Riley sat in the dimly lit bedroom of her childhood home, her wrists bound by the cold, unforgiving cuffs that had been her constant companion for days. The metal was tight around her skin, cutting into her whenever she tried to adjust her position. They'd cuffed her to an old radiator, a piece of junk that hadn't worked in years but was sturdy enough to keep her from moving far.

The familiar smell of stale beer and old cigarette smoke clung to the walls, suffocating her. It was the same as she remembered—everything about this house was the same. And yet, everything had changed.

Her brothers moved around her like predators circling their prey, whispering venomous words and casting glances that made her stomach churn. Kyle and Mike had transformed from the people she used to know into something unrecognizable, twisted by years of crime and hate. And her father—sitting in his usual spot in front of the flickering TV—was no different. His face was bloated from years of drinking, his eyes bloodshot, and his silence was more menacing than any of her brothers' threats.

"Riley, come on. Be smart about this." Kyle's voice was deceptively calm as he crouched in front of her, tapping the cuffs with his finger. "You could make this so much easier on yourself."

She glared at him, saying nothing. Her throat was raw from refusing them over and over again. Each time they asked her to join their operation, to be their inside woman at the precinct, she gave them the same answer. And each time, they pushed harder.

"You're wasting your time," she muttered, her voice hoarse. "I'll never work for you."

Mike, who had been pacing behind her, slammed his fist into the wall, making her flinch. "You're such a stubborn little bitch!" he spat, his voice dripping with rage. "You think you're better than us? You think just 'cause you've got a badge you're some kind of hero?"

Riley clenched her jaw, biting back her response. She knew it wouldn't matter what she said—he'd twist her words no matter what. Still, it was better to stay quiet. Her energy was waning, her body aching from the rough treatment, the sleepless nights, and the endless mental torment they put her through.

"You could be one of us again," Kyle pressed, his voice softer, almost coaxing. "We're family, Riley. We've always been family. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Her eyes flashed with anger, and she shook her head. "Family?" she scoffed, leaning forward despite the pain in her wrists. "You've never been my family. Not since the day you started running with those thugs."

Kyle's expression darkened. "We were trying to survive," he growled. "You don't get to judge us. You were off playing cops and robbers while we were doing the real work."

"Josh died because of you," she said coldly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're no better than the scum I arrest."

Mike was on her in an instant, his hand connecting with her face so hard that her vision went white for a moment. The sting radiated through her cheek, her ears ringing as her head snapped to the side.

"You'd better watch your mouth," he snarled, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back to force her to look at him. "You're not a cop in this house. You're just a traitor. And traitors get what they deserve."

Riley glared up at him, her face throbbing, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. She forced a sick smile onto her face. "And you? You just turned into Dad." She let out a harsh laugh. "Do what you want, Mike. I'm not scared of you. I've seen this film before."

His eyes narrowed, and for a second, she thought he might hit her again. But then he let her go, shoving her head back roughly as he stalked out of the room. A few moments later, a loud crash came from down the hall.

Riley and Kyle sat silently for a few moments, staring at each other and breathing hard. She searched in his face for something- anything- any sign of the brother she once knew, and she found none.

"You might as well give up, Riley," Kyle said, his voice softening again. "You can't fight forever. Just... accept it. Be part of the family again. We'll take care of you."

She looked at him, her chest tight with anger and fear. "Take care of me? You're the ones who got me into this mess. You're the reason I became a cop in the first place."

Kyle flinched at that, his jaw tightening. "We didn't want it to come to this."

"Then let me go," Riley pleaded, her voice trembling now despite her best efforts to remain strong. "Please, Kyle. Let me go."

But the softness in his expression hardened again, and he shook his head. "No, Riley. You made your choice. Now you have to live with it." With that, he got up and walked out the door, leaving Riley alone in her childhood bedroom, the one she had once shared with Josh.

The room felt smaller than it used to, suffocating even, as she stared at the faded wallpaper, remnants of a time when things were simpler. When Mike and Kyle used to be her protectors, her big brothers who made her feel safe. But now? Now they were nothing more than ghosts—men she barely recognized, criminals tangled in the same darkness they used to fight against. The weight of it all settled on her chest, and for the first time in a long time, as she drifted off to sleep, Riley didn't just feel anger—she felt heartbreak.

Flashback - 11 years ago

The sun was setting low in the sky, casting long shadows across the small neighborhood park where Riley sat by herself. She had been playing on the swings with Josh earlier, but now he was sitting in the sandbox, lost in his own world, while she tried to enjoy what little freedom she had after school.

But her quiet moment didn't last long.

One of the ninth graders she knew, one of Mike's classmates, came strutting over with a smug grin plastered on his face. Riley recognized him—Trevor, the loudmouth who was always picking on the smaller kids. He'd called her names before, but today, he had an angry glint in his eye.

"Hey, freak," Trevor sneered, walking right up to her. Riley stood her ground, clutching the hem of her shirt nervously, but didn't say anything. She knew better than to give him a reaction.

But Trevor didn't care. He shoved her hard, knocking her off balance. Her knees scraped painfully against the gravel as she hit the ground. The sting of the scrape on her leg sent tears to her eyes, but she blinked them back.

"Crybaby," he spat, standing over her. "Why don't you just stay down where you belong?"

Before she could say anything, she heard the heavy thud of footsteps approaching.

"What the hell are you doing, Trevor?" Mike's voice cut through the air like a knife. She looked up, her heart leaping with relief as she saw her older brother stalking toward them, his fists clenched at his sides. Kyle was right behind him, his eyes narrowed, and Riley knew from the way they were both walking that this wasn't going to end well for Trevor.

Trevor tried to laugh it off, stepping back a little, but Mike wasn't having it. Without another word, he grabbed Trevor by the collar and slammed him against the tree behind him, his fist already cocked back.

"You think it's funny to pick on my sister?" Mike growled, his voice low and dangerous. He wasn't yelling, but that only made it scarier.

"I—I wasn't—" Trevor stammered, his face pale.

Mike didn't give him time to finish. He punched him square in the face, the sound of the impact making Riley flinch. Trevor stumbled backward, clutching his nose in shock.

"If I see you near her again, you're dead. Got it?" Mike said, leaning in close. Trevor nodded quickly, his hands trembling. Without another word, he took off running, disappearing down the street like a scared rabbit.

Mike watched him go before turning to Kyle, who was already kneeling next to Riley, inspecting her scraped knee. "You okay, Riles?" Kyle asked softly, his voice gentle in contrast to the violence that had just happened. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and started wiping the dirt from her leg.

"Yeah," Riley mumbled, sniffling. The pain was already fading, but the shock of what had happened still hung heavy in the air. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Mike knelt down next to her, his anger melting into concern as he studied her face. "He didn't hurt you bad, did he?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You didn't have to—"

"Yeah, I did," Mike cut her off, giving her a small smile. "No one messes with you. Ever."

Kyle ruffled her hair and stood up, helping her to her feet. "Come on," he said, grinning in that way that always made her feel safe. "Let's get outta here. We'll grab Josh and go get some ice cream from that truck over there."

Josh's head snapped up at the mention of ice cream, and the four of them headed across the parking lot together.

"I want chocolate!" Josh declared loudly, earning a chuckle from the teenage girl behind the counter.

Riley couldn't decide between strawberry and mint, but Kyle nudged her and whispered, "Strawberry's always a safe bet."

She nodded, trusting him, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, it was their turn to order.

"Chocolate for him," Mike said, pointing at Josh, "and strawberry for her," he added, jerking his thumb toward Riley.

"And we'll take...uh..." Kyle exchanged a glance with Mike before grinning. "Just one vanilla cone for us."

Riley looked up, confused. "You're both getting just one?"

Mike waved her off, pretending like it was no big deal. "Nah, we don't need that much, Riles. Vanilla's boring anyway. We'll share."

She watched as Mike and Kyle dug deep into their pockets, pulling out crumpled bills and loose change. Nickels, dimes, and quarters fell onto the counter as they tried to count enough to cover the cones. Kyle's brow furrowed, and Mike let out a soft whistle, holding up a lone penny like it was a treasure.

*********************

Author Note:

What do you think of Riley's brothers so far?

Vote and comment! <3