Explosion
Rocky's ex-husband, Matty, shows up at The Colonel's and tries to attack her, but Brendan breaks his knees with a baseball bat. Todd claims Brendan was just a kid off the street who helped stop Matty, but he is now banished from the bar because Matty is a cop and trouble will ensue if the HPD catches him. Brendan now wonders about his legal status, so asks Uncle Sean if he's in the country legally but gets no real answer. Which indicates he is not. That was why he's paid under the table, is being kept in the shadows as much as possible, and does not have his passport.
Rocky stays with Brendan until she can find a new place, but within strict limits set down by Uncle Sean and Aunt Mari. He talks to Rocky about going to Colorado with her and her mother, but she's not very open to it. They wind up having sex.
Rocky moves in with Everett, for now. He learned from a cop friend that Brendan crippled Matty so he cannot be a cop anymore. All looks good until Matty uses his friends in the force to track Rocky down, rams her car on Westheimer and kills her then commits suicide. Brendan blames himself and dives into a deep depression. Two women he's been involved with have died violent deaths. He feels he may be a curse.
New Directions
Brendan refuses to eat or see anyone, just lives on booze and pills. Todd tells him Rocky was using him like she'd used other men at bars she'd worked at, before. That it was some sick game between her and Matty and finally came to a head. Brendan blows him off.
Aunt Mari finally slams into the pool house, forces Brendan to clean up and makes him go with his uncle to Trujillo Motors for a possible job. They repair UK and European cars. He meets Rene Boudoin, who's Cajun and the head mechanic, and he sullenly proves he can work on British cars. As usual, working on repairing something pulls him out of his mood. Rene is amazed at how Brendan can tear and engine apart and put it back together with no trouble.
Co-workers are Bernardo, Tomas and Vinicius, but he gets along best with Hugo, from Guadalajara. They share beers, Mexican food, girls, and rides on Hugo's motorcycle. Hugo also trains Brendan in riding a motorbike, then he buys a 1966 Montesa Impala, fixes it up and ranges all over Houston. He feels like when he's ice-skating -- free and clear of his past. Uncle Sean is not happy with it, and his aunt insists he wear a light helmet. Then he has a small accident so Hugo gets him a real helmet and gloves. Brendan begins to see him as another brother and realizes he's losing contact with his past...and does not care.
Jeremy
Jeremy returns from the kibbutz and Yom Kippur war changed in many ways, none of which his family seem to notice. They all but hero-worship him, now. He connects further with Brendan by ditching his welcome home party, for a few moments, and goes riding with him on the Montesa. He tells Brendan about how soldiers in Israel ride about on them two-by-two. They return to the BBQ, but Jeremy fights to hide how affected he was by the war. They finally share a joint and everything is calm.
July 4th, Aunt Mari's family is at Herman Park for the fireworks, but Brendan stays home. Then Jeremy appears at the pool house with a baggie and bottle of wine. He and Bren share both and fight to ignore the explosions and gunfire. Too much like war, is their attitude. Jeremy confides in Brendan that he was called Christ-killer in school and had to learn to defend himself. Finally proved he could take care of business by breaking his accuser's arm. After that, kids were careful around him. He knows Aikido, how to shoot a rifle and pistol, and wrestling.
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