Squirrel was howling in outrage at the sight of her, his head tilted back like a wolf as he formed a perfect little O with canine lips. It would have been cute under other circumstances.

“Not yet, Kenni.” Jazz caught her before she reached the barrier. “There are too many strangers here for Marcus and Essie to be comfortable with the babies romping around them.”

She hadn’t considered that. The remorse on her face was as clear as the shock and pain.

“I have to get out of here, Jazz.” She rubbed at her arms, her pale face almost white now as she stared up at him beseechingly. “I can’t just sit here.”

She was going to explode at this rate, he knew.

“Come on, I’ll take you upstairs then.” Maybe a few minutes alone, without strangers moving around her, would help settle her down. God knew he could use a few minutes himself.

“Escaping, is she?” Cord drawled from behind them then. “I should have known that one was coming.”

Jazz almost cursed as Kenni froze for a second before turning to face her brother and cousin.

“You know how he gets, Kenni,” Banyon said with a grimace. “He’s worse than a damned kid at a candy store when blood is spilling.”

“Don’t waste your time, Banyon. Kenni doesn’t believe in letting family in any more. She’s going to protect us all, ya know,” Cord drawled from the kitchen doorway.

Lifting the cup of coffee he’d helped himself to he sipped at it lazily before tilting it in her direction in mock acknowledgment.

“And you’re a moron,” she snapped. “Someone should have neutered you at birth to halt the testosterone development.”

A mocking smile tilted his lips. “Too late now.”

“Like hell. One day someone’s gonna show you different with the sharp edge of a good knife,” she guessed. “I want to be there when they do.”

“Little girl, that’s not a day you’ll ever see,” he assured her, still laughing. “Hell, Kenni, you’re so damned good at running I don’t expect you to stick around past fall now.”

She smirked back at him. “Oh, I’ll still be here, Cord Maddox, if for no other reason than to prove you wrong.”

He sipped at his coffee again, his expression thoughtful.

“Don’t do it, Cord,” Banyon muttered. “Jazz will retaliate.”

“Come on, Banyon, what’s there to retaliate over?” Cord mocked. “A sister who cut us out of her life ten years ago? I should have figured out why I couldn’t find her all those years. It was because she didn’t want to be found.”

“Finally figured that out, did you?” she asked painfully, rising from the chair as Jazz straightened in front of her. “Took you a while, didn’t it, Cord.”

As she turned her back on them and left the kitchen, she would have been surprised had she seen Banyon’s and Deacon’s expressions, Jazz thought. Not that either of them said a word.

And honestly, Jazz had had enough of it. This picking and poking at Kenni by Cord, Deacon, or whoever else decided they didn’t agree with her decisions was going to stop.

And it was stopping right here.

Turning to where Slade and Zack stepped from the basement, Jazz waved them out to the back porch. Cord would know better than to accept an invitation outside by Jazz. That left good old-fashioned trickery.

Not that Slade or Zack stupid. But whether they agreed or not, they would still help.

As Jazz moved to the back porch, Slade and Zack moved to each side of him.

The screen door hadn’t even closed when Cord pushed out of it, glaring at Jazz when he moved around him to face him.

“Trying to hide something, Lancing?” he snarled.

Jazz smiled complacently before delivering an uppercut that lifted the other man from his feet, throwing him back over the steps and to the grass in the yard.

And he wasn’t finished with Cord Maddox, either.

*   *   *

Fuck!

What just exploded in his head?

And why the hell were rainbows twisting and screwing one another across his vision. Those freaky lights were scaring the shit out of him. Especially as he felt himself being hauled to his feet.

Swaying, Cord gave what he hoped was a hard shake of his head.

Okay, they were going away now. No more weird rainbows.

Reaching up and gripping his jaw, he worked it slowly as he focused on the man in front of him.

“Jazz?” He stumbled just a little before Jazz caught him. “Thanks, man,” he muttered, shook his head again, then frowned up at him. “Jazz, did you just fucking hit me?” He had to blink again to chase away more rainbows.

Amazement filled Jazz’s features.

“Cord, I just helped you up, man.” He sounded pleasant enough. “Here, let me see what you’ve done to your face.”

Cord dropped his hand from his jaw.

Hell exploded in his abdomen then. His stomach was shoved clear to his throat with a whole lot of help from Jazz’s fist. Before he could catch his breath Jazz delivered another iron-bitch fist to his jaw and Cord was sure something broke this time.

He slammed into the side of the porch.

Ah fuck.

Shit. Dammit.

His legs went limp. Cord felt himself slide down the wall supporting the porch until his ass hit grass.

Fuck.

Jazz’s fists had only gotten harder over the years.

He might actually puke. Maybe Jazz ruptured his stomach?

“Get up!” Jazz demanded furiously.

Hell no. That shit wasn’t happening. Those freaky-ass rainbows scared him.

“Tell Kenni some bullshit like that again now,” Jazz snapped. “Next time I’ll break your face.”

“It’s the truth. She has to stop running.” Cord coughed, barely managing to hold his breakfast down.

“Maddox, you wouldn’t know the truth if it dry-fucked your ass,” Jazz sneered. “You stupid fucker. You’re so damned blind it amazes me you’re still able to walk.”

Cord stumbled to his feet, wondering where the hell Banyon had run off to.

“You’re too blinded by lust to see what’s right in front of you.” Cord stumbled against the porch, keeping a wary eye on Jazz. “You’re going to lose her if you keep babying her.”

Jazz took a step closer.

“Dammit, Jazz, you hit me again and we’re going to have problems,” Cord warned him, slurring a bit.

Damn, his face hurt.

“Get off my property and stay off!” The order sounded serious.

Hell, Jazz sounded serious. Jazz had never thrown Kin off his property, no matter their disagreements. And there had been a few over the years. Pop would be pissed over it, but once he found out it happened after Cord learned Kenni was alive and living with Jazz, then he just might throw Cord out of the clan for a while as he’d threatened ten years ago.

That just wouldn’t do. Not at all.

Cord tried to laugh but shit, it hurt. “Come on, Jazz, we’re going to figure out what the hell is going on here and then we’re going to kick some ass. Kenni’s going to be fine.”

Jazz moved for him again.

“Hit me again, Jazz, and I swear to God I’ll turn into the best brother she’s ever imagined having and talk her home before you’ve realized what happened,” he swore. “Go ahead, test me on it.”

*   *   *

Jazz paused.

The problem was, he was pretty certain Cord could do it. He wasn’t nearly so confident that she belonged to him totally yet.

“When you two are finished posturing, we might need to talk.” Slade broke the stare-off he and Cord were having.

Turning his head, Jazz met the other man’s gaze, frowning at the icy rage in Slade’s eyes.

“Phoenix talk already?” Jazz questioned him. He hadn’t expected that.

“You and Cord need to come to the basement,” Slade informed him. “We came upstairs to get the two of you before you decided to try your fists out on his face. Phoenix is refusing to talk unless Cord’s willing to make a deal with him first.”

The Maddox Clan was notorious for not making deals. What Phoenix had done was a killing offense and one that no order had to go out on. Every Kin, in every state, would be gunning for him if he was seen.