“Hey man, what are you doing sitting down man? There’s a horde of fine looking ladies out there on the dance floor and you’re over here molesting a glass of coke.”

AJ McLean looked down at the glass he had been swiveling on the table, noticing for the first time that he was fondling the glass. Before he replied, he downed the rest of his flat and watered down coke. “Got a call from Nick. He’s having issues with his brother and shit and instead of me trying to talk to him on my cell in the club, I told him to come down. From the sound of things, he could use a few drinks.”

“And ladies!” AJ’s good friend, Chris shrieked out. It was obvious that he was plastered. “Sexy ladies are the cure to everything in life.”

AJ eyed his friend up and down and chuckled, shaking his head. “Wow, I have truly corrupted you, haven’t I? Looks like I’ve lost my swagger to you, would you like to replace me in the group?”

Chris’ glazed eyes widened as he sluggishly pointed at himself, “Me, Chris, is being offered to replace THEE AJ McLean? Did someone spike your coke man?”

“I’m clean as a freaking whistle man.” he paused to look out towards the dance floor, where he saw a small group of girls gazing at them lustfully, using their body language to lure them onto the dance floor. “Well Chris, looks like you’ve got a few girls all worked up and waiting for you.” he said as he slapped a hand down on his friend’s shoulder.

Chris turned towards the group of girls AJ was referring to. “Oh yeah… see that brunette bombshell? A total freak. She’s a freaking tease hiding behind that innocence when she exudes a sexual force. You sure you don’t want to join me man? They feisty as hell.”

AJ simply shook his head, “Nah dude, you go ahead. I’m gonna wait here for Nick.”

Chris shrugged as he staggered towards the dance floor, “Suit yourself.”

AJ turned his attention back to the empty glass, “Can I get a refill on coke please?” he asked the bartender as he handed his glass over.

Right as he placed his head down in his hands, he felt a rather large presence make their way beside him. “Patron on the rocks please.” a deep voice asked as he settled himself right next to AJ.

AJ sighed, “You do know over the years I’ve managed to at least disguise myself a bit so I won’t stir up commotion.” When he didn’t hear anything from the man beside him, he continued. “And over the years you’ve kinda just… remained the same but I noticed you’re starting to stick out like a sore thumb. It isn’t everyday you see someone with a rather large man following them around everywhere. You do know you’ve become a celebrity yourself, right?” he finally turned to address Marcus, eyeing the glass of patron and ice in his hands, “And… you’re drinking on the job.”

“Can’t let you celebrities have all the fun, now can I?” Marcus cracked as he grabbed his drink and downed it. He shook his head and hissed as he felt the burning liquid course down his throat, “Man that’s some good shit.”

Over the years, the guys had gotten over the fact of checking in with AJ to make sure it was okay for them to drink. AJ had told them that they didn‘t have to confer with him. Just because he was sober, didn’t mean that they had to treat him any differently or for them to act any differently. He wanted them to remain as they were, drink if they please and just feel comfortable with having a good time when they were around him. One of the many things he had learned from rehab was that he didn’t have to be drunk or high on drugs to be having a good time.

“Well, since it looks like I’ll be driving us, why don’t you have another one?” AJ offered as he signaled the bartender to pour Marcus another glass of patron.

“Thanks man.”

“Don’t sweat it. Where were you by the way?”

“Had to piss like a fucking race horse, and a small scuffle had broken out near the bathrooms so I had to kinda just… shove my way through them to break them up. The perks of being a mac truck.”

“A mac truck huh?” AJ laughed as he caught a glimpse of Nick walking into the club. He stood near the entrance, scanning the club over before he finally began making his way through the crowd.

Marcus followed AJ’s eyes and saw Nick as well, “What’s he doing here?” he questioned as he took a sip of his drink.

“Dealing with some shit, so I invited him down.” AJ replied as he grabbed his phone to call Nick. He watched as Nick continued to wander through the crowd, and waited as his phone continued to ring. It took Nick a while to finally reach down towards his pocket and fish his cell phone out.

“Hello?” he saw Nick answer.

“Hey, we’re over here by the bar.” AJ replied as he stuck his hand up in the air.

Nick’s eyes scanned over the bar until he finally saw AJ sitting next to Marcus. He smiled, “Tell Marcus I said that he sticks out like a sore thumb.”

AJ laughed, “I already told him that.”

“Alright man, I’ll see you over there.”

AJ hung up his phone and glanced over at Marcus, he was ordering himself another glass of the same drink. “You do know if you get drunk and if something happens to me, you’d be completely useless?”

Marcus shook his head and finished his drink, “If anything, I fight better when I’m drunk. So, you’re in good hands.”

AJ chuckled and shook his head, “Says the drunken man.”

“Hey.” Nick greeted as he sat down next to AJ.

“Hey man, can I start you off with a drink?”

Nick cocked an eyebrow, a slight grin on his face, “Oh, so you work here now?”

“No, I just seem to be everyone’s personal bartender and D square tonight.”

“Well, if you say… I’ll take Wild Turkey honey on the rocks please.”

Once AJ relayed the order to the bartender, he turned his attention back to Nick. “So… has everything been settled?”

“Nope.” Nick simply replied as he grabbed his drink. “You know, just when I thought I had gotten my siblings all on the same page of leaving what’s in the past behind and moving forward, he decides to act out and do this… irrational move. He’s filing another lawsuit against my mother.”

AJ’s eyes widened, “What? Why?”

Nick shrugged, “In hopes to get back all the money that had been lost to that woman. As if money could fix and heal everything. Besides, he’s going after someone that has little to no credit to her name.”

“And how do your sisters feel about this?”

“They’re all like ‘oh Nickolas, he’s old enough now to make his own decisions…’ yadda yadda yadda… I know I’ve had my differences with my mother, some of the things she has done to me and the family are things I have yet to forgive and of course it’s hard to forget, but the bottom line is that she is still our mother, as much as I hate to admit it. I could never stoop down to her level, never. And that’s what Aaron is doing.”

AJ simply nodded, watching as the older man finished his drink and ordered another one. It was weird watching from a sober point of view, how one could simply try to drink their problems away. “I’m not sure if this is the right thing to tell you at the moment, but everything happens for a reason man… we normally don’t find out the consequences of our actions until after it’s been done. As a brother and the oldest, it is your job to look after the younger siblings and protect them, but you’re all in that point in your lives where all you can do is try.”

“Obviously I’m not trying hard enough.” Nick grumbled as he gulped the burning amber liquid down in one swig.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I don’t think Aaron’s gonna go through with it.”

“Yeah? And what makes you think that.”

“Because I’ve always pegged Aaron to be a talker, not a walker.”

Nick sadly shook his head, “I don’t know about that man… seems like he’s been setting out to rebel against me in some sort of way.”

“I hate to tell you this Nick, but you’re getting a taste of your own medicine buddy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think back to when we were 21 man… we were big talkers, hoping to grow big enough balls to actually do the walking as well. We were some assholes back then man. What’s happening now… is called karma. I can only imagine the day I get a kid… I’ll probably be calling you, crying hysterically telling you how my kid is playing fucking mind games with me and all this other shit.”

That caused Nick to bust out laughing, “You, crying? Oh man, that would be the day!”

“Yeah, well notice how I said ‘probably’, but hopefully not likely. I know you’d get a kick outta something like that.”

“Why would you think such a thing?” Nick asked his in sarcasm, noticing for the first time how his voice began to slur a bit. He felt a slight buzz coming on, but other than that felt fine. “Ugh, I gotta go drain the main vein.” he announced as he rose from his seat, suddenly feeling the pressure on his bladder. “I’ll be right back man.”

“Alright, I’m gonna go step out for a quick smoke.”

AJ watched as Nick sauntered off to the bathroom before he turned his attention back to Marcus, “I’m going out for a smoke Marc.”

“You think I’ll draw more attention to you if I follow you out?”

“Ain’t no one buggin’, so I highly doubt it.”

“Okay, hold on… let me order my last round and we’ll go.”

AJ watched as Marcus turned back to the bartender to order his sixth glass of patron. “Just meet me outside.” he said as he turned and began walking out towards the back exit of the club.

As he neared the exit, he saw a rather large bouncer standing near the back door, guarding it. Immediately, he reached for his pocket and pulled out a folded twenty bill, walking up to the bouncer and slipping the money to him by giving him a handshake. No words being said, the bouncer pushed the exit door opened and had allowed AJ to walk out. “Five minutes man.” he said.

AJ nodded as he stepped outside into the back part of the club, watching as the bouncer closed the door behind him. He looked around, noticing for the first time that the back exit of the club led out to a dark and wide alleyway. Reaching into the inside of his leather jacket, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and shook a stick out. He placed and held the cigarette between his lips as he now patted himself down in search of his lighter. When he finally found it, he flicked it in hopes to produce a flame, but nothing happened.

Sighing heavily, he held the lighter up close to the cigarette and used his other hand to cup around his mouth so the chilly breeze wouldn’t blow his flame out. After a few attempts, he was finally able to get the lighter to work, quickly placing the tip of his cigarette over the small flicker, puffing on it to get the nicotine stick to burn. All of a sudden, he felt an arm wrap around his throat, jerking him back into another body that was now standing behind him.

“Don’t you fucking say anything.” the voice of the stranger whispered harshly as he now placed a blade at his throat.

AJ had dropped his lighter and cigarette when he was pulled back by the man, and was now standing stiff as a board behind his tight grip, eyes widened. He was mentally kicking himself, knowing he should have just waited for Marcus to finish his drink instead of coming out here alone. If only he had waited, he wouldn’t be in this unlikely predicament.

AJ tried to ease his racing heart, tried to compose himself enough to negotiate. “Look man, I don’t know what you want but…”

“I want you to shut the fuck up!” the man exclaimed as he pushed the blade deeper into AJ’s throat.

AJ’s breathing hitched upon feeling the sharp metal press deeper into his delicate flesh, deciding not to say another word.

“They’ll be here, they’ll be here…” he heard the man behind him begin to chant.

It took AJ a while to realize although the man’s grip was strong, his whole body was shaking, especially his hands. He figured if he didn’t calm himself, the shaking hand that held the knife to his throat would actually cut his flesh, just from the shaking alone. He wasn’t sure who the man was referring to when he said “they’d” be there, but he sure as hell didn’t want to find out.

Without thinking, he shoved himself backwards into the man, causing them to stumble backwards and slam into the wall. He felt his grip loosen a bit, and decided that was his chance to escape. Just as he slinked away from the man, he turned to sprint down the alley but was stopped by a group of men that was now standing before him.

“Going somewhere?” one of the men asked as he pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at AJ.

Eyes wide in fear, AJ rose his hands in surrender, slowly backing away from them. The man that was aiming his gun at him glanced over at the one who had restrained him earlier. “Get a fucking hold of yourself Josh, we got a job to do.”

AJ glanced over at the man that was now confirmed to be Josh, who was still doubled over, trying to regain his composure. “He shoved… me into… the wall.” he panted out.

The man who had the gun now transfixed his look back on AJ, “You let this little bitch run you over Josh?” he asked as he swiftly walked up to AJ and pistol-whipped him across the face. “You let this little fucking shit do that to you?”

AJ seethed at the pain that now coursed through the side of his face. Granted, the group of guys all appeared to be taller than him, but for the most part they were all scrawny, their only strength being able to hide behind the weapons they possessed.

The man bent a little to try and look AJ in the eyes, “Look at me.” he demanded.

Lifting his head slightly, AJ did was he was told, knowing that he wouldn’t get far at all if he rebelled. Upon looking at the man that stood before him, he caught a glimpse of one of his tattoos that ran across his throat. Seth.

“I’m gonna tell you what’s gonna happen.” the man, who he assumed to be Seth, said. “You are going to die. Take a good look at our faces because this is the last thing you’re going to see. You will die a slow, horrible and excruciating death at the hands of one man and one man only. Okay?”

AJ tried not to show any fear as he now glared him. Seth simply smirked, “You no longer seem afraid, I like that. Well, be ready to welcome death my friend.” he straightened himself up and snapped his fingers, pointing towards his group of men. “Elijah.”

AJ glanced over at the group to see a rather short and scrawny… boy step out from the group. He looked to be 18 or so, and with one look in his eyes you could tell he was very scared. Seth reached out for the young boy and grabbed him by his shoulders, yanking him and walking him towards AJ.

“This is it Lij… all that you’ve been taught, all that you’ve been preparing for comes down to this. This is your initiation, to become one of us. Using your skills that you’ve been taught, you will draw blood and taste it, you do not stop until you have taken his last breath from him. You will show your victim no mercy.” and with that, he shoved Elijah towards AJ.

AJ watched as the group of men now slowly retreated, now leaving just him and Elijah standing there, staring each other down. “Be like the serpent, and make the first deadly move.” Seth demanded.

AJ stared deep into Elijah’s eyes, being able to sense his uneasiness and nervousness, his inexperience and deep fear. Deep down inside, he knew Elijah did not want to do what he was being told to do, what he truly wasn’t capable of doing, but on the outside was a different story. He was corrupted, and only one of them would be able to walk away from this scene; Elijah was determined to be that one.

Before AJ could prepare himself, Elijah made the first lethal strike.