After we saw him leaving D and I went inside. Nick was in the main room again, he was sitting in one of the couches watching Brian pacing in front of him. They both froze the minute we came in.

“Calm down Nicky. It’s just me and Howie. Kevin left.”

“He left? Where did he go?”

“He said something about trying to calm himself before talking to you because he didn’t want to kill you.”

For an instant I thought Nick was going to cry. Having been innumerable times in trouble with Kevin I felt sympathetic to the kid.

“I’m dead” he whined.

“Come on Nicky, at least he is trying to calm himself; that means he really doesn’t want to kill you,” I told him trying not to chuckle.

“AJ, ARE YOU LAUGHING?”

Sorry, sympathetic or not, watching Nick in trouble is always funny. “No, I’m not laughing Brian.” Or should I say I’m trying not to laugh.

“I don’t understand how could you do something like that.” Brian told Nick, taking a seat by his side.

“THAT’S ME OKAY, I DO STUPID THINGS ALL THE TIME.” That’s our Nicky. You could always count with him losing his temper, no matter the situation.

“Low your voice, I’m trying to help you remember.” Brian growled.

“Let me have this straight.” Howie intervened “You bought a gun from a Gris?”

“Yes.”

Howie smacked him on the head.

“GUNRUNNING? What were you thinking?”

“He wasn’t.” Brian said “That’s for sure.”

“Man, Nicky, this time you went too far.” Howie is the only one who in a moment like this will call Nick “Nicky”.

“And if Kevin wants to kill you, we’re not going to try to stop him.”

“WHAT? You are kidding, right Brian? You heard AJ saying that he had gone for a walk, that means he is beyond mad. He is going to kill me and you are not going to do anything?”

“Whatever he does you deserve it.”

“Why? Since when is a crime to buy a gun? Okay don’t answer that. I know I shouldn’t have bought it on the black market but...”

“You shouldn’t have bought it, period.”

“Why not? I’m not a kid. What’s so wrong with me having a gun?”

“Go and bring it,” Kevin ordered entering the room.

Hey that was too fast. “You calm yourself in two minutes?” I said under my breath just to receive a glance for Kevin - Did I said that too loud? - and being elbowed in the stomach by Howie. Ouch! Yes, I said it too loud.

“Go and bring the laser, Nickolas.”

Nick looked at us but no one else said a single word. He finally did what Kevin was asking and left the room.

“Kevin...”

“Save it, Brian.”

That was it. Brian didn’t try again to talk to him and we just stayed there in silence until Nick entered the room again bringing the laser and handed it to Kevin.

“An ATX? Man you ARE stupid!”

“There’s no need to insult him Kevin” Brian interceded.

Kevin just glared at him.

“Well, since this is already paid. Here AJ” he said giving me the gun. “You have a new laser now.”

“Cool!” Howie elbowed me again.

“That’s not...”

“What Nick? You were going to say something? That’s not fair? How is it not fair? YOU AREN’T EVEN ALLOWED TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN THE FIRST PLACE.” Damn, why he has to scream? My ears!

“I will be 16 in less than two months. Howie and Brian went to the Academy when they were 16, you were fighting a war at that age and AJ has a gun since he was 14.”

“I don’t care if you think it’s fair or not. And where did you get the money to buy it in the first place? Brian?”

“Don’t look at me. I don’t know.” Brian shrugged.

“Brian didn’t know anything.” No Nicky, you are not going to solve anything sounding that cocky, kid. “I worked for it.”

“Worked? Where?”

Nick looked down.

“WHERE?”

I saw Nick eyes when he looked up and I knew that he would fly into a temper again. Damn, I better cover my ears because once Kevin finds out, all hell will break loose.

“Doing some errands from the people at that bar. Mostly delivering packages or things like that.” I knew it. I knew he would defy Train. He sounds so proud and he is even narrowing his eyes at Kevin. Sometimes I don’t know if the kid is too brave or too stupid.

“WHAT? YOU WERE WORKING IN A BAR?” It really took me by surprise the fact that Howie was the first one to react, especially because it wasn’t common to hear him yell.

“YOU WORKED FOR THE ENEMY?” Kevin was furious.

“I DIDN’T KNOW THEY WERE PEOPLE FROM THE EMPIRE!”

“Don’t you dare to yell at me, you little...”

“KEVIN!”

“Stay out of this Brian.”

“You worked at that bar. You weren’t even supposed to be there. You want us to treat you like an adult but you act like a child every opportunity you have. How stupid can you be?”

“I told you that there’s no need to insult him Kevin.” Brian stood up.

“And I told you to stay out of this.” Kevin gave Brian only one quick glance before facing Nick again, but Bri wasn’t going to accept Kevin’s orders that easily.

“You better watch what you say, Kevin?” Come on Brian, why are you looking for a fight now?

Kevin turned his head towards Rok. Howie left my side to stand next to Bri and put a hand on his shoulder, probably realizing that Kevin wasn’t the only one about to blow a fuse.

“Guys!” I said.

Kevin just shook his head and kept talking to Nick.

“I really don’t know what I’m going to do with you Nickolas.”

Nicky was calmer now. It was like seeing Brian mad at Kevin had changed his attitude and his tone was softer when he talked.

“Please Kevin, just don’t send me away.”

“Send you away?” Brian was now at Kevin’s side. It seemed that Howie hadn’t had the chance to restrain him. “Nobody is sending you away. What’s he talking about Kevin?”

“I haven’t decided it yet.” Kevin spoke up, folding his arms in front of him and still without even looking at Rok.

“There’s nothing to decide. You are not sending him anywhere.”

“Stay out of this Brian.”

“No. You have no right to do that. We have to stay together. You promised it, remember?”

“I will do whatever I think is the best for him.” Kevin’s eyes were fixed on Nick.

“You don’t have a fucking idea of what you are talking about!”

I gaped. Brian is cursing? I couldn’t believe what I was watching. I had never seen Brian so mad before.

Kevin looked at him. “And you have it?”

“I’m tired of your shit Kevin, of you taking decisions for everyone. Oh no, Rok don’t do this because of what happened to me. “The kid made a mistake.”

“You are tired of my shit? Will you shut up!” Kevin replied, turning his back to him.

Kevin attitude just added fuel to the flames. Rok wasn’t going to accept being treated with indifference and the next thing I knew he was between Kevin and Nick.

“Why don’t you make me?”

I had no idea how things had come to that point but when I saw both of them threw their fists up I had to run to grab Kevin. Howie helped me to hold him back while Nick pulled Brian trying to keep them apart.

“You know what? Just forget it! This is not worth it.” Kevin shouted out loud raising his arms, as if trying to show us that he wasn’t going to fight. After a moment, and noticing that he was quiet, we let him go. “You think you have all the answers, right Brian? Well, then I quit. Just take charge of everything. After all you are better at making decisions. You think you know what’s best for Nick? Well, from now on I won’t interfere with your lives. Hey, maybe you want to be captain of this ship too? DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!”

There was a death silence in the room after Kevin left.

“What the hell was that?” I managed to say.

“Get off me” I heard Brian shout and turned around to notice that Nick was still grabbing him by the arm. After finally releasing himself he ran out of the room.

What the hell just happened?

Nick tried to go after Brian but Howie didn’t let him. “Give him some time alone Nicky.” I stared at Howie looking for an answer but he just shook his head. He was as confused as I was and for some reason realizing that was all that I needed to make up my mind and go after Kevin and Brian. “AJ!” I heard D calling me when I was walking through the door but I didn’t look back. I was determined to talk to them.

Once in the corridor I found myself torn between going after Kevin or looking for Bri. A moment later I was in front of Kevin’s room. I never knew why I chose to talk to him first.

----
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