Claire leaned forward and elbowed the back of his head. Ryan spun around, wrapping his arms around her waist at the same time. He charged forward, and they both crashed into the table.
“C’mon!” I yelled, seeing my mother’s imported English dining table in pieces.
Immediately on her feet, Claire grabbed two fistfuls of Ryan’s shirt and tossed him into the foyer.
“I love it when you play rough!” Ryan yelled from the other room.
Claire wiped her bloodied lip and licked the crimson liquid from her fingers. “You haven’t seen rough yet.” She disappeared through the doorway, and I winced when Ryan cried out.
“That’s fighting dirty!” he yelled, crying out again.
“We’d better get in there and supervise,” Jared said, pulling me into the next room.
Claire held Ryan upside down by his ankle, feigning sympathy as he swiped at her to no avail. He scanned the room and then arched his back, lifting a solid wood statue from the floor, hammering Claire’s knee just after getting his hands on it.
She was knocked to the ground, and Ryan fell on his head with a crack. When he stood, a thin line of red streamed from his hairline. “It was worth it,” he said, running at Claire.
She flipped backward, and then drew her side arm.
“Not funny,” Jared warned.
The gun fired, and Ryan jerked, covering his head with one hand, his crotch with the other. The bullet lodged into the wall—right through the center of Cynthia’s prized original Renoir.
“I think…I think I’m going to pass out,” I said, feeling woozy. Jared obliged when I hooked my arm around his.
“Should I stop them?” Jared said.
“They won’t stop until they’re finished being CHILDISH!” I said. “Take it outside!”
Ryan pointed at Claire. “You…you just shot at me!”
Claire rolled her eyes. “You’re such a baby. That wasn’t even close.”
“The bullet blew air by my eyeball!” he said, dramatically pointing to his eye.
“Fine,” she said in a huff. “I’ll put it away so you don’t pee your pants, big Special Forces man.”
Ryan relaxed and stood up straight, and then charged her again. Claire rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the throat, stopping him in his tracks. “All you do is run at me. I’m bored.”
Ryan took a swipe at her, making strange hacking noises.
I walked over to them, glaring at Ryan, and then at Claire. “He’s turning blue.”
Claire raised her other fist like she was going to punch him, but then turned it over, casually picking at her nails.
“Claire,” Jared growled.
She looked at Ryan and narrowed her eyes. “Tap out.”
Ryan struggled to make a noise. “No,” he choked. His eyes fluttered as he lost consciousness.
I frowned. “Okay, that’s enough. Jared, please make her stop.”
Jared took a step, and Claire pointed at him. “Jared Gabriel, don’t you dare.”
“Claire—” he began, but she held her hand palm-out to her brother.
I glanced at Ryan and then back at her. “It’s not funny anymore.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s kinda funny.”
I grabbed Claire’s wrist with one hand and wrapped my arm around Ryan with the other. It was futile, but I hoped Claire would snap out of her rage and realize what she was doing. As if it were nothing, they separated.
“Thank you,” I said, helping Ryan to the floor. “Ry,” I said, patting his cheek. “Deep breaths.” I looked up at Claire to send her a look of disapproval, but her expression took me off guard. “What?”
“I didn’t let go,” she said, stunned.
Jared’s eyes darted between the three of us. “What do you mean you didn’t let go?”
Claire’s eyes widened. “She pulled me off him.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes,” I said. “You went too far.”
Claire shook her head. “How did you do that?”
She was serious. I had pulled Ryan from her grip without effort. I had barely tensed, thinking Claire had simply decided to let go. “I…I don’t…know,” I said. I waited for Jared to offer an answer, but he stood speechless.
Ryan stirred. “Did I win?”
Claire frowned. “Of course not, stupid. ‘Did I win’,” she said, mocking Ryan’s deep voice. She rolled her eyes, and then her face brightened. “Stand up, Nina.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
I stood, and Claire took a defensive crouch. In the next moment, Jared was between us. “You have lost your mind!”
“Just one time!” Claire begged. “I bet it won’t even hurt her!”
“What are we talking about, here?” I said, my eyes dancing between the two of them.
“I’ll do it,” Jared said.
“Do what?” I asked. Jared led me to the center of the room, standing directly in front of me.
“What is he doing?” Ryan asked Claire.
“Sssh. Pass out again,” she said, impatiently waiting for something to happen.
My eyebrows pulled in. “What do you plan to do?”
Jared steadied himself and squared his shoulders. His eyes darkened, and then he lowered his chin. In the next moment his body relaxed, and he threw his head back. “I can’t,” he sighed, looking at the ceiling.