RONAN We shouldn’t have come here. I said that to Malachi when Kevin called to inform us about this party, and I still think so. Sarah, our beautiful strong kitten is going through a lot. It’s been almost impossible to sleep soundly in nine days with how much I’ve been wondering how she’s dealing with everything. Shit. She has me watching the news more than I’ve ever done in thirty seven years of my life. More than anything else, I want to pull her into my arms. I want to take the pain, all of it, from her and make it mine. I am no stranger to the vile wickedness of this world. I’ve lived in it long enough to become it when necessary. But she doesn’t deserve anything she’s going through, and the fact that she won’t let me help is killing me. Sarah looks like she’s seen a ghost. She just stares at me, wide eyed, without a single word. Kevin casts me a wondering glance, then turns his attention back to his little sister. Sucks to admit it, but my heart is beating faster than it should. “Berry?” He calls out to her. Like a spell, the name snaps her out of whatever train of thought she had been on. She clears her throat, plasters a smile I know is fake on her face as she turns to look at him. I’ve seen what she looks like when she really smiles. “Kevin, could you please help me put those in a vase? It’s somewhere in the kitchen.” My throat tightens. By “those”, she means the flowers I got her. The ones she doesn’t bother to look at. The ones she doesn’t bother to thank me for. She brushes past me without a second glance. My lips thin into a frown, but it doesn’t stop me from catching a whiff of her scent. Vanilla. Gentle, sweet…almost edible. “Uhm, okay. Sure.” Kevin turns fully to face me. “She seems to be in a really sour mood, does she not?” I barely part my lips to respond when he cuts in.“You know, with everything that’s going on, she might be a little cranky and…” It’s been almost two years since I last saw him physically. Still, nothing about him has changed. Kevin Wellspring still feels the constant need to defend his sister from everything, including herself. It’s why we clicked so well when we first met each other in middle school. He had Sarah to protect and look after, while I had my brothers to shield from the horrors of the nightmare that had become our home. What could bond two people more than shared trauma? “…I hope you understand, man. I’ll talk to her.” “Mmm.” I nod. Kevin heaves a tired sigh. “She doesn’t mean to be rude, man.” I almost laugh at those words, because she does. Sarah intends to hurt me as much as she believes we will hurt her. I’ll take all of it. I’ll bear her anger for as long as she wants me too. Soon, she’ll understand it’s no use running, and when she stops, I’ll be there. We’ll all be. “I'll drop these in that vase she talked about.” The flowers are still in my hand, and Kevin flashes me a sympathetic smile as I turn away. We can’t talk to Sarah with him around. Our relationship–if I’m allowed to call it that–has gotten more complicated than any of us thought it would. With him around, it’s important that we move carefully. I find a vase sitting on the kitchen island just like she said. After filling it with some water, I carefully place the flowers inside, angling them to the window, where I’m sure the sunlight would hit them when it’s daytime. The motion–although brief–instantly reminds me of my mother. I step away from the vase and shake my head, trying to fight the ringing in my ears. Broken glass…so many… “I see it didn’t go well.” Malachi’s voice seeps into my ears, saving me from my line of thought. I look up at him. He tilts his neck to the right, ears searching my face. Jaxon comes up from behind him. “Did she like them?” I scoff. “What do you think?” I stand straight and fix my gaze on Malachi. The worried look in his eyes is no longer there. “Any luck on your end?”He shakes his head as he lets out a long, tired, breath. “We might as well have been ghosts. To be honest…” he shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t get it.” I run my fingers down my hair. “We should have stopped her from leaving.” It’s Jaxon’s turn to speak up. The frown on his face shows me that he’s not pleased. Jaxon had suggested we stop her from leaving on the night she wanted to. He said it was what Sarah wanted. That she wanted us to show her we didn’t want her to leave. I, on the other hand, was tired of the back and forth, the push and pull. If she wanted to stay with us, she would. What’s that corny thing they say about setting people free? If you love something, let it… Love is a heavy word, and the saying is too dramatic for my taste. The theatrics that surround feelings is the reason I avoid it entirely. But Sarah. Heavens. She’s a pretty bug that won’t stop buzzing near my ears. “It’s best we leave her alone,” I start to speak. “After tonight, we should stay clear of her unless she says otherwise.” Jaxon’s scowl deepens. “Ronan, I do not think that’s a good idea. How do we plan to get her back if we just let her go?” I arch my right brow in a query. “Who said anything about getting her back?” Confusion flashes in his big brown eyes. He looks to Malachi who looks away and tucks his hand in his pocket. I watch as disappointment settles on his face, replacing the confusion. There’s no doubt he is expecting Malachi to back him on this one. Of both of them, Malachi feels the most, but Jaxon wears his emotions on his sleeve. It’s his biggest strength and most lethal weakness. Makes it easy to see through him. He lets out a bitter chuckle as his gaze shifts from Malachi to me, over and over again. “Are you guys serious?” “It’s for the best.” Malachi responds, reaching for his shoulder, but Jaxon moves away. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Am I really the only one who’s sick to my stomach with worry? Who spends half the time I’m awake thinking about her? Fuck.” He holds both hands up and squeezes his palm shut like he’s holding something back. “Am I the only one who misses her so much, it’s hard to breathe sometimes?” No. He’s not. But… “Misses who?” Kevin jumps in from behind me, startling all three of us. “No one in particular.” I clear my throat and respond. Kevin doesn’t buy it. “Oh, come on. You three still have that one woman fetish?” Malachi rolls his eyes. “It’s not a fetish, Kev. Why are we talking about this?” He feigns a hurt look. “Guys, I haven’t seen any of you in years. If you’re in love with someone, I at least deserve to know who.” He punches my chest with a smile on his face. “Let your boy in on all the scoop. Who’s the woman that has the three most feared men in the country cooped up in a corner, hiding from all these pretty ladies?” Immediately he says that, I look ahead and find Sarah. She’s changed out of her work clothes and is now in a blue jean skirt, with a black sleeved shirt carefully tucked in it. She’s taken off her makeup, her lips are her natural red shade. Still, her beauty remains unreal. She’s an angel, alright. And for a second, I’m happy she got away from us as fast as she could. “We’re not hiding, and we’re not in love with anyone.” Jaxon cuts in. I look away from Sarah. “Oh yeah? Well, you should all get nice women to settle down with. There’s nothing normal about the shit you three do.” He laughs. “I mean, don’t you ever wanna settle down? Get married? Have a nice family?” I raise a brow. “Is that the reason you invited your ex-girlfriend here?” I nudge him towards Hailey, the former owner of the gym we bought. She’s talking to Sarah, and they both join their glasses together as they laugh. Kevin’s eyes widen like he’s been shot by a bullet. “What? I…” Malachi and Jaxon laugh, and he frowns, slightly embarrassed. “Whatever, man. When you’re fifty, old, and the only women who care about you are hookers, you’ll think back to this day.” Kevin scolds us, walking away. “We’re looking forward to it!” Malachi calls back. I say nothing, watching him disappear into the crowd. When he’s gone, I turn to my brothers. “He’s right. Maybe we should go into the crowd and mingle with some…” the mere thought of it has my stomach turning. “Pretty ladies.”Malachi and Jaxon both stare at me blankly. I narrow my eyes on them, and that’s when I realize they aren’t staring at me, but at something…or someone behind me. I turn backwards to meet hazel eyes shooting daggers at me. “Pretty ladies?” Sarah scoffs bitterly. I can swear there’s tears in her eyes as she shakes her head. Her beautiful eyes dance between the three of us. “Is that why you came here?”