~•Jamie•~

Standing under the hot shower water, I run my hands through my hair and let my thoughts come as they always do when I shower at night after having a swim. Is it bad that when I think about Connie I'm relieved that she didn't find me? In all the explanations I've heard from her so far, nothing tells me why she gave me up in the first place just how she had to but didn't want to or had regretted it.

She seemed nice. But I hate her a little bit for making my life so complicated only once she was dead.

I hate how selfish she is. How she can only face me from her grave instead of coming to me before and talking to me face to face. I don't care that she couldn't find me, she should have tried harder when she was alive because now I don't wanna hear what she has-or rather had to say now that she's dead and can't look me in the eye to tell me those things.

Shutting the water off and stepping out of the shower, I towel myself dry then wrap a clean white towel around my body, grabbing a comb and running through my hair.

The strands bounce, fresh out of the water and curly and I admire them in the mirror.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Sighing at the thought of who that might be, I toss the comb aside then make my way downstairs, holding my towel closed as I pull my front door open, surprised at Crow being the one to be standing there.

"Crow, hi. What are you doing here?" I ask and she smiles, holding her long dark ponytail as she tucks it over her shoulder, her piercing eyes boring into mine.

"I know that this is weird but...I need to talk to you please. It's about my brother."

"Uhm sure...do you need me to save him again?" I joke, letting her inside and when Crow battles silently with herself without saying anything, I pause. "What is it?"

"I know about you and my brother."

My entire body tenses but I shrug. "I don't know what you're talking about." I state, closing my front door and crossing my arms over my chest to hold my towel up. Cold air rushes at my exposed skin and I move from foot to foot restlessly.

"My brother has always been protective of you but now it's on a personal level too. Look, I don't care, because that isn't any of my business. I'll keep it a secret if you want but-and I mean this in the nicest way possible...can you back off for a while?" I stare at Crow, not knowing what to say so I blurt,

"Why?"

"Because I think you care enough about him not to want to see him hurt."

"Hurt by who?" My voice hardens as the same protectiveness I felt the day I saved him from Emerson Prescott kicks in and Crow sighs, walking to the front door to peak out the side glass panels, as though expecting someone to show up.

"Maybe he'll tell you one day but for now...I don't need to deal with any casualties so once again, I mean this in the nicest way, please stay the hell away from Hitter or I unfortunately will have to make you." My eyes narrow as I take on a defensive stance and stare at her disbelief. She pushes past me, her shoulder hitting mine and then pulls my front door open and shuts it behind her.

I go back upstairs, my bare feet padding against the tiles, frustrated with Crow's abrupt and randomness to go finish getting ready.

Changing into a pair of loose sweatpants and a thin cut off tank top, I grab a hairdryer and on the cool setting, speed up the process but avoid heat on my hair.

I care about him enough not to want to see him get hurt? Yes, of course I do but hurt by who and why am I hearing this from her? I don't even know what's going on and I don't appreciate her storming into my house and throwing out threats that barely cause a quake in my wake.

After pacing for a couple minutes, I head back downstairs and just as I'm rounding the corner to the kitchen, my front door is thrown open. I don't have to look over my shoulder to know who it is just by the feeling of sharp eyes against the back of my neck, sending sparks of heat throughout my entire body.

"What did my sister say?" Hitter demands but I ignore him and continue to my kitchen, opening my fridge but he pushes it shut and traps me against it and between his arms. "Ignore what she told you. Whatever it was."

His mask is grey today, making his eyes appear darker than usual and I just stare at him. I stare at him thoughtfully, not saying anything as I play her words over and over and over in my head.

"Jamie."

"What?" I roll my eyes with a bored facade and he lowers his head so we're the same height and stares into my eyes with his own dark gaze. It sends shudders down my back and for once in my life with someone other than my mom, I'm tempted to look down.

Tempted, but not choosing to.

"Ignore. What. She. Told. you."

Instead of doing as he spells out for me, I ignore him. "Why are you in danger?" I ask, crossing my arms to show just how little he affects me and he steps back then looks away from me.

"That's none of your business."

Now I become angry and I shove him even further away from me, almost causing his hip to land in a sharp corner but he catches himself and stares at me in confusion. "And my business is yours?"

"You chose to share with me. I didn't ask you to." His cold voice says and I scoff.

"You know what? How about you listen to your sister and stay away from me. I'll have no problem doing the same." I hiss. Turning away from Hitter, I head upstairs, wanting to do nothing more than lock myself in my room and rant about how stupid I was to let any walls I had up down just so he could comfort me possibly past being just a security blanket. Before I get to lock myself away though, the lights go out when I'm about halfway up my staircase, plunging my entire house into darkness.

"I'm sorry." His disembodied voice says genuinely but I cross my arms, not willing to listen to what he has to say. "Things are just messed up right now but I didn't mean to take it out on you." His voice seems to be getting nearer, so I go up a few steps to get away from him.

I stay silent as I turn completely and stumble to get away from him. I trusted him unwittingly and now he has the decency to throw it all back in my face when I ask for his trust in return? Mom always warned me about men...I guess Rickson will forever be the only lucky one to have settled down and had kids. I should have listened.

"I'm complicated in case you hadn't noticed." He tells me and I pause, even as I hear his footsteps approaching where I'm standing. "Jamie." His voice is so close now. I tense at the sound of my name and turn to the sound, trying to make out where he is so I can avoid that direction but it's dark so I don't see anything but pitch black, don't hear anything but my own breathing which is heavy and panicked from the unexpected. That's how quiet he is.

I gasp when his arms wrap around my waist, his front brushing against my back as he pulls me to him.

"I'm sorry." He brushes his masked nose over my cheek and I cringe away from him, still angry but then I feel his wet lips on my jaw a second later and I shudder as my knees go weak as I arch my back into him so I'm pressed against him and he grunts and whisper, "Please don't be mad."

I don't know what's been going on between the two of us lately, but every time he's around...my entire being is drawn to him as much as his is drawn to me. "Crow sounded worried when she warned me to stay away from you."

"It's not anything you have to worry about."

"You worry about me a lot." I close my eyes, surrendering into his touch even further, so much that he has to hold most of my weight. I've never felt like this, like I'm not in control over my body, mind and feelings.

"It's my job." I tense. "For the most part anyways." His hands drop to my waist and then he turns me around so our lips are almost touching, but I move my head back, before our lips can actually connect, causing his teeth to hiss at the rejection all of a sudden. "I can protect myself."

"You say that as though I can't...which is why I'll protect you as well." I suggest.

"No."

"Pay me and make it official. I'll kill everyone who comes your way."

"Hmm..." He leans forward again and I tilt my head up, his lips touching my neck and he sighs at my continued resistance but drags his teeth over my sensitive skin. "Jamie." There's something in the back of my mind that rages about this being a terrible idea but...I love terrible decisions. I make them as much as they make me.

His hand slips under my wooly sweater then he begins rubbing circles on my skin, luring me closer to him and I almost surrender there and there. I'm there, I'm leaning in again, I'm on the tipping side of the edge---

Crow shouts incoherently from somewhere downstairs and I let out a deep exhale. The lights come back on just as quickly as they went off and Hitter pulls me to his chest so fast, I have to latch onto him so I don't fall. I'm alarmed at first, but then I remember his hot lips on me. He had taken his mask off. "Don't do this Hitter."

"I'm not doing anything." His harsh voice snaps and I dare look up, seeing the anger in Crow's gaze as she glares at not only her brother, but me too. I pull away from Hitter, feeling warm and bothered but I just cross my arms over my chest, not wanting to get in between the two siblings.

"You're ignoring---"

"It's none of your business how I deal with MY own problems!" Hitter growls, raising his voice and a flinch even when Crow's eyes turn fiercer than I thought possible.

His eyes flash to mine for a second and the hardness softens ever so slightly before he turns back to his sister.

"Fine, brother. But don't come crawling back to me when they finally catch up to you." Shaking her head, Crow looks at me for a moment then leaves, Hitter and I staying in silence and I look up at him, watching as he runs a hand back through his hair.

I'm silent because I don't know what he wants me so say so I just start with, "Wolf-"

"I've gotta go Jamie." His voice is hard but emotionless all in the same and I just nod, stepping back to let him pass to the stairway as I run a hand over my own hair, watching him walk away without even bothering to spare me a second glance.

I'm confused, about so many things and Hitter was my escape, now he's going through his own stuff and doesn't want me to be anywhere near that stuff. I had never seen Crow and Hitter fight like that...let alone glare at one another with so much hatred, anger and bitter frustration.

Placing my hands on my staircase railing, I lean over and bow my head as I take a deep breath, looking up and releasing. I should have never gotten involved with him but I can't seem to stay away either.

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