TW: blood, death

C o l e

For the first time in a while, I had woken up before Eros. His brown hair that was typically styled neatly was now a little wild, giving that obvious bed head look. I watched as his chest rises up and down softly as he lightly snored, his face being the most peaceful I've ever seen it.

My eyes flickered over to the time and saw that it was six in the morning, and I internally groaned. My body was still on its own kind of automatic schedule so I closed my eyes in defiance.

It had probably only been a few minutes when I felt Eros stir awake but I didn't bother to open my eyes, still wanting to cling to sleep for just a few minutes.

As he sat up, I could feel him pause for a moment.

"Good morning my love" Eros murmured, his voice still full of sleep but that didn't stop him from leaning down and placing a kiss on my head.

After that, Eros got up and headed to the bathroom that was joint to our room.

My eyes snapped open as soon as the door closed and I let out a shaky sigh. Did he always do that? God that was so cute, I'm gonna have a fucking heart attack.

Ignoring the fact that my face felt hotter than a sauna, I buried it into the pillow. I felt like a teenage girl, screaming into her pillow and yelling about her feelings minus obviously the yelling.

I preferred to yell internally.

As the shower ran, I sat up and gave a stretch before yawning. Looking at the date, I saw that it was December first and I couldn't help but think that the time was flying by so fast. It's almost been half a year since I met Eros and the others but because of everything we've been dealing with, I hardly noticed it.

Thinking about how quickly the time was going by also made me remember the deal that had been set in place upon me joining the group. That I'd only have to be here for a year and if I wanted, I could leave.

I wasn't going to lie and say I wasn't still contemplating it, in fact, I pretty much knew what I wanted.

A warm touch broke me from my thoughts and Eros was in front of me, his hair wet from his shower, the water droplets sliding down his shirtless torso but as I looked I noticed he was only wearing pants. He was staring at me with a confused look on his face.

"What's got you thinking so deeply that you don't notice your hot shirtless boyfriend standing right in front of you?" He asked, an amused grin taking place on his lips.

"Hot, huh?" I asked, smiling at his playful attitude.

He's such a dork.

"Yes and all for-" Eros was leaning down, likely trying to go in for a kiss but his phone began ringing which made him pause.

"I'm two seconds from cutting that thing off" he said as he glared at it but reached for it nonetheless.

"This better be good Mikhail" Eros said upon answering the phone.

"This is not a leisure call, you need to get down to the port now. It's bad"

The way his normal mischievous air had disappeared in a matter of seconds made me worried. I stood up as I watched Eros walk briskly to the closet.

"Alright, I'll be down there in twenty minutes"

"Come on, Cole" Eros said as he tossed me some clothes.

Guess I'll just shower when we get home.

When we got to the car, Eros was speeding down the streets as if running red lights was a completely normal thing. He knew what roads to take in order to avoid police attention so I guess that was a good thing but it didn't do any good for my heart that was filling with dread the closer we got to the port.

When we got there, my stomach dropped completely.

It was a bloodbath. Bodies on the ground, spread out and their blood splattered on the ground underneath them. I had to suck in a sharp breath upon seeing it and Eros just walked over to Mikhail who was waiting by a small shed.

"What happened here?" Eros' voice was grim as he looked down at all the bodies that lied cold on the ground.

"I don't know. I got here to supervise the new shipment coming in but when I arrived this was already done. The blood looks fresh, so this must have happened just before I got here. I'm grabbing the footage from the cameras as we speak" Mikhail explained, gesturing to his phone that he was gripping tightly in his hands.

Eros looked so conflicted as he looked upon his men and I could only grab his hand for comfort, him squeezing it tightly in return.

"This wasn't some shoot out, all of their guns are still tucked away. They were ambushed; didn't even get the chance to defend themselves" Eros deducted and I felt my own heart sink.

These men may have not been in the best line of work but it certainly didn't mean they deserved to die.

"I'd like to contact their families, if they have any, but I'm not sure of all their names" Mikhail said, sighing a bit.

Like calling attendance, Eros began to list names.

"Henry Jones, Richard Thomas, Peter Ford, James McMahon, Isaac Rivera, Greyson Harold, Haruto Murasaki, and Aaron Gallagher" Eros finished stating all their names without a beat, his eyes fluttering over each body as he uttered their names.

Mikhail nodded when he finished before holding his phone up for us to see the footage.

We watched the men as they were moving boxes into a truck and suddenly three vans rolled in and the men from those vans came out blazing with guns, our men falling like leaves from a shaken tree.

Eyeing the vans, I pointed at one of them.

"Can you zoom in on the license plate?" I asked and Mikhail used his finger to zoom in on the van's plate.

"These are my father's vans. He always ends his plates in GL" I explained and Eros nodded.

"Guess this is his way of payback. He probably had someone track us in order to do this" Mikhail said.

"Or it's a message" Eros countered.

"What do you want to do?" Mikhail asked.

Eros was silent for a moment and Mikhail and I looked at him, waiting for his answer.

"He's wants to play with fire? I guess we'll just have to show him a dragon's fire" Eros said and it seemed to be code for something as Mikhail nodded.

I didn't say anything as the two exchanged words.

My father has since crossed the line but this was him completely erasing it. I didn't want Eros to lose more of his men over some war with my father, I could go to the estate and end all of this.

Looking to the two of them, I sighed.

This was something Eros had been preparing for, for a long time. I could tell by just how Mikhail knew what to do so I kept my plan to myself for now.

When we got back in the car, I looked to Eros who was gripping the wheel tightly, not even bothering to start the car as he stared forward.

"I'll drop you off at the condo" Eros muttered and I raised a brow.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I just want to...think. Alone" He said and I nodded, understanding that this is what he likely needed right now. It would also give me an opportunity to head to the estate.

As promised, Eros dropped me off and watched until I went inside before driving off. I headed upstairs to grab a few things before heading back out, the few things being my knife and gun which both got tucked away within my clothing.

I hailed a taxi and told him the estate's address before sitting back and staring out of the window.

It was still early, the sun hasn't even reached it's peak. Getting inside the estate wouldn't be too difficult. On top of the (faulty) regular security system, there was always two guards on the front and back side of the estate at all times and they occasionally rotated the perimeter.

Luckily, I knew their rotation times and how to slip by unnoticed.

"You can drop me off here" I said to the driver once we were a few blocks away and I paid the man before getting out.

Walking over to the estate, I made my way to the back side and saw that it only had one guard which confused me a bit but I still proceeded to approach.

There was a blind spot near the flower bed where the cameras didn't reach so I tucked myself behind some of the hedges. I picked up two of the rocks from the flowerbed and tossed them far enough so I would have time to get to the front.

Once the guard was distracted, I made my move, quickly but stealthily making my way to the back door. And for the strangest reason, it was unlocked...

What the hell is going on here?

As I walked in, the familiar setting made me pause for a moment. Everything was in place except for the people that were supposed to be living in it.

The estate was empty.

At least that's what I thought until I saw a light coming from a room.

My room to be more precise.

Walking over to it, I prepared myself for what could be nothing or something.

There was someone standing by the window, back turned to me and it didn't take a genius to figure out who it was.

"If you're looking for father he's not here" Noel said

So it's nothing.

I stared at him, waiting for him to provide an explanation.

"He moved us to the safe house and seeing as you're here, it means he did something" Noel said.

"Has the safe house location changed?" I asked and Noel nodded.

"Yeah, it changed a little while after you left" Noel said as he stood up. As he turned, I got a view of his face and saw the nasty black eye resting on it like it owned his face.

Which it technically did at the moment.

"...what happened to your face?" I asked as I eyed the bruise.

"Nothing" Noel muttered and I scoffed.

"Can't be nothing. You complain to anyone who will listen about your troubles so it's a bit weird that you're not talking" I said.

"What? You care?" Noel asked.

"No not really" My answer was short and blunt which made Noel sigh in response.

"What are you doing here if you guys were moved to the safe house?" I asked.

"I just didn't want to be there for a while..." Noel admitted.

"I...see" I muttered.

"Well, there's nothing here for you so you might as well go" Noel said as he took a seat on the bed.

I was going to do just that but since I have Noel here, now would be an optimal time to ask a certain question I'd been pondering.

"I doubt you know but it doesn't hurt to ask I guess. When's my birthday?" I asked and Noel shrugged.

Now it was my turn to sigh. I guess I'd probably have to ask my father before we kill him or something. If I even got the chance.

"July 17th" Noel suddenly said and I froze.

He actually knew? I looked at him in suspicion but Noel just pulled something out of his pocket.

"I was so excited to have a little brother...but as you know, Father wasn't too happy about it so even if I wanted to celebrate for you he'd tell me not to" Noel said, toying with the object.

It was just a bracelet but I felt myself looking at it, trying to figure out why it looked so familiar.

"I've said it before but it's not as if I wanted you gone and I'm not just saying that cause you saved my ass all the time" Noel continued and this time he looked at me when speaking.

"Remember this?" He asked as held up the bracelet.

"I think...you gave that to me?" As I said it, the memory of him throwing at me played in my mind.

"Why'd you keep it?" Noel asked.

"I don't know" I said.

There wasn't much I could remember from our childhood, let alone a present I couldn't give a shit about so hearing Noel reminisce about it as if he never forgot made me feel weird.

"I threw mine out because even though I wanted to match with you, you didn't want it. You were pretty upset that day after all" he said.

Not really knowing why Noel was going down his version of memory lane, I just shifted in my place awkwardly.

"I'm a shitty brother, I know that and apologizing doesn't make up for it. I'm not asking for anything, but I just want you to know that I do care" Noel's voice grew softer and softer towards the end but he couldn't seem to look me in the eye as he said it.

Hearing this made me sort of want to ask if he was being forced or if he was about to die cause I couldn't believe Noel was saying this of his own will.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so" Noel said and I nodded before moving to walk out the room.

"Wait" Noel called and I turned to see him grabbing a sticky note from the desk and writing something on it.

"Here" he said as he handed it to me.

Looking at it, there was an address scrawled on it.

"Do what you will with that information" he said and I nodded.

"Thank you" the two words felt weird on my tongue. I'd never in my life thanked Noel for anything...

Deciding that it was time to go, I turned on my heel and swiftly left the room. After once again sneaking by the scarce patrol, I headed out back out to the main road so that I could hail a taxi to get home.

The way back home had me contemplating on so many things. A lot of them having to do with Noel and his sudden willingness to be compliant and not an asshole for two seconds of his life.

Something happened, I don't know what but judging from the shiner on his face, it likely had something to do with our father.

As soon as I stepped in the condo, I saw Eros staring at his laptop blankly but when hearing the door close behind me, he looked up.

"Where did you go? You weren't here when I got back" Eros said and I paused, unsure if I should tell him where I was. It's possible he could get angry with me since I didn't exactly tell him what I had planned to do.

"I...went to the estate" I said slowly, watching Eros' face for any reaction.

"...why?" His eyes narrowed at me and I just shoved my hands in my pockets.

"I wanted to finish this so that you wouldn't have to. You guys have gone through enough because of my father" I admitted and at that, Eros let out a sigh.

"Why did you go by yourself? You could have gotten hurt. Who knows how many men he could have had out there if he figured we'd take the fight back to him" He said, a frown taking place on his features.

"I can handle myself" I said as I crossed my arms and Eros raised a brow.

"Are we back to that now?" He asked and I faltered, realizing what I had said. It was a natural thing for me but I hadn't even realized that it's been a while since I've talked like that.

"Sorry..." I muttered.

"You don't have to apologize. I won't be as mad if you tell me what happened and why you're back seemingly unscathed" Eros said.

"He wasn't even at the estate. Noel was there and he said my father had moved them to the safe house so I guess that's where he'll go. He also gave me this" I said as I pulled the paper Noel had given me out of my pocket and handed it over to Eros.

"He actually gave this to you? How do you know you can trust it?" Eros asked.

"My brother is many things but a good liar isn't one of them. I'd be able to tell if he was trying to set me up" I said and Eros nodded slowly.

"I also asked him about my birthday" I said and that caught Eros attention immediately.

"He knew it" I said and Eros' eyes widened.

"Wow...that's..." he couldn't even finish his sentence with how stunned he was and I honestly don't blame him at all.

"Surprising? I know" I said.

"Well when is it?" Eros asked.

"July 17th" I said and Eros paused, eyes darting to the side and he pursed his lips in thought.

"That's around the time..." he muttered and nodded.

"Yeah, you guys kidnapped me on my birthday" I said and Eros put a hand to his mouth.

"Holy shit...I want to apologize but I feel like it's too late for that" He said and I chuckled.

"Well, I'll surely never forget it" I said.