped in front of me. “Come for another loan?”

Rafael shook his head. “My business with Ting is over.”

Jay crossed his arms. He turned his head, putting his chin to his shoulder. “Get inside now,” he hissed.

Rafael and the other men approached. As one moved, something flashed near his belt before he closed his coat. A knife? A gun? Definitely a weapon.

“I got unfinished business with you, amigo,” Rafael said.

The entire line of Jay’s back was rigid. “We’ll talk, as soon as my friend goes inside.”

Rafael laughed and some of the others joined in, but Jay ignored them. He turned around, yanked the door open and shoved me through.

“Go do your thing,” he said. “This is none of your business.” He shut the door in my face.

I stood there, bristling, but Jay had already turned his back on me. I didn’t budge.

The men approached. I dropped my bag then shifted to the window to get a better view. Jay was saying something to them. Rafael was talking too, but it was too muffled by the thick glass to understand. Jay threw his head back and laughed. Rafael’s face went dark.

They rushed Jay before I could blink. Four of them were on him while Rafael watched. Jay’s head slammed into the window and I gasped.

Jay put up a heck of a fight. His fists connected with ribs and jaws, anything they could find. He was an animal, scary and strong and wild, but it was still five against one. Jay didn’t stand a chance.

I couldn’t watch. I yanked the door open.

“Stop! Stop or I’ll call the cops.”

One of these days I really needed to call the cops first before threatening to, but I’d acted before thinking. Again. I didn’t really expect it to work on these guys anyway, but they stopped, frozen and staring at me.

“Get out of here, Maggie,” Jay growled.

I moved in front of him. “I said that’s enough.”

Jay grabbed me by the waist. I tried to push his hands away. He wouldn’t let me go. “Get inside,” he said, his voice rough next to my ear.

“This your girlfriend?” Rafael asked, assessing me. “It’s alright chica, you can stay and watch. We’re just giving your boyfriend back some of what he gave. With interest.”

Rafael nodded. One of the other men pulled something from the back of his pants. A gun.

Jay’s arms tightened around me. We spun. I screamed. A shot rang out. A flash of pain. I fell into him. Curses in the air. The rev of an engine.

Jay’s eyes were wide, the first time I’d seen him afraid. He whispered my name right before my legs gave out.