I trace the rim of my mug, my thoughts wandering to the Sarah and how things ended with her.

I think of her laugh, her quirky attitude and her liveliness. And then the incident... The accident. I remember her scream that gets cut off, the blood on and around her, drops of it splashed on me. I remember the odd angle her torso had bent, the lifeless blue eyes that had stared at me as I stood there in shock.

And then my mind goes to Abby.

Her shy smiles, her nerdy personality and her mindful, knowledge filled talks. Followed by the look of absolute horror when I told her about Kane's death being through my hands.

I force my brain to stop right there.

I can't bring myself to think about the worst, not ready to accept it as I look at my phone again, hoping to get a call from Ryker that denies all my fears.

"Stop looking at your phone every five minutes Princess. He will call as soon as he can." Jayden speaks from next to me, rubbing my back in hope of giving me comfort.

"It's eight Jay! How much mo-"

I get cut off by my phone, Ryker's name flashing on the screen. I immediately pick it, putting it on speaker before finally speaking.

"Ry?"

"Alright. So from what she has told me, they had talked to the secretary in HMO about two days ago about getting a meeting for her cousin. They got a call yesterday that they can come today to talk personally."

"They had met with the College Head and other HODs for an hour meeting today. Then they did the whole official paper work and then because the counsellor was absent they got some psychology professor to get Camille's councelli-"

I cut him off, "Which professor?"

I hear him sigh in annoyance, "Ash, I have been asking her about her fucking movement today as subtly as I can, trying to get to you her every moment today but she is getting suspicious now an-"

He gets interrupted again, but this time it is not me who does it. It's Abby as she speaks, probably not even realizing we can hear her.

"So this was it Ryker?"

She sounds hurt, sad and disappointed. But mostly hurt as she continues bitterly.

"You ask me to come out with you, and like the stupid, dumb little girl I put on a dress and hurry behind you. The dress that you complimented me once a few months ago on."

"Abby, I didn't. I never wanted to-"

Ryker sounds genuinely upset while I look up to see Jayden already looking at me with the same thoughts going through our minds.

Ryker must've unknowingly used her feelings for him and Abby hearing his words must be heartbroken.

"Don't Ryker. Obviously you didn't want to hurt me, after all I am the baby of the group so how can I get anything but a shielded and guarded life. You all, each and every one of you try to shelter me, forgetting I am as old as you all."

Her words come out angry, yet I can hear the tears in it.

I try to speak, "Abb-"

But she cuts me off as well, laughing bitterly, "Don't you start Ashlyn. You lived with me, you knew me, hell you knew what I felt for Ryker. Yet here we are. You know what, I am done."

I hear a door being slammed before Ryker curses, "I am going after her, will call you later."

Jayden and I sit in silence for a few minutes before he sighs, getting up from his place beside me.

"I am going to get Christopher to find who took her counselling. And as a safety measure, I will get a few Level 5 fighters around Camille's house today."

I give him a tight lipped smile, nodding.

Understanding that I need to be alone, he leans down to peck my lips once before he leaves.

I wait for an hour before starting to call Abby, but even after twenty eight calls later, she doesn't pick up. Figuring she must be still angry at me, I trudge back to Christopher's office where I see him with his laptop.

I look around, not finding anyone else, I ask him, "Where are the rest?"

His green eyes look up to me, "Jayden is in a meeting with Michael to get a force of trusted people to start trailing James. I have readied an exact report of James works- one that is detailed enough that no judge will hesitate before giving him a death penalty."

I nod at him as I pop down on the chair across him.

"What's wrong?" He turns to face me completely, his whole attention on me.

"I..." I take a deep breath before I speak, "I am worried. About her safety as well as about her emotions. I feel I should have first told her about the dangers that are lurking around her before she went away. And now she is a million times more hurt and I can't do anything."

"And she doesn't want you to. If what Jayden briefed me about is anything to go by, then she wants you to stop thinking of her as a china doll. Let her experience everything and let that help her grow."

I think over everything, biting my lips as I go back to the call.

I run my hand through my hair as I come to the conclusion that Chris is right. My protectiveness, along with the boys', must have been the very thing caging her in.

"Anyway, this is the file that I have complied," he tosses a file to my side, for which I nod my head in appreciation.

I am about to get up from my seat when the doors to Christopher's office burst open. It startles me for a second, my shock turning into confusion at the expression on Jayden's face as he strides up to me.

"Ja-"

I never get a chance to complete my question as he reaches me, dropping down to sit on his knees so that he comes to level with me.

"Ash," He takes my hands in both of his, holding them tightly as he continues, "I have some really bad news."

I know before he says anything.

I feel my heart drop, the heaviness settling in my gut as the fear, a very familiar feeling these days creep back up.

I feel my body give up.

"Ash."

I force myself to focus on the man in front of me, nodding my head to ask him to continue as I can't trust myself to speak.

His eyes soften as he speaks lowly, a mere whisper, "James did the counselling. I have sent people after his resident address at the college, as well as a few over to Kane's house for the girls."

I stare at the ceiling of my bedroom.

It's been fifteen minutes or something since the confirmation has reached me. Finding it difficult to face anybody, I decided to curl myself up in my bed.

When it was my life in danger, sure it made me scared of the future, but it didn't render me helpless. I knew I will fight till my last breath, I knew that Jayden, the boys and Chris won't let me die, and even if I did, they would avenge me.

But Abby?

She doesn't deserve this. She has been hurt emotionally due to all this. By me. And by Ryker. And now she as well as her cousin are in danger because us being irresponsive and ignorant.

I close my eyes before an idea flashes through my head, making me jerk up and sit as I contemplate whether to follow my idea or not

Sending a quick prayer to the Lord above to I get up, grabbing a dark coloured hoodie and putting it on as I try to make a step by step plan for it.

I crack the door open looking out for anyone before I rush back in, taking the file Chris gave me a few minutes ago, I sneak into the white hallways.

Cursing the modern and pristine interior of my friend's house that barely gives me a shadow or dark area to hide in, I somehow sneak into his garage.

I came with Jayden and knowing him, his keys must be in his pocket all the time. It one of his bad habits.

Though Christopher for some reason had half of his cars' keys in garage under lock and half in his office.

I rush to the key holder, punching in his code for it before getting a random key out. I unlock the car, smiling to as I see the familiar silver vehicle light up.

Sliding in, I put the file in cup holder by rolling it up before I start the car. I breathe out, giving myself one last opportunity to back out before I step on the gas.

I weave though his drive way, pausing briefly at the guard post where I tell them a totally bullshit reason for going out this late.

The guards knew me from before and so don't bother to check with Christopher or Jayden and just let me through.

I drive out, gaining speed once I get at a little distance so that not to make them suspicious. If they do, they might ring up one of the two men and I don't want them knowing this until and unless I am done handling it.

Because if this goes south, I can't get those two involved.

Despite them being in a not so white business, Jayden more so than Christopher, they are nice men. Great in fact, if you have ever seen the other leaders.

And this business is messy.

If anything happens that drags them to the law enforcers, their lives will be destroyed and there will come a new head for business.

An hour or so later, I find myself parking at the curb of my destination. I take the file and sigh, going with my instinct once again and hoping everything will be done for good.

Getting out, I walk across the driveway and knock on the white washed front door.

The door opens and a woman steps through, with a blank face and an eyebrow raised in question.

Giving her a small smile I speak, "Let's help each other out, if we can Sheriff Waine."