I'll admit that it probably wasn't my brightest idea to follow Logan. Lucky for me, wherever it was that he "worked" was within walking distance, because he didn't go down to the car garage to get his car, but went the opposite direction from campus entirely. I kept my phone clenched tightly in my hand, praying that I could keep a close enough distance without him realizing I was tailing him, but not far enough where I'd lose him and fall victim to the dark alleyways.

The further we got from campus, the more uneasy I started to feel. I was too far away to turn around and walk back on my own without fear of being approached or watched, but the deeper into the night we went, the more rundown the houses and businesses began to get.

I don't know what compelled me to follow him, or why I had continued to once we'd stepped way out of my comfort zone. As he slowed to a stop in front of a run down warehouse, I stopped and stared in confusion. The building had obviously once been home to some sort of warehouse, but had since been gutted and used as an art project by the gangs around town. Graffiti was painted on the front and side of the building facing me.

He grabbed a keychain from his back pocket and headed for the front of the building. He hesitated once he'd unlocked the door, looking directly where I was crouched behind an electrical box.

"Unless you want to end up dead in a ditch, I recommend you come in."

He had known I was following him this entire time and hadn't said anything?

"You knew?" I whispered as I edged closer to him. I don't know why I thought I had to whisper. Who was I afraid of hearing me?

"Emily," He looked as if he were fighting a smile. "You are not a quiet walker, and when you've been around the dumps as long as I have, you learn to have eyes in the back of your head. Yes, I knew. And I was seeing if you'd stop, but you didn't, so I'm forced to bring you in here now."

I thought about apologizing, but he had already stepped into the building, holding the door so I could join him. I immediately felt a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach and glanced sideways at Logan to see if he was showing any indication on what we were doing here. He didn't seem the least bit phased by the cold, brisk air in the room, or my stomach, and disappeared into the darkness.

"Logan, I—" My words died in my mouth when I was blinded by a bright light. I backed up, throwing my hands over my eyes dramatically. Once I'd regained my sight, minus the floaters appearing across my vision, my eyes found Logan across the large, empty space.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the boxing ring in the middle of the wide, open space. Even from where I stood, I could see blood splatters toward the outer edges of it. There wasn't much else in the room. A few chairs here and there, and a couple Everlast punching bags hanging from the ceiling a few feet away from the ring.

"You work here?" I asked, hugging my arms around myself in hopes it would kill my chill.

Logan dropped the duffel bag slung over his left shoulder on the edge of the ring, sliding it so it was under one of the red ropes.

"My foster father's biggest dream was to own his own gym, to give young boys and girls, especially those that grew up less fortunate and minorities, a chance to channel their aggressions in a positive way. He passed last year but had started to build the place up again. I promised him on his deathbed I'd finish the place up and live out his dream for him."

Okay, so maybe Logan wasn't a heartless ass. Maybe there was a heart under all the arrogance and stupidity.

"That's actually really sweet, Logan." I whispered, my eyes drifting from him to the wall behind him. I had to move closer to it in order to make out the dark outline of a man, the features extremely familiar. I closed the distance between myself and the wall, touching it with the palm of my hand as if it'd go right through and I'd be able to pull my brother out from the portrait.

"This is incredible, Logan." I said, still in awe. "Did you draw this?"

He looked away, his own arms over his chest now. "Yeah. It's really not that great, you're being dramatic."

"You're being dismissive. Logan, you even added the mole under his right ear. I can only imagine what it'll look like when it's done."

He shrugged, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He clearly did not want to continue the conversation or was possibly feeling strange about someone actually seeing he was more than an arrogant playboy façade.

"Jess used to come down here with me, helped me fix the place up. Used to look way worse than it is." Logan was staring at the mural beside us, eyes staring somewhere far beyond the wall. "I remember one time after we'd finished painting, we were sitting in some crappy ass fold up chairs and he brought you up."

I stared, keeping my mouth shut as I wasn't exactly sure where he was headed with the conversation.

"He said you were going through a breakup with one of the few guys he'd been okay with you dating. He then said, "You know, man, maybe if she'd just date one of you guys, I wouldn't constantly have to worry about her.'" I hadn't done much other than laugh uncomfortably, but thinking back to it, I have to wonder if in his head he thought giving you the keys to the condo and having you come live with us, that he wouldn't have to worry as much knowing we were there for you if something happened.. Of course that was before he. . . he. . ."

"Before he died." I finished for him, dropping my gaze to the concrete.

Logan finally met my eyes, his own guarded to prevent any emotion from seeping through. "Yeah. When you showed up a few days ago, after our argument, I thought hard about it. Trying to figure out if he'd ever said anything. That was all I could think of, but it makes sense, I guess."

"Except I have no interest in dating any of you." I pointed out, feeling my lip curl in disgust.

Logan stared at me hard for a long time. "I don't think I believe that."

"What would lead you to believe otherwise?"

"I think that you haven't given any of us a chance, except maybe Adam. Who I can tell you right now, you're going to friendzone, as he's not close to being your type." He smirked. "As for Collin, I don't know, I feel like you guys might hit it off once you get to know him."

"And you?" I questioned; eyebrows raised. He took a step forward, so he had invaded my personal space and brushed his finger under my chin, conceit clear as day in his eyes.

"You're my best friend's little sister, I think there's a huge rule against that specific thing." He glanced up suddenly, hand still on my cheek. He must have heard something I hadn't, because he immediately walked over to his duffel bag and pulled out a pistol. He shoved me behind him quickly, cocking it, and shaking his head.

"What the hell, Logan, how—" I started, but he threw his free hand over my mouth with a glare. I saw his entire body slump forward in relief the moment Collin stepped into our line of sight. He was still in the purple and black tank top and shorts he'd been in when Adam and I had stopped by earlier, but had a jacket draped over his arm and a look of irritation on his face.

"I have been trying to get a hold of both of you all night." He looked from Logan to me. "Some chick showed up at our door looking for you."

Lea. It had to be Lea. My phone must have died.

"Why the hell would you let her come down here?" Collin asked after a moment of silence, not giving me enough time to answer. "Do you know how dangerous it is if she steps foot outside alone at this time of night? Did you forget I grew up down here?"

My heart sunk a little at the last sentence. That must have been what Alex was prodding at back at the party yesterday.

"She followed me." Logan sneered. "I didn't let her do anything."

Collin's eyes went from Logan to me, then to my arms, currently clutching my shoulders to keep myself from shivering. He shook his head and crossed the room to us, immediately wrapping his jacket around me and zipping it. I lifted my arms and laughed a little, feeling like a child playing dress up with her dad's clothes. I could fit two of me in it.

"Look, Logan, it's fine you do what you do with your life, man. But Jesse's gone, and until Emily figures out what she's doing, I feel like we're obligated to care for her a little, help her out. This," He gestured around us, then to the gun in Logan's hand, "is dangerous, Logan. You know that as well as I do. Imagine the guilt you'd feel if something happened to her."

"She is right here." I pointed at myself. "And I did follow him."

Collin's intense gaze fell on me a few feet away, looking as if he were about to start scolding me. "It's beyond just this, Emily. You're better off and safer just staying away."

Logan's grip on his gun tightened so much his knuckles started to lose color. "I'd watch what you say, West. Get the fuck out."

"Gladly." Collin, though he had a good few inches on Logan, was much smaller in frame. "Come on, Emily."

I looked to Logan for any indication of how Logan was feeling besides anger, but he looked seconds away from cocking the gun again and shooting Collin.

"It's a really beautiful mural, Logan." I looked toward the portrait of my brother for the last time. "I know it doesn't mean much but thank you. He would have loved and appreciated this."

He nodded, then turned his back to us and headed toward the ring. I followed Collin out, a few steps behind, feeling a little guilty. Once outside, I groaned, turning to find an old Nissan Sentra parked directly in front of the building. He held the passenger side door open for me, shutting it before walking around the car and climbing into his own seat. He locked the doors as soon as he started the car, shaking his head at my curious look.

"I spent eighteen years down here, Emily. Don't give me that look. I know what lurks in the night." He explained, backing out. Almost on cue, a beer can hit the windshield, spilling alcohol all over it. Collin cursed under his breath and turned the wipers on and sighed and relief once we were out of harms way.

"Thanks for the jacket." I nodded down. "I was freezing."

"And Logan was just standing there in a jacket too, while you were shivering." Collin mentioned. "Don't mention it."

I rested my hands on my lap. "What's Logan's deal? I asked Adam earlier, but all he did was say he didn't really bring girls around."

Collin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "He's not a bad dude, don't get me wrong, he's just. . . lost, I guess is the right word. As Adam said, he kind of steers clear of chicks unless he's in one of his moods, then he goes through them left and right for a couple weeks. He was into drugs for a bit back when Jess was in bootcamp. Not sure if he still is or not. I just. . . I have a little sister too, Emily. A little younger than you, actually, and I'd never let Logan, or Jesse for that matter, anywhere near her. You seem like you've got your head on pretty straight to, I'd hate to see you succumb to their way of life."

I felt the need to jump to Jesse's defense, and maybe even Logan's too. That need was overruled with the logical side of my brain that knew that Collin was right and was in no way making anything up. I hadn't known a lot about Logan, with the exception that both of his parents had been drug addicts and he'd been shoved into the foster system at four and adopted by a sweet, old hard working Mexican man who'd tried his hardest to raise Logan the way he had been. And Jesse, Jesse had been a lost cause as a child in everyone's eyes. He was ADHD which had him driving teachers crazy in grade school, and that in turn had made him act out against our parents. From then on, he had gotten worse and worse, but kept more to himself. At least I thought he had, that must have changed once he was here at Syracuse.

"Lea, is she still at the apartment?" I broke the silence, shooting him a quick sideways glance. His dark hands grasped the steering wheel, lips parted in preparation to speak as he nodded.

"Yeah, when I left she was talking to Adam about some nerd convention." He answered quietly. "I know the answer probably is no, but Logan didn't try anything, did he? I'm not talking just sexual, I'm talking in general."

I shook my head. "He was actually being really quiet and distant. We talked about Jesse a little, then you showed up."

"You get under his skin, you know." Collin smiled a little. "I haven't seen him squirm like this in months. It's nice to see him not act so high and mighty all the time."

"When I first saw you, I thought you were going to be an egotistical douche." I replied, laughing nervously. He rested his free hand over his chest in feign hurt, a smile dancing across his lips.

"How judgmental. Didn't your parents ever teach you to never judge a book by its cover?" He brought the hand back to the steering wheel again. "Shame on you, Emily."

I laughed and it sounded strange. I hadn't laughed like this since the week of my graduation. It had been bittersweet as Jesse had come back and we'd had a blast, only to have him tell me he was being deployed in a few weeks. I hadn't allowed myself to show much emotion since.

"So have you given it any thought?" He shot me a quick look . "You know, if you're staying or not?"

I felt my smile waver a little and focused on the dark road ahead of us. "That's why Lea's here, I asked her to swing by. I'm going to see if maybe I can crash at her place until I can figure out if it's too late to ask for a dorm room. Doubt it's going to happen though as she has like a hundred brothers and sisters."

"You do know we aren't all that bad, right?" Collin whispered. "I mean, we all have our issues and flaws here and there, but if it came down to it, we'd all beat a guy's ass for you. Jesse had our back when shit got rough. And we've got your back, Emily. You don't have to go."

I pried my eyes from the road as he turned into the parking garage and stared at him. "I don't think I want to spend the next four years in the same room as Logan."

"I somehow don't believe that either." Collin chuckled. "But we can try and figure out some new living arrangements if needed. Jesse knew what he was doing sending you to the condo, Emily, so we're going to have to trust his judgement and figure it out, you know what I mean?"

I smiled. "Yeah, Collin, I know what you mean."

As he walked around the car to open the passenger side door for me, I couldn't help but fall a few feet behind and watch after him as we headed for the elevator leading back up into the building. As much as I hated confined spaces and the idea of it getting stuck, Collin probably wouldn't make the worse company if it were to happen.

Maybe he was right and we could figure something out. Maybe Logan had been right about Jesse wanting me here so the boys could keep an eye on me when he couldn't. As irritating as it was that he still believed I needed to be babysat, it was also sweet that he was so concerned. And maybe, just maybe, these three idiots aren't going to be the death of me, but instead be the only fragment I had left of my older brother to hold on to.