DESPITE BEING RELIEVED TO see Levi, Ella couldn't help but think he had come at the worst time possible. His eyes had lingered on her injuries and her bewildered look for one moment before pure fury had blinded him, his hands tightening around Kai's collar. Alex and Will had ran inside as well, both of them already having tackled someone, but it was Sebastian she was surprised to see. He closed the door before any of the men could run in the newfound chaos, an earsplitting grin on his face as he slowly cracked his knuckles.

"So," he said," which one of you bastards hurt my sister?"

Blood was dripping from Alex' brass knuckles as he grabbed a fistful of Carlo's hair, tugging hard to pull him closer. He and Sebastian were the only ones who were smiling, but there was no humor in their expressions at all.

"Who do we have here?" Alex drawled," a fool on the loose?"

"Why simply call him a fool?" Sebastian said, walking towards them," I would prefer saying he's an idiotic fucker who -"

"Hush, Seb," Alex frowned," Will is here, let's keep it PG-13."

Will, who had slammed his bat against the wall inches away from someone's ear, turned his head towards them, somehow still seeming innocent even with a trembling man falling to his knees in front of him.

"Did something happen?" he said.

"Nothing," Alex reassured him, pulling so hard at Carlo's head that the man lost balance and fell," Sebastian and I were just kidding around."

"Unfortunately for you I don't feel like joking anymore," Sebastian said to Carlo, the man staring at him in sheer terror as he lay on the floor.

"Neither do I," Levi said, a promise of violence bruising his voice," I may not have the money, but you'll be paid back in full tonight, that's for sure."

Kai simply stared at him, all his arrogance gone now he was in front of Levi. The tension had gone out of his whole body, fists unclenched, Levi clearly confused by his lack of anger. He came closer, silent threats in his eyes, but Kai evaded his gaze almost shamefully, like he didn't deserve to look at him for too long.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"What?" Levi blinked, shaking his surprise off as he continued," you think an apology suffices after you kidnap Eleanora and hurt her? Even if you beg, the only way I'll let this go is if you all end up in the hospital and I never see you again."

Kai winced, slowly flicking his gaze back up towards Levi's again. "If that's what you want."

"Levi," Ella exclaimed, no longer able to watch silently as she grabbed his wrists," it's fine, let him go."

"What?" Levi said, glancing at her," did they say something to you? I swear to God, if they dared to blackmail you -"

"No, Levi, that's not it," she promised him, turning towards Kai," he's - Just don't hit him. He was saving me, not hurting me."

She stared at him, urging him to speak with her gaze, but all his courage seemed to have left him. He may have been able to handle a fight against multiple men with ease, but in front of his little brother all he seemed to have become was anxious. Kai's breath left him in a soft shudder, straightening his back as he stared back at Levi, turning his head to take a hit.

"It's fine," he said," I deserve it. Punch me. Do it."

Levi's confusion had reached it's peak as he looked from Kai to her and back, as if he half-expected the man to be joking. When he caught her injuries, his fists clenched again, jaw tensing, but he breathed it out before Ella could even stop him.

"I won't hit him, Eleanora," he said," but only for you."

"Thank you, Levi," she said, taking his hand in hers as she squeezed it.

She knew it was a lot to ask for to simply not let him hit one of the men he presumed to have been involved in this whole ordeal, but the fact that he listened tugged at her heartstrings. If Kai didn't want to speak up and tell him he was his brother, he was missing out, because Levi was one of the best people she knew. As if proving the fact, he kissed her on her forehead, pulling her in for a brief hug.

"I'm glad you're okay," he murmured.

"I'm glad to see you," she replied.

"Can I hit the others?"

"As a matter of fact, I'll even help you."

Carlo was being dragged off to another room by Alex, his screams echoing through the whole house, four men sitting down in front of Will in pure panic as he slowly looked from his bat back at them. Sebastian was simply punching whoever was in his sight, someone jumping on his back at that moment. She and Levi reacted at once, Levi grabbing his collar as Ella raised her leg to kick the man in the gut. As soon as her kick landed they turned to go on, Sebastian smiling proudly at her.

"I raised you well," he shouted.

"You're like two years older than me," Ella replied," you did not raise me at all."

Right then sirens started blaring, alerting them all. If Sebastian was here, that must have meant he had let her mother know what happened, so to be honest Ella wasn't surprised the cops were involved. Just to play it safe though, she pulled Levi back before he could knock one of the men on the floor out, their self-defense tactic only able to go so far. Kai was still frozen, like moving would be enough to crumble all the walls he had built around his heart.

Suddenly everything started to happen very fast, the man Ella had pulled Levi off grabbing a knife out of his pocket as he charged at Levi's back. Ella parted her lips to scream, already reaching for Levi's arms to pull him away, but the man had grabbed one before she could, knife high in the air. The silver glittered in the artificial yellow light and even though the moment was such a tense one, at the same time Ella couldn't help but notice the small things, the way rust had colored the hilt of the knife, the way the man's eyes were bloodshot, the way Levi looked tired and yet was still standing here without any rest. Only seconds had passed, her hand still reaching for him even though she knew she wouldn't grab him in time, and right as the man lowered the knife she locked eyes with Levi.

"Eleanora," he said, like a prayer, like a wish.

She parted her lips to scream, but before she could she heard the sound of skin being pierced, killing the words in her throat. Pure panic had put it's claws around her heart so tightly the imprints ached, but Levi simply was staring at her with wide eyes, not having moved at all. He turned around, the both of them unable to speak as they saw Kai standing in front of him, a knife in his shoulder. Blood soaked his shirt red around the spot, but he didn't seem to notice at all. The only thing he was looking at was Levi, a relieved sigh leaving his lips, the man who had stabbed him staring at his own hands, like he was looking at a tragedy in the making. He turned around and ran, though unfortunately for him that was right in the arms of the police as they all burst inside the house.

"Why?" Levi said, hand grazing his own shoulder absentmindedly, as if he was feeling the wound on himself as well.

"Suppose I'm going to the hospital after all," Kai smiled weakly.

"No, wait!" Alex screamed behind them, catching all their attention as he was dragged off together with Sebastian," we're the good guys! You got the wrong ones!"

"I don't think good guys wear brass knuckles colored with blood," one of the cops scoffed.

"Is that you Sebastian?" a cop who was arresting one of the men said as they passed by.

"Why do you know the whole police force?" Alex frowned.

"Don't ask," Sebastian said solemnly.

Everyone was escorted out with handcuffs, Will somehow talking himself out of the fact that he was holding a bat in front of men who were very obviously bruised. Ella immediately ran towards a police officer, voice urgent and panic clear, Levi grabbing another one.

"Please," she said," you have to call an ambulance, someone has been stabbed."

"His shoulder," Levi said," he has to be looked after, now."

"Who?" the officer asked, looking past them.

"What do you mean who?" Levi frowned, pointing behind him," the man bleeding there, who else?"

"That's what I'm talking about, kid," the officer said," there's no one there."

The both of them looked back at once, but the officer was right. Where Kai had been standing before was now only a trail of blood leading to an open window, a ghost of a man even while running away. Ella didn't hesitate as she ran towards the window, ready to jump through and follow him, but Levi grabbed her by her waist.

"I have to find him," she said," please, Levi."

"Eleanora," he urged her," I am thankful, but I don't think he wants to be followed if he escapes like this. You are my first priority, not a stranger. They have to look if you have any wounds as well."

"He's not a stranger, Levi!" Ella blurted out.

"What?" he said," do you know him?"

It felt like she was crossing boundaries simply by even mentioning anything about Kai, but did it even matter at this point? She didn't know his address nor did she have any way to contact him, so with every second that passed the chances of Levi meeting him became slimmer. Even with Levi right in front of him Kai hadn't dared to speak, so what if he never appeared in his life again? Didn't he deserve to know?

She breathed out.

"He's your brother, Levi."