Page 115 of Loving Kai

Abe scowled. “Bastard.”

Luke patted his chest. “Be cool. We’re the good guys. The ah…voice of reason.”

“Right.”

They spoke with a few more people who were a little more reasonable, and after several minutes, about half of the crowd of onlookers had dispersed. When the two patrol cars arrived with flashing lights and blaring sirens, a few more people left, but it had no effect on the dozen men fighting.

Abe and Luke joined Justin, who was scowling at the brawlers. Then he retrieved a megaphone from the back of one of the vehicles and spoke into it.

“Anyone still here three minutes from now will be arrested for disturbing the peace.” He looked at his watch. “Start moving out.”

Several more people left, and a few of the fighters dropped out and limped away. Abe looked at Justin. “Now what?”

Justin spoke into the megaphone again. “Two minutes.” He glanced at the deputies. “Turn off the damn sirens and get out the zip ties.”

“Are we engaging, sir?”

“Just be ready.” He raised the megaphone again. “Thirty seconds.”

The sirens were turned off, bringing the sounds of the fighting into focus. The thud of a fist against a jaw and the resulting grunt. Heavy breathing. Muffled curses. The crack of a bone and a yelp.

There were still eight men caught up in the fight, completely ignoring the sheriff’s department's presence. Justin sighed. “Okay. Start with the onlookers. Zip them up and set them down on the curb.” He looked at his brothers. “You guys stay out of it.”

Abe raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Justin moved toward the two nearest men fighting and grabbed one of their arms. The man turned and threw a punch, hitting Justin in the jaw. Abe and Luke looked at each other, then jumped in to help.

Abe wasn’t sure when Milo and Wes joined in, but as he dodged a fist and wrestled a man to the ground, he saw Milo throw a punch and take one. Abe put a knee on the man’s back, and Eddie tossed him a zip tie. Abe secured the man’s hands, then stood and dragged him to the curb, where four other men were subdued and perched on the sidewalk’s edge, heads hung low, looking miserable.

As he returned to the melee, the man Abe had originally asked to leave grabbed his arm, then punched him in the nose. Abe staggered back, regained his balance, and swung at the man. The punch landed on the side of the man’s head, and he went down to the ground.

“Well, that was easy.” He swiped at the blood coming from his nose.

Luke came over to him. “I bet that felt good.” He handed Abe a zip tie. “Secure the bastard.”

It took another ten minutes, but Justin, his three deputies, and the four Buchanan brothers finally gained the upper hand, and everyone who hadn’t run off was secured. Fourteen men sat on the curb with cuts, bruises, bloody noses, and swollen eyes. A smaller group of curious onlookers had gathered, and two ambulances had arrived on the scene.

Justin looked at his brothers. “Way to stay out of it, guys. Who needs medical attention?”

Wes shook his head. “We’re all fine. Or, you know, close enough.”

“You don’t look fine.”

Wes touched his black eye. “You don’t look so great yourself, brother.”

When they all heard a familiar voice, they spotted Allie and John approaching. Abe muttered, “Shit.” And Luke said, “How the hell?”

She walked up to Justin. “How’d you let this happen?”

“Um…I tried to keep them out of it. How did you—”

She looked at the rest of them. “Your father heard it on the scanner. Of course, I told him it was a mistake. My boys wouldn’t be mixed up in a brawl.”

Wes held up a hand. “We were helping stop the brawl, Mom.”

John came up beside her, looked at his sons, then at the men on the curb. “Good job, boys.”

Allie nudged him. “Don’t encourage them.”