My hearts pounding while I fidget with the sleeves of my jacket. A million thoughts are running through my mind with each feeling like a sledgehammer to my skull. I knew Rhys was hiding something but it wasn't anything near I what was expecting.

But he told me the truth like I wanted and I can't be mad at him. Shocked yes, not livid at what he told me even though I am. I feel nauseous and like I want to cry because it's as if he's a stranger to me.

I shake my hands off while looking back at the laptop resting on my desk. At the moment it's open to YouTube with a video loaded and ready to be played. My eyes slip to the title underneath the black screen.

Brutality of the Badboys.

Otherwise known as the fight video between Rhys and Derek. I managed to find it within a few minutes because I recognize the account belonging to a vloger in a year younger than us. She's a want to be journalist and uses YouTube as a beginning platform.

For the past half an hour I've been pacing my room deciding whether or not to watch it. I want to see what he's capable of. At the same time I don't want to watch it because I'm one of the few people who haven't and that could hurt Rhys if he found out.

I bite my lip before moving to sit down in the chair. My fingers curl over the mouse and move it around the screen, a pounding sets in my heart as it hovers over the paused button. Don't do it. I sink back in the chair while biting on my knuckle while trying not to freak out.

"Are you seriously going to eat that?" My nose scrunches up at the weird toasted sandwich Rhys just made for breakfast.

He looks over his shoulder at me with a grin. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"You have cheese, baloney, tomato and mayonnaise," I scrunch up my nose at the combination as he cuts it in half, switching off the sandwich maker. "That's utterly disgusting."

Rhys moves to sit opposite me on the breakfast bar. "Well you're the one that admitted you would rather have your first kiss in a closet with me then in a perfect location with Lachlan."

"How is that even the same comparison?" I pull the crust of my grilled cheese off slowly.

"You would rather be in a closet than some romantic location," He takes a bite and instantly regrets it as he fans his mouth from the heat. "Fuck that's hot."

"But Lachlan isn't someone I would want to kiss. . ." Rhys manages to swallow what's in his mouth with a drink of orange juice. "And you should have thought about the heat before scoffing it into you."

He coughs a few times, swatting his chest in an attempt to catch his breathe again. "So I could kiss you now and you wouldn't mind?"

"At the moment you're kind of choking," I state and slide off the stool in order to pat him on the back until he stops choking on the food he swallowed. "But you just ate baloney so I would mind."

He finally stops choking and grabs my hand from his as I go to walk back to my seat. "If I thought it was the perfect moment would you hate me if I kissed you?"

"Your phone is charged and you have a text," Lachlan comes in with a phone and a towel on top of his head. "I would check it if it's the same one I got."

I move back to my seat and tear off a piece of the grilled cheese. When he takes his phone it's barely a second before he drops his phone on the counter. He covers his mouth and seems to be thinking before he looks to me.

"Have you gotten a text?" Rhys asks and runs his tongue over his teeth. I shake my head feeling my heart skip a beat as the image of Derek sending a text comes to mind.

"Is that from Derek?" Biting my lip Rhys shares a look with Lachlan before narrowing his eyes. "That's what he was talking to me about last night."

"You should have told me right then."

I slowly stop chewing as Rhys' jaw clenches and unclenches. I thought I was doing the right thing last night by not telling him. Besides I only thought he was sending it to Rhys - obviously not - which makes me wonder who else received those photos.

Now I'm highly concerned about them. What if he sent them to my dad? He said he likes Rhys but that's on the pretense that we're just friends.

"You said you-"

"Do you know who he sent this to?" Rhys asks and grits his teeth. I try to speak but feel slightly stunned by how quickly the switch flipped in his mind. "Kira!"

I try to calm my heart rate feeling momentarily frightened by the volume of his voice. "Rhys, calm down. Yelling isn't going to make the situation any better."

"For fuck sakes Lachlan shut up," Rhys snaps and takes a deep breathe to calm himself. "You need to tell me what he said and what happened because Derek had a purpose of sending these to god knows who."

I break eye contact to tell him. "He said it was payback for you hospitalizing him and because I interfered in his relationship with Blair."

"You interfered in their relationship?" Lachlan asks and I swallow but nod.

"I followed him one night and took video of him selling drugs to her brother," I lick my lips and hesitantly look between the two of them. "I showed Blair and she went ballistic at both of them because drugs like that is a no go zone in her eyes. Her mother used to be an addict before she had children and still struggles to stay clean."

Lachlan looks shocked while Rhys seems to be struggling to contain his anger. "Is that it? Is there anything that could have hinted at who he sent it to-"

"At least eight people he's pissed off," I recall and push away my half eaten sandwich. "I guess there's no better time to explain your work situation."

Rhys does the same and clasps his hands together, propping his head on them while looking at me. "You can't tell anyone about this because I could get arrested for this. But I'm trusting you won't."

"So your job was illegal?" I slowly question and already know that this isn't the best idea. "You weren't a drug dealer were you?"

Rhys shakes his head slowly. "No but you could say what I did was worse than a drug dealer. Are you familiar with a what a breaker is?"

"A breaker?" Rhys nods and I shake my head. The only thing that that words associates with me is muscles and brawn.

"I was a debt collector for those who needed their money back whether it was a drug debt, a business start up, whatever they loaned money," Rhys holds eye contact and I don't necessarily see how that's worse than a drug dealer. "Depending on the notice of debt - depended on how I would act towards them - so it was a reminder for the first, the second notice I would threaten or break something then the third it would be they paid up or I broke them, hence the breaker title."

My heart stops for a few seconds and when I realize he isn't joking I feel like falling off the stool. I stare at Rhys with parted lips and wide eyes, his eyes flicker to Lachlan for a moment before he clears his throat and continues.

"I was paid more because I had success in getting money back within two notices," He explains as if it's not a big deal. "They responded quickly because I had a reputation for being aggressive and blunt in my threats. I also followed through with them."

"Basically the better you are the more you got paid," Lachlan adds and I instantly shoot up from my seat, knocking the stool back as I do so. "But everyone wanted the top spot and that was Rhys' until he quit. Some were happy to even out the playing field and others pissed because nobody had his aggression or guts."

"I got paid more because I was good at my job. There's fifteen guys hired at one time and each has their ranks which depends on how much they get paid," I exhale shakily, pushing my hair back while averting my eyes elsewhere. "A spots opened up and Aiden - who is Derek's cousin - wants me back because business isn't as good since I left."

I nod and timidly look to Rhys who is watching my reaction. Clearly it's not the best but I have no idea what to say to him. He was a debt collector that used his anger to get it which means he could have hurt- he could have killed someone.

"Did you kill anyone?" My voice is weak and that makes his eyes soften for the first time since he saw the text. I look to Lachlan to ask the next question. "How do you know so much? Were you involved in his work?"

"Lachlan used to be the look out and driver that I organized," He waves awkwardly at me and I nod while still in a state of shock. "And I've never killed someone, just left them in a bad condition."

"Like you did with Derek?" Rhys stands up, the stool scraps on the floor and I flinch back into the cupboards.

He doesn't move from standing up and I notice the worry on his face. "Or worse. I had a lot of anger at the time and needed the money."

"You couldn't have gotten a job at McDonald's like a normal teenager?" I snap, closing my eyes momentarily but when I do all I see is images of violence. Exhaling I open my eyes again despite feeling nervous. "I need to leave, right now because I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"You needed to know because what you heard was right. You could be hurt because if they don't want me back they'll give me a reason not to," Rhys states and I hesitantly look at him. "By hurting Nate or you it may work because you're both a weakness to me. You needed to know that there's a chance that someone could be coming after you, almost a guarantee now because of who these photos went out to."

"Hey Lachlan you know there's-" I use the counter for support as my head spins in circles. Someone - or possibly more - could be coming after me to get to Rhys. That's terrifying. "What's going on? Kira?"

I can feel my legs shake and I almost collapse but force myself to square up. I'm not going to have a panic attack when I've worked so hard to beat it. When I look around the room I notice how desperate Rhys looks, how guilty Lachlan feels and how confused Nate is for walking in to this.

Rhys being the first to acknowledge his brother clears his throat. "Can you take Kira home for me?"

"Why don't you do it-" Nate stops when he looks to me and realization hits. "You chose now to tell her? Her house was broken into on Friday night."

Oh this just gets better. "Wait. What?"

"Nate please. Shut up," I swallow and force myself to walk even in fear of my legs giving up. "I need to leave right now before I have a meltdown."

"Kira did someone break-"

"Yes they did!" I raise my voice, lashing out at Rhys with anger burning through my veins. "Someone broke in and knocked me to the ground without having trouble. I don't stand a chance against a bunch of violent breakers or criminals who are going to hurt me just to get to you. So thanks for that."

The tears break the barrier of my eyes and I curse under my breathe. "I'm sorry."

"Nate take her home." Lachlan moves to Rhys as he definitely looks guilty.

Once again the tears of frustration break the barrier as I finally exit the YouTube window knowing it won't do any good but harm. I think it's best if I don't know what Rhys is capable of. There's a knock on my door and I wipe my eyes as I spin around as it opens.

Dad's head pokes in and I fake a smile. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to the grocery store. Is there anything you need?"

"Can I come?" He blinks a few times, clearly shocked that I asked. Pushing the door open more he leans against the frame with a sigh. "I don't want to be home by myself."

"Is this about the break in?" Nodding I don't bother adding the major detail. "You shouldn't be afraid. Kyle is putting in an alarm tomorrow as well as doing a security check to see what else can be done to make it safer."

I shrug and pull my sleeves over my hands. "I just don't want to be alone at the moment."

"Wait here," He rolls off the door and heads down the hall. I close my laptop and move over to my bed in order to put on my converse. "Although it might not seem like much it could make you feel safer."

I stand up and catch the metal bat by the thicker part, holding it by the handle I raise an eyebrow. "A baseball bat?"

"It can do some damage if you have a strong enough swing which I'm pretty sure you do considering the bruise you left when you were eight on me," He chuckles and gives a soft smile. "You're stronger now plus with adrenaline and the anger you have in you - you would probably knock them out or break a bone."

"Thanks Dad."

"Let's go then."

I twist the bat in my hand before leaving it leaning against the bedside table. A baseball bat won't protect me from everything. Biting the inside of my cheek I grab my phone and head downstairs while turning it on.

Shockingly my phone isn't spammed with text messages, only one from Taylor asking about studying after school tomorrow. I exhale and start drafting together a text to send to Rhys although it's probably stupid on my part.

But I don't want to be the victim anymore and if he's placed me in the crossfire he can at least help.

To Rhys 🍣
Don't think this counts as me accepting what you've done because I'm still trying to get my head around it. If you can, would you be able to teach me to fight? I want to be able to defend myself.

"I'm thinking burritos tonight," Dad states as I get in his car, buckling in and switching on the radio to avoid listening to Bon Jovi for a change. "Any objections?"

"Burritos sound good to me." My phone buzzes and almost instantly I relax.

From Rhys🍣
I'll teach you how to defend yourself on the terms that you tell me everything that happens. If someone threatens you, breaks into your house, touches you - I need to know so I can sort it out.

To Rhys 🍣
Sort it out by breaking them as you oh so kindly put it?

From Rhys 🍣
That depends on what they do. I won't be intimidated into going back to that place and I won't let anyone get to you. You can be mad at me all you want but I'm going to keep you safe.

To Rhys🍣
But you have to keep me in the loop as well... I can't be in the dark over this stuff...it indirectly involves me now as well.

From Rhys🍣
I can't promise you that.

To Rhys🍣
Then we won't ever be more than friends.

To Rhys 🍣
I can't live in ignorance because it'll only backfire. You haven't lost me completely but you definitely scared me with the truth and made me think twice about whether I should stay clear of you or not.

From Rhys🍣
You won't stay clear because you like me too much. But don't worry - it's mutual.

To Rhys 🍣
I've never admitted to liking you.

From Rhys 🍣
The fact you would let me kiss you is proof enough. You aren't some hormonal girl that would submit to the first guy that gives her attention - you've got to like me somewhat

I huff and try not to get annoyed by his words. He's right and that's frustrating. But luckily he doesn't wait long before concluding.

From Rhys🍣
I'll teach you how to protect yourself. We have a free period tomorrow third so meet me in the student GYM halfway through lunch.