Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cassian

One of the best things about having siblings was being able to shit talk your parents with people who understood exactly what you meant.

Really, though, I had lucked out in the parental department. Reina Ellis and Asher Carson were admired, respected, and feared. Mom and Dad, however, were loving, strict and incredibly protective. It was a strange balance—publicly, they were powerful and borderline ruthless. At home, they were the kind of parents who made me text when I got somewhere safely and gave me lectures that usually started with “We just want you to be safe.”

Ariella said it was because we were the “babies” of the family, and her parents were the same way. She was the same age as me and we found ourselves in the same boat with our parents more often than not. 

Killian and Gareth also saw it as their duty to look after and protect me, but they were slightly more reasonable. They knew I was a teenage boy, knew I took after them in more than just a few ways, and knew I would inevitably get myself caught up in stupid shit. I had gotten advice on the safest way to sneak out, lectures about how much I should drink and knowing my limits and been given a hard line drawn at smoking, so I hadn’t attempted to pick up a cigarette. Yet.

More recently I had found a box of condoms on my bed with a note attached, informing me to,

“Stay safe. -G”

It wasn't a subtle message.

That’s why I decided to talk to my brothers about it first. 

~

Gareth threw his head back and laughed, the loud sound echoing through the small speaker of the phone.

“It’s not that funny.” I muttered brushing dark strands of hair out of my face.

His laughter tapered off after a few more seconds and he adjusted the camera focus.”I know Cass.” he sighed, “I would love for you to stay with us, I just don’t know how you’re gonna convince dad to let you.”

“That’s why I’m calling.” I paused. “ I was sorta maybe wondering if you could possibly ask him for me?” My voice raised slightly at the end and I gave him my best hopeful look.

Gareth opened his mouth - probably to say fuck no - but before he could reject the idea another voice came over the speaker, “We’ll talk to him Cassi.”

Gareth shot a glare off screen at Killian,

“We will?”

“Thanks Killi, love you guys.” I hung up before they could respond, or change their minds and quickly texted Ari.

They’re in.

Almost immediately she sent back three thumbs up and let me know that her parents had already agreed, with the condition that she stay far away from a certain Remington Astor.

Spring break was in a week and Ari had come up with the idea that we should spend that week at King’s U with our siblings and cousins. Of course our high school didn’t have spring break, but we easily performed highly in all of our classes and could well afford to miss a week of work we already knew.

I hadn’t seen Killian and Gareth in a couple months and while I did miss them, the real reason we wanted to go was the Price party.

Every year the Price kids, at least the ones still in high school, held a massive rave at their mansion. Around spring break, Melanie and Soren Price left to some foreign country to celebrate their wedding anniversary, and left their six children to their own devices for a week. It was invite only, and invitations were exclusive. Anyone who got one was someone. Either your parents had wealth, fame, power or a combination of all three. It was probably one of the best kept secrets among teenagers. This year the last of the Price kids, the twins Gabriela and Loren Price turned 18, meaning it would be the last year for the infamous party. Ari and I were invited last year but as 16 year olds our parents would’ve laughed at any attempt to persuade them into letting us go. This year, we were both 17, and definitely weren’t about to miss it.
~

“It’s just for a week, Dad.” I groaned.

Dad, to his credit, didn't even look up from his computer as he shook his head. "No."

"Mom?" I questioned, giving her my best pleading look.

She shot me a sympathetic look but didn’t argue with him. 

Classic.

“If you think I’m letting my 17 year old son stay on a college campus, during spring break of all things, for a week…” He emphasized every pause, as if I was struggling to understand basic English. “You’ve lost-”

A sharp ringing interrupted him and his phone vibrated on the table. I caught a glimpse of the name and held back a grin before he picked it up and left the room.

Gareth.

I smirked, sat back and waited.

Ten minutes later he came back, phone in hand and leveled me with a long look.

“You stay with your brothers.” He commanded.

I sat up instantly. "Yes-"

“If you’re leaving the house you’re leaving with one of your brothers or cousins." he continued.

I grinned but before I could speak he tossed me the phone, “You can thank them.” He grumbled, but there was faint amusement in his eyes.

Killian’s laugh crackled over the phone,

“See you next week Cassi. This is gonna be fun.”

Chapter Text

Cassian

I flew out the next Sunday, by myself, because Ari had been sick for a few days and Aunt Silver wanted her home an extra day to make sure she felt fully better. Killian had said he would pick me up the night before so I shot him a text that I was here and went outside to wait for him.

Ten minutes later a red Maserati GranTurismo swung around the corner and pulled up in front of me coming to a smooth stop. Killian put the car in park, popped the trunk and opened the door. All 6'3 feet of him exited the car and he fixed his gaze on me, blue eyes, that matched my own, narrowing.

"You look different." he stated giving me a once over as he walked towards me. 

"Yeah well, according to mom, I'm having some sort of growth spurt." I replied.

Over the winter I had shot up several inches and now stood at 5'11. Ariella, on the other hand, seemed stuck at 5'4, a feat I teased her endlessly about.

He smiled, a rare thing, and opened his arms, "Come here, little brother."

It was give or take with Killian whether he was in a touching mood or not, but I wasn't about to question his good mood. I stepped forward into his arms and he enveloped me in a hug. I buried my face in his shirt and breathed. All of a sudden my throat felt tight and I whispered, "I missed you” into his chest.

Almost like he could sense my rising emotions, he squeezed me tighter before letting go and clapping a hand on my back, "All right, enough of that. Let's get you home. Glyndon and Brandon have just been dying to meet you." he drawled.

I raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged, "Their words, not mine"

"Are they there?" I asked. 

"No, they'll come over tomorrow." he said, "Just family tonight."

He picked up my suitcase and shoved it in the trunk, then turned and looked back at me,

"What? You want me to open the door for you too? Get in."

I laughed, before a low whistle left my mouth when I got a good look at the inside of the car.

"Nice, isn't it?" Killian asked.

I choked, "Understatement of the century."

He ruffled my hair, "You're the only one who appreciates this shit."

I batted away his hand,"You mean your girlfriend doesn't like it?" I teased.

He started the car, "Nah Glyndon doesnt really care about all that stuff. You'll see."

I looked out the window as we left the city and the buildings were replaced with trees only now growing back their leaves. I was a bit nervous to meet everyone, after hearing so much about them. Talking to my brothers at least three times a week on the phone meant we were all caught up on each other's lives, but it still felt strange to be actually meeting the people I'd only learned about over the phone.

We passed the rest of the drive in a comfortable silence.

~

I spent the night, drink in hand, in the living room of the Heathen's Mansion with Jeremy, Nikolai, Killian and Gareth, until Jeremy had to help Nikolai up the stairs to his room, and they called it a night not too long after. It was nice, I realized. Next year I would get to be part of these nights, chilling on the couch joking and sharing stories with my brothers and cousins.

It wasn’t a bad way to spend some weekends.

Ari came in the next morning, but, since she was staying with her sister Ava, I wouldn’t see her until later when Glyndon, Brandon, Ava and Cecily were coming over and bringing her along. Until then, I was plenty busy. Gareth insisted on a short tour of the campus, claiming I needed to get familiar with the layout of the grounds.

Not like I didn’t have four years to do that.

He rolled his eyes when I said just that and told me to stop being a smartass. Nikolai also decided to come when he heard Gareth promise me breakfast at some popular cafe. Killian had also promised to take me for a drive in his fancy car, and Jeremy said it was just because he had recently learned how to drift and wouldn’t “shut the fuck up about it”. I tried to push my luck and ask if I could drive it, to which he just looked at me and didn’t even deign to respond. 

Then, the whole time we were out, Nikolai kept talking about going to see some lacrosse game. 

When did he even start liking lacrosse?

Eventually though, we all arrived back to the house, and sat around waiting for the others to come. 

~ 

The slam of a car door outside and travelling voices woke me from the unintentional nap I had taken on the couch. I got up and tried to fix my hair into something more presentable as Ilya opened the front door. I heard Ari's voice asking where I was and a minute later she squealed as she ran through the doorway into the living room and jumped into my arms. I laughed, lifting her off of her feet and spinning her around. 

“I missed you too,” I chuckled. 

She squeezed me tighter before finally letting go as I returned her to the floor.

Looking me up and down her jaw fell, “You asshole, you got taller.”

“Yeah and you haven’t grown even an inch” I replied, messing up the top of her hair.

She smacked my hand away playfully, “Shut up!”

“Oh my god! I have soo much stuff to tell you, that I just couldn’t say over the phone-” she started.

Someone cleared their throat behind us and I looked back to see everyone else looking at us with varying levels of amusement on their faces.

Glyndon stepped forward from beside Killian and smiled, “Hi Cassian, it's nice to finally meet you.”

Pictures didn’t do her justice, they didn’t capture just how bright and beautiful she was. Again I wondered how she'd fallen for my brother who was basically her polar opposite. Her smile was contagious and I grinned back, “Nice to meet you too.”

Brandon and Cecily introduced themselves next and Cecily whispered to Jeremy, loud enough for everyone to hear, 

“He looks just like Killian but with more hair.”

We went to a bar later that night that they apparently frequented if the way the bouncers and bartenders knew their names and orders was anything to go by. The night was spent playing drinking games and joking around and I was happy to get to know everyone better. Ari and I had a good time and by the end, she was stumbling into Jeremy’s car, arm wrapped around Cecily’s shoulders with Ava following behind carrying her purse. Glyndon decided to stay the night so she left with Killian and I rode with Gareth back home. 

Nikolai and Brandon drove off in the opposite direction. I asked where they were going and Gareth just shrugged, “They do that sometimes.”

~

Friday came around quicker than expected. Ariella managed to convince her sister to let her stay the night by me, under the pretense that she hadn’t gotten a proper chance to catch up with me and that, and I quote, “it was so tragic that we were barely able to see each other throughout the school year”. When Ari put her mind up to something and used those big brown eyes of hers to her advantage, it was pretty hard to look at her and say no.

The Price party was happening, and Ari had gotten a text earlier in the day with the address from an unknown number. The theme this year was Ruby . Every year featured a different gem and last year's was Diamond. 

I showered and changed into some black pants, from a designer I couldn't remember the name of, that Ari had bought for me, and a dark red dress shirt that I left partially unbuttoned. Then I sprayed some water and raked some gel through my hair attempting to tame it.  I snuck downstairs to wait for Ari, but with the noises coming out of Killian's room there was really no need to be quiet.

Fifteen minutes later, I finally heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs. Ariella donned a  bloodred dress - skin tight- that seemed crafted for her body. Her dark hair was pulled back in some sort of loose bun, with soft ringlets framing her face. She wore small gold earrings and a necklace with a bright ruby in the center. She looked stunning, and I felt a flutter in my stomach when she smiled at me.

What was that?

"How do I look?" She twirled.

"Gorgeous."

Clearing my throat I quickly added, "The necklace… yeah the necklace is pretty cool."

She smiled, and reached up to touch it, "Ava got it for me last year."

"Did you get the keys?" she continued.

I stared at her, "What keys?" I asked.

She gave me an unimpressed look and maneuvered around me towards the garage door gesturing to the row of keys displayed on the rack. 

I continued staring.

"Well how else are we gonna get there?" she asked, lifting a meticulously styled eyebrow.

"I don't know... I guess I thought you had a plan -" my voice trailed off as I realized I really hadn't thought about it.

"Take Killian's." She interrupted my stilted response.

Take Killian's $300 000 luxury sports car.

Killian's new dark red $300 000 luxury sports car.

Right on theme. Fuck.

"If I get even a scratch on it, he'll actually kill me." I muttered.

"So don't scratch it." She replied, then plucked the car keys from their hook, tossed them to me and unlocked the garage door.

Killian was gonna kill me.

Chapter Text

Cassian

The party was in full swing by the time we arrived, an hour late. The Price mansion was glowing under the soft haze of purple and gold lights, music pulsing through the night air as people milled about outside, some drinking, others laughing too loudly, all of them dressed to match the extravagant theme. I ignored the valets expectant stare as he held out a hand for the keys.
If he thought I was letting anyone else drive Killian's car he was dead wrong. I continued to drive around the circle, looking for a place to park, smirking when I saw quite a few people staring at the car appreciatively.

I parked near the back of the massive yard where it seemed a few others had also not been too fond of foreign hands on their cars. A jet-black car with tinted windows sat at the far edge, looking almost ominous under the dim lighting.

Definitely tinted past the legal limit.

I parked beside it, cut the engine, and turned to Ari. “Alright, let’s go.”

She nodded, reaching for the handle, but I beat her to it, stepping out and circling the car to open her door, catching her when she stumbled a little in her heels. 

"You ok?" I questioned.

She laughed softly, adjusting the strap of her dress, "Just not used to them yet." 

I allowed her to hold onto my arm and we made our way towards the loud music, bright lights, decorations and the crowd of people at the doors.

Once inside, Ari saw some girls she recognized and turned to me,

“You gonna be okay on your own for a bit?”

I snorted. “I’ll survive.”

She gave my arm a quick squeeze before slipping away, already grinning as she called out to her friends. Suddenly feeling alone, I looked around the room and startled as I made eye contact with a guy maybe a few years older than me, standing at the bar. His dark eyes flickered in recognition and his jaw clenched, fingers twitching at his side, before he turned away, pulling out his phone as he did.

Weird.

Before I could overthink it however, Ari was back grabbing my hand and pulling me to socialize. 

About an hour in, I was three drinks down and a bit tipsy, talking to a pretty blonde who'd aproached me with a flirty smile. She laughed at my jokes, leaned in when she spoke, and placed casual, lingering touches on my arm.  I tried to focus on her, instead of Ari and the guy she was talking to. 

Way too close.

I tore my eyes away, forcing my attention back to the blonde. She was saying something about a ski trip in Switzerland, but I barely registered the words.

A few minutes later, the lights dimmed, and the dance floor opened up and she was pulling me into the crowd.

The bass shook the floor and vibrated through me. The air was thick with sweat, perfume and alcohol and she laughed as our bodies fit together, moving to the beat. Bright disco lights shone, almost blinding, and I almost missed a flash of sliver in my peripheral. Spinning her around, I stole a quick glance toward the glint.

It was the guy from earlier, now glaring at me.

What was this guy's deal?

I looked down at his hand and froze. A sleek, sharp knife glinted under the flashing lights. He smirked when he noticed I'd seen it. Then, without hesitation, he started pushing through the crowd, moving toward me with deliberate intent.

Shit.

Now, my family wasn’t exactly known for their innocence. I wasn’t naive—I knew my parents were involved in things, knew Killian and Gareth were too. But I had never been directly pulled into it.

Until now.

I dropped the blonde's hand and quickly shoved my way off the dance floor without looking back. I reached the main hall and immediately switched directions, trying to remember where I'd last seen Ari.

I heard heavy footsteps and watched out of the corner of my eye as the guy followed, tapping the shoulder of another person who joined in behind him. I moved faster, pushing past people, murmuring quick apologies when I nearly knocked over a group of girls as I looked for Ari. I finally spotted her in the corner of the room, still talking to the guy from earlier, and grabbed her hand pulling her away. She stumbled a bit, gripping onto me for balance.

"What the hell Cassian?" She exclaimed.

"Hey, what's your problem man!" The guy she was with stepped forward, annoyed. 

"Fuck off." I pushed past him and continued pulling Ari away.

Ari yanked against my grip. “Cassian, what’s wrong?”

I didn’t get the chance to answer before the yelling started behind us.

I rushed into a random room, slamming and locking the door shut behind us.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ari demanded.

"Look-" I started trying to remain calm, "I don't know exactly, but we need to get out of here. We have to leave right now!" My breath came out in short uneven gasps.

"What?... Cassian slow down." Ariana gripped my arms, "Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

I exhaled sharply, trying to steady my breath. "There’s a guy out there—he was staring at me earlier, at the start of the party. I didn’t think anything of it, but then I saw him again, watching me, like he knew me." I swallowed. Ari's grip on my arms tightened. "And just now, on the dance floor, I saw something—silver. A knife. He has a fucking knife, Ari. And he's not alone." I continued, my voice low and urgent. "I saw him signal this other guy. They were moving through the crowd, and they were looking right at me. At us.” I forced myself to meet her eyes, to make sure she understood. “We need to leave. Now.”

"He has a knife?" She gasped, her grip tightening to the point of pain. "We have to tell someone - I mean what if he tries to hurt someone?" 

"We can't." I shook my head. "He clearly has people with him Ari, and I'm pretty sure it's just us he's after. Look let's just get out of here and then we can figure out what to do. Okay?"

She bit her lip, her own breath shaky, then nodded. "Okay... let's go." 

"It's gonna be ok." I tried to reassure her.

I put my ear to the door and, other than the distant music playing it was silent. Slowly I opened the door and peered down the empty hallway. Grabbing Ari's hand I slipped out the door and we rushed further down the hall. 

All of a sudden, I heard pounding footsteps coming from the opposite end of the gallery we'd just entered. Skidding to a halt, we turned and started running back the way we'd come.

"Let's just go out the front door and get to the car!" Ari yelled, as we shoved past more people.

She moved towards the front of the house and I followed. The second we reached the door I chanced a look back — just in time to see figures weaving through the party, searching.

Shit, shit, shit—

Ari bolted outside and I followed -

And then crashed right into her.

She was frozen, staring ahead, her whole body trembling.

I grabbed her and steadied us, moving in front of her "What is it?" I asked, shaking her lightly, "What's wrong?"

Her face was pale and her eyes shone with tears as they met mine and then she stared at something behind me.

"What -" I turned to follow her gaze and my heart stopped.

Killian's car was on fire.

Bright red flames curled around the car as thick smoke poured into the night sky.

Someone screamed.

Ari gripped my wrist, nails digging in.

“Cassian—” Her voice shook.

I swallowed, the scent of burning leather and gasoline clogging my throat.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

Killian

I startled awake, blinking slowly as my eyes adjusted to the dark, confused as to what had woken me up. 

I looked over at Glyndon’s sleeping figure next to me. She was sprawled out and taking up most of the bed. I reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, watching as she let out soft exhales - continuing to sleep peacefully. 

She was fine, and the house was silent, so why had I woken up?

Shrugging it off, I turned to the nightstand to check the time and then saw why I was awake.

My phone was lit up, vibrating as it rang on silent. 

Cassian

Why the fuck was he calling me in the middle of the night?

“What?” I picked up, voice low and rough with sleep. 

“Umm… Killian?” A soft voice answered back. 

It wasn’t my brother.

I sat up. “Who is this?”

“It’s Ari”, she replied, “Can you please come get us?” Her voice was shaking.

What the fuck?  Why was she calling me?

“What? Where are you? Where’s my brother?” I asked quickly.

“I- I don’t know exactly. We’re at some type of shopping plaza. Cass is trying to see if any of the doors are open.” 

I was already out of bed, shutting my door softly and heading to Gareth’s room.

Glyndon was still asleep, and in that moment I was so thankful she was a heavy sleeper.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned.

She let out a breath, “We were at this party-"

I was gonna ignore the fact that they snuck out... for now.

"- and then these guys just started following us. Cassian said it looked like they recognized him or something.”

Shit.

One thing about Cassian and me: we looked very similar. Almost like twins.

“Th-they had a knife,” She whispered.

My blood went cold.

Serpents.

” - so we just ran away and now we’re at this place and I -”

“Give the phone to Cassian,” I commanded, interrupting her. 

“O - Okay,” she stuttered.

I heard shuffling and muffled noises and then my brother's voice rang out clearly on the phone's speaker.

“Killian-” He sounded out of breath and panicky.

 I didn’t have time to calm him down.

“Stay where you are. Get in one of the stores. Pick the lock.”

I knew he knew how to do it. I was the one who taught him.

“Stay down and stay quiet and send me your location. We're coming to get you.” 

“Ok,” he replied. “Killi, I’m sorry.” 

“We’ll talk about it later”. I said and hung up the phone.

Pounding on Gareth’s door, I woke him up and explained the situation in clipped, urgent words. His eyes snapped fully awake and before I even finished, he was grabbing his phone and disappearing down the hall to wake Nikolai and Jeremy. I was already moving, feet pounding on the stairs as I rushed to the garage. The second I opened the door, something felt off - wrong.

It was too empty.

My red Maserati was gone.

My eyes swept the space again, like maybe I missed it, like maybe this was some trick of the light or the fog in my brain from just waking up.

But no.

It was completely gone.

That was what Cassian had meant. That was why his voice sounded so tight—why he said sorry like he already knew there wasn’t enough breath in his lungs to fix what he'd done. I understood now that Cassian was apologizing for a lot more than just sneaking out and getting into trouble.

They had taken my fucking car.

Fury swept through me. I clenched my jaw as I climbed into Gareth’s car. He met me and opened the driver’s side door without a word. The engine roared to life, and he threw it into gear. Tires screeched against the pavement as we tore down the driveway - Nikolai and Jeremy right on our tail.

I would deal with Cassian later, but the Serpents had messed up tonight.

This time was different. This time was personal. They scared my brother. They put a fucking knife in front of him.

No one was allowed to touch my little brother.

Not ever.

Tonight, they were going to learn exactly what kind of Heathen they had provoked.

I shot a glance at Gareth. His jaw was locked so tight I could almost hear the grind of his teeth. His eyes were dark and cold.

Behind us, I caught a glimpse of Nikolai through the rearview mirror—one hand on the wheel, the other calmly twirling a blade between his fingers like he had all the time in the world.

Yeah.

We were gonna kill someone tonight.

Chapter Text

Cassian

The click of the shop door unlocking was music to my ears. I shoved it open, and Ari and I rushed inside. 

Almost immediately motion-sensitive lights flickered on, flooding the store in a harsh white glow and nearly blinding us. 

“Shit,” Ari muttered, shielding her eyes.

So much for being discreet.

The sound of cars approaching turned my head. Looking out the window at the highway, I could see two different sets of headlights closing in fast. There was no back exit and we didn’t have time to leave.

“Alright, get down.” I said, grabbing my best friend's hand. I moved us to the back of the store. There was a door that led to a tiny storage room. The lock was on the outside, and the key was still in the keyhole.

The rumble of engines was getting louder, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they found us. I just hoped my brother would get here soon too.

Beside me, Ari was trembling. Her face was pale, and her fingers toyed anxiously with the ruby pendant at her neck - the one her sister had given her.

Fuck. This was all my fault.

We never should’ve gone to that stupid party, and I never should have taken Killian’s car. 

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and she hid her face in my chest. Stroking a hand down her back, I tried my best not to freak the fuck out.

A few seconds passed, and the lights shut back off. It was too late, though. I was sure they had already seen them.

I gently untangled Ari from my arms, and she looked up at me, confused. 

“You stay hidden,” I whispered. “I’m gonna try to draw them away, okay?”

“No. Not ok,” she snapped, voice low and urgent. “ They’re gonna hurt you, Cassian. We need to stick together, and maybe…maybe we can fight them off.”

But I knew that wouldn’t work. They were armed, and the only weapon we had were the car keys in my pocket. I just needed to keep them away from her. Distract them long enough until my brothers got here. 

I started backing away. 

“Cassian. No.” She grabbed my arm.

“Look… I won’t be able to live with myself if something happens to you. If they hurt you.”

She shook her head, eyes filling with tears. 

Before I could second guess myself, I ripped my arm from her grasp, threw open the door to the storage room, and shoved her inside. I slammed the door shut, locking it and taking out the key.

“Cassian!” Ari threw her body against the door, sobbing. 

“I’m sorry,” I told her.

Then I turned around and headed for the front of the store, trying my hardest to keep walking and ignore her cries from behind me.

~

The two cars were stopped in the bodega. The place was dark again and I could barely see, but I could tell the guys weren’t in their cars anymore. Maybe they hadn’t seen the lights. Maybe they were looking for us in another store or still searching the roads. Either way, I wasn’t about to stand there and ponder. I needed to lead them away. Get them as far away from Ari as possible.

Please hurry, Killian.

I opened the door and stepped outside into the night. I walked close to the building and peered around the corner. 

No one.

I stepped around the building and then froze when I felt sharp steel against my throat.

The guy had appeared out of nowhere, hidden in the shadows of the building. 

Fuck.

His arm snaked around my shoulders, the cold edge of the blade pressed just under my jaw. 

I heard footsteps approaching - two sets.

It was the dude who’d been glaring at me at the Price house. A blonde guy trailed behind him.

“We good?” the blonde asked, glancing at the guy holding me.

The one in front - clearly the leader of this little group - tilted his head towards me, watching the blade at my neck, unfazed. “He’s not going anywhere,” he said flatly. “Ease off a bit. We don’t need him bleeding…yet.” 

The blade pressed closer for a split second, then dropped. Not gone - just lowered.

“What now, Dom?” the figure holding me at knifepoint asked.

“Who the fuck are you?” I spat, voice dripping with venom.

“Acquaintances of your brothers,” Dom responded, looking annoyed at the interruption. 

I didn’t know how the hell Killian and Gareth knew these people.

“We’re just giving you a warm welcome. After all, we owe your brother one,” the knife guy sneered.

“Look, I don’t know how you know them, but -”

“Where’s the girl you were with?” he interrupted, so close to my face I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

My blood ran cold.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I hissed through my teeth.

“See, now I just don’t believe that. My friend here was talking to her earlier, and he just wants to finish that conversation. Isn't that right, Iyan?” He turned to his friend.

It was only then that I recognized the blonde “Iyan” as the guy that Ari was with before. 

“Well, I don’t know where she is,” I repeated. “We got split up.”

“You sure she’s not hiding in that little store right there? She's a small little thing, wonder if she'll put up a fight when I find her.” Iyan grinned at me, starting for the door. 

I was about ready to lose my mind and stab the guy holding me with the car key in my pocket, and figure out what the hell to do next as I went, when we all heard the telltale sound of fast cars approaching.

Thank God.

Through the blinding headlights, I recognized Gareth and Nikolai’s cars. They were speeding down the highway towards us, and before I knew it, they were in the parking lot of the bodega.

Killian stepped out of the car, and I stilled.

I had never seen my brother like this, and it scared me. His eyes were dark and trained only on the knife at my neck. Jeremy, Nikolai, and Gareth formed a barricade right behind him. But I couldn’t even look at them. My gaze was stuck on Killian, who hadn’t met my eyes since getting out of the car. 

He started walking towards us when I felt the knife press harder against my throat and winced in pain.

“That’s far enough,” Dom warned, pointing at him.

Killian stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw clenched. Gareth tensed and Nikolai reached towards his waistband.

“Let him go,” Killian’s voice was cold, fury laced through his words.

“He has nothing to do with this,” Gareth snapped, voice slightly raised.

“The thing is… I don’t really care.” Dom laughed. 

The blade was actually digging into my skin now. I was trying to keep the pain off my face, but I couldn’t help but grimace. I was sure he was drawing blood.

I could feel Killian’s eyes on me, and I looked up at him.

And then I saw it. 

A barely-there nod. 

Most people would’ve missed it. But I knew Killian. He had taught me things - just in case, he’d said.

This was just in case .

Right.

I inhaled, braced myself, then threw my weight forward, pressing into the blade. Pain lanced across my throat, and blood trickled down my neck. But it was shallow - calculated. 

Before the guy could react, I used the small space I’d created between us and snapped my head back, slamming it into his nose with a sickening crack.

He let go instantly, stumbling back with a choked curse, hands flying up to his face as blood streamed between his fingers.

Dom shouted - reaching for another weapon - but he wasn’t fast enough.

Killian surged forward, fury in his every step, and slammed into Dom, tackling him to the ground.

Iyan bolted towards his car, but Jeremy stepped in his path, planting a fist directly into his gut.

The second the blade was freed from my throat, I stumbled towards Gareth. He opened his arms and caught me. I tried my best not to fall apart as he hugged me tightly. 

The bloody-nosed one had managed to get back to his car in the chaos. Tires screeched as he peeled out of the lot.

Gareth kept his tight hold on me, but he looked to Nikolai. 

“Get him.”

Nikolai nodded, a wicked grin curling on his lips as he slid into his car, chasing after him.

“You’re okay, Cas. You’re okay. I got you,” Gareth kept murmuring as he rubbed my back. 

I couldn’t breathe.

“Just breathe,” he instructed, emphasizing his breathing so I could follow. “Breathe.”

After a few minutes, I was finally able to calm down, and it was only then I noticed the moans of pain and the sound of fists hitting flesh. 

I turned out of Gareth’s hold to see Killian kneeling over Dom, fists smashing repeatedly into his face. Blood gurgled from his mouth. He’d never stood a chance.

Iyan was still rolling around in pain on the ground.

There wasn’t anything left of the brother I knew - the brother who looked at me with warmth, who comforted me and cared for me. I didn’t know who this person was.

“Killian-” I yelled out.

He didn’t even pause. 

Gareth turned me back to him. “Don’t look, Cass. It’s alright.”

“It’s not alright,” I exclaimed. “He's gonna kill him!”

“Jeremy will make sure he doesn’t. He’s just giving him what he deserves.” 

I looked down, noticing Gareth’s hands were also balled up into fists. 

“He’s doing it for both of us.” 

Gareth looked me dead in the eye.

“You’re off-limits, Cassian.”

And I didn’t even know what that meant.

~

Killian finished up his beat down of Dom before kicking Iyan hard in the head, knocking him out too. Then he and Jeremy dragged them, dumping their unconscious bodies in the alley next to the bodega.

Nikolai’s car roared into the parking lot, pulling up beside us and interrupting the multitude of questions on the tip of my tongue.

“Where is he?” Gareth asked. 

Nikolai got out of the car, a crazed grin flashing across his face. “In a ditch about ten miles up. Ran him off the road,” he laughed. “Serpents can’t drive for shit.”

Then he turned to me. “What’s up, Little Killian? You good?”

I nodded mutely.

Jeremy and Killian finally came walking up behind us.

Killian stalked toward me, grabbing my chin and twisting my head from side to side, checking out the cut on the side of my neck. 

“Just a scratch,” he muttered, pursing his lips and then finally looking at me. 

I recognized the look of concern in his eyes. He was back to being my big brother. 

“Killian… I’m so sorr -” 

“Later,” he said, grabbing me and pulling me in for a quick hug.

“Wait, where’s Ariella?” Jeremy asked. 

Shit.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I - um - I sorta locked her in a storage room in the back of the store.”

And even though nothing about this situation was funny… that did it. 

The four of them cracked up laughing.

I rushed back inside, grabbed the key from the stack of clothes I had hidden it behind, and unlocked the door. Ari was sitting on the floor, knees to her chest, her face buried in her arms. 

The moment she heard the door open, she shot up.

Her face was blotchy and red, and she’d cried all her makeup off. 

I felt horrible.

She looked me over, looked past me to see my brothers and cousins, before running and jumping into my arms. 

“You’re okay,” she breathed out.

Her hair tickled my cheek, and I buried my face into her shoulder, inhaling her sweet perfume.

She was okay. She was safe .

I exhaled shakily. “I’m so sorry.” I repeated it over and over into her hair.

She let go, stepping back before slapping me straight across the face.

“Don’t. Ever. Do. That. Again. “ She emphasized each word, breathing heavily.

She looked beautiful.

Not the time.

Gareth whistled low, and Nikolai cracked up again.

I nodded quickly, rubbing my stinging jaw before shooting her a shaky smile.

She sighed, then wrapped her arms around me once again.

~

We got back to the house, and Killian informed us that both Glyndon and Brandon were still sleeping and to be quiet.

I knew he was relieved that we were safe, but I could also tell just how pissed off he was - mostly at me. 

Which… valid.

Jeremy texted Ava that something had happened but that Ariella was safe and sleeping over, and he promised her the full story in the morning. 

I didn’t wanna leave her, but she promised we’d talk more later and went to sleep in one of the guest rooms.

I was just about to close my bedroom door when Killian walked in. 

He sat down on the edge of my bed, arms crossed over his chest.

He looked a lot like dad. 

Focus.

“I’m really sorry,” I muttered - apologizing for what felt like the hundredth time today.

He raised an eyebrow. “Sorry for what?”

“For not telling you about the party. For sneaking out and taking Ariella with me, for getting into trouble and making you come get me and… and for stealing your car. And, um, getting it blown up.” 

My voice trailed off by the end, barely more than a whisper. 

Killian sighed. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” he said. “But you owe me a car.”

I nodded quickly, eyes dropping to the floor. “Are you gonna tell mom and dad?”

He looked conflicted for a moment, then shook his head. “No Cassi. I’m not. Not unless you never want to be let out of the house. But this never happens again. Do you understand me?”

I nodded again, still staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Words, Cassian.”

“Yes. I swear I’ll never sneak out again, and I’ll tell you if I wanna go anywhere, and I’ll stick with you, or Gareth, or one of the cousins.”

He stood up, satisfied with my answer, moving to leave.

I didn’t know why, but now of all times, I started tearing up. I hadn’t cried when the knife was at my throat or when Gareth was hugging me after it was all over. But now, in the safety of my room, I was crying. I guess the weight of tonight was just hitting me now. It didn’t help that I also felt super guilty. I never wanted to disappoint my brothers.

I sniffled, wiping at my cheeks.

Killian paused in the doorway. Then turned and walked back over, wrapping his arms around me. I buried my face in his shoulder, the tears coming quietly and quickly. 

He didn’t say anything. Didn’t try to get me to stop. Didn’t tell me it was all okay. He just stayed there holding me until my eyes dried and I’d collected myself. 

“I’ll see you in the morning, Cassi. Get some sleep,” he murmured before pulling the door shut behind him. 

I knew explanations and more apologies would come in the morning. But for now, Killian was right, I was so tired.

~

It was still dark out when I woke to a soft knock at my door. I figured it was Gareth coming to check up on me. 

“Come in,” I said, voice rough with sleep. 

My door opened slowly, and Ariella peeked her head in. Her dark waves were loose and slightly messy as they framed her face. She was wearing a silk tank top and matching shorts. 

“Can I sleep in here?” she asked. “I don’t really wanna be alone.” She wrapped her arms around herself.

I sat up, nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, of course. C’mere.”

She climbed into the bed, curling up against my chest. 

“We’re okay,” I whispered into her hair. 

I felt her nod. “Goodnight Cas,” she said sleepily.

“Good night, Ari.” 

I fell asleep with her tucked safely in my arms.