Him

Arjun slammed me against the wall, his hands gripping my shoulders like a vice. Understandable. I could see the fury in his eyes, a mix of brotherly protection and deep-seated concern.

"Dante, I had just one request. Keep. My. Sister. Safe."

I felt the heat of his anger seeping into my skin, and guilt washed over me like a wave. "I know, Arjun. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Did you even think for a second? Did you think about how this would affect her?" He stepped closer, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "I trusted you with her, and now look where we are. She's missing because of you."

My heart sank as I tried to meet his gaze. "You think I wanted this? You think I wanted her to be in danger? She's everything to me, Arjun. I-"

"Then why the hell did you let it get this far?" Arjun cut me off, his frustration palpable. "You let your feelings blind you. She's my sister, Dante. You need to understand that I can't lose her. Not like this."

"I didn't ask for this, Arjun!" I shot back, the frustration bubbling to the surface. "I wanted to keep her safe. I would give anything to have her back. You think I wanted her to get caught up in this? You know my past-"

"And that's exactly why you should have stayed away from her!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the empty space. "You think you can just sweep in, make her feel safe, and then everything will be okay? This isn't just about you, Dante!"

I felt my chest tighten as I absorbed his words, each one a reminder of my failures. "I never meant to put her in danger. I thought... I thought I could protect her."

"Protect her?" Arjun shook his head, disbelief etched on his features. "You call this protecting her? You've put her right in the crosshairs of those people!"

"Believe me, I didn't know," I said, my voice breaking.

"If anything happens to Tara," Arjun said, his voice a lethal whisper, "I swear, I'll make sure you wish you never met her."

"I'm going to find her," I said, my determination rising. "I'll get her back, Arjun. I promise."

"You better, Dante. And tell me if I can help in any way."

"Yes, of course, Arjun."

-----

The moment Arjun left, I opened the drawer and pulled out the burner phone, my hands trembling slightly. I punched in the familiar number, the ringing feeling painfully slow.

"Natty, come to my house. With Brian. Fast. It's an emergency," I managed to say, my voice barely holding steady.

Ten minutes later, the front door burst open, and Brian stepped in, Natty right on his heels. Their eyes widened as they took in the look on my face.

"What happened, Dante?" Brian asked, his tone tense.

"Tara's kidnapped." The words spilled out of me, sharp and bitter. "Our step-parents... they took her. They want to hurt her just to get back at us. I knew they'd come for us one day, but I thought-God, I thought she'd be safe with me!" My voice started to shake, and I could feel my pulse pounding in my head.

Natty and Brian exchanged a quick, horrified glance.

"They went after her because of me," I continued, almost to myself now. "They took everything at once. Tore apart any chance I had at a normal life. And now... they're taking her. They won't stop, Natty. They'll just keep coming, and-" My breath hitched, and I could feel the panic clawing its way up, turning my mind into chaos.

"DANTE!" Natty's voice cut through the storm raging in my head. She gripped my shoulders tightly, looking me dead in the eye. "Calm down. Breathe."

I stared at her, feeling everything start to unravel. I had learned to tolerate pain. I had learned to push everything down, to live with it, but right now, it was all too much. I couldn't keep it in anymore. Not this time.

I broke down, the walls finally crumbling. I felt my knees weaken, and Natty held me steady, her hands firm on my shoulders. Brian stayed by my side, one hand resting on my back, silent but steady.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried. But now, the tears came, years of rage and hurt pouring out. They'd come back, and they'd taken Tara.

It was too much.

Natty stayed with me, her voice calm. "We're here, Dante. You're not alone in this. We're not going to let them win. We're going to get her back."

Finally, I took a deep, shuddering breath and wiped my eyes, feeling drained but somehow lighter. I looked at Natty and Brian, my resolve hardening.

"Okay, guys," I said, my voice steady now. "We need a plan."

Just then I got a notification. "And we now have a location."