Brady Pictured Above
***This chapter is much longer than the others for no reason. You have been warned.***
Luca's POV
"You aren't going to make us do something stupid with that command, right?" Nick mumbled while pushing the front door open. I smiled to myself: Keeley was going to give us hell. But to be honest, I didn't mind. I'd mop up the rain in the middle of a storm if it'd make her happy.
I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she walked with the beauty and strength of a goddess further into the house and into the living room.
"Would you all relax? You'll do whatever I ask-"
I about ran her over as Keeley stopped dead in her tracks going deathly still. I watched as her face widened in surprise. When I saw her eyes, I followed her direct line of sight.
"Brady?" Her voice came out in a barely audible, breathy whisper, so quiet that if I wasn't listening, I would have probably missed it.
My gaze fell on a tall and lanky guy chatting away with my father and Dominic. He turned around slowly and I got my first good look at his face. The mischievous glint in his eyes and the messy brown hair screamed trouble. But if that wasn't enough, the lazy and carefree grin on his face confirmed my thoughts. His arms and hands were tattooed with varying designs, and although thin, the guy looked strong as hell.
"Hey, Sweetness." His horse voice cuts through the silence of the room. In a flash, Keeley drops her shopping bags from today and lets out the girliest squeal I've ever heard from her. Her body breaks into a sprint as he takes a few long steps towards her. When she is only a couple of feet away, Keeley launches herself at him.
For anyone else, including me, her momentum would have probably sent them to the floor, but not him. He didn't even stumble as his arms reached out and caught her mid-air. Her laugh I love so much, the one that is sweet and melodic but laced with mischief and trouble, bubbled out of her. Keeley's arms wrapped around his neck in a tight embrace as her legs swung up and locked behind his back.
As he spun her in circles, I looked over to the guys, hoping for something, but they too looked confused.
"What are you doing here?!" my Tesoro laughed while slowly sliding down him and onto the floor. I felt my fists tighten around the bags I had brought in. When her feet hit the floor, Keeley stepped slightly back but his one hand still lingered dangerously low on her back.
"Well," he began with a smirk while gazing into her eyes. "I turned eighteen right after you left, and for...reasons, you know I couldn't go home. So imagine my surprise when I was, um... out, and an oddly terrifying man shows up and drags me out of the house I was in claiming to be not only a mob boss, but your father."
Keeley's eyes shot over to Dominic and even from where I was standing, I could see her frustration.
"Sweetness, don't worry. It's okay." Brady nudged her softly and I watched the tension in her shoulders lessen. "As I was saying, I was given two options: come work for him and get to see you, or never see you again. The decision wasn't that difficult, really."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Keeley's voice was deathly low and filled with a kind of anger I had never seen from her. Her words were pointed towards her father who was standing off to the side. Dominic's back straightened at her tone and the iciness that comes easy to him took over.
"Watch your tone, Keeley. I understand you are upset that I enlisted your friend to join my mafia, but think for a second. Think real hard, Keeley. Think about why I did it. Think about why I wanted him on my team, and maybe for just a second think about the big picture."
It's times like this when I realize how similar Keeley and her father are: the frequent mood swings, the ability to turn off emotions, the way they radiate death when angry. To be honest, it scared the shit out of me. On the other hand, however, I'd be lying if I said her fierceness and anger didn't turn me on a little bit... when directed at somebody else of course.
I watched Keeley as her focus shifted from her father to Brady, who had a sheepish look on his face. For a moment, they held a silent battle between their eyes, but it was broken when she slapped him upside the head.
"No more. I'm serious, Brady." Her voice came out pained, and although I couldn't see her eyes, I knew at this moment that her guard was down. She was trying to convince him of something, but what I'm not quite sure.
"I promise." His voice held a rawness and truth to it even I believed, but that didn't mean I liked him.
"So," he clapped his hands together while turning to us guys who still stood here confused, "introduce me, yeah?"
She rolled her eyes but a small smile graced her face.
"This is my oldest brother, Nick, and then that's Finn, Callan, Sam, and Donnie." He greets each of them with a handshake and I can tell by Nick and Callan's body language they don't like him either.
"These are the Moretti's: Stefano you already met, Giovanni, and Matteo. And this," she said softly while walking to me. Keeley pressed her body into my side and I immediately pulled her closer.
"This is Luca." Brady shook both of my brother's hands before turning to me. A wild smirk was plastered on his face as he reached out a hand. I shook it, maybe squeezing a bit too hard judging by the look on his face.
"Well, it is great to meet you all. Keeley told stories, but I'm glad I have the pleasure to meet you in person." He continued to look over us all and take everything in. Brady didn't even look intimidated in the slightest in the presence of us mafia men.
"Are you staying tonight or do you have to go to the big house?" Keeley asked. I looked down at her, but her attention was focused on the beanpole in front of us.
"I was graciously given permission to stay over tonight, my sweet. So I'll do whatever you ask me to." Keeley's head fell back in laughter over his words. I hate that he can make her laugh like that.
"Okay. Well, I'll go get some snacks and stuff, and maybe we can all hang out together tonight?" The guys, as well as the Capos, agreed with her as she squeezed my side one last time and basically skipped out of the room and towards the kitchen.
"I'm going to go change," Nick sighed to himself. He headed towards the stairs and everyone else seemed to follow. I didn't.
"Is this the part where you act all tough and threaten my life?" the beanpole laughed from beside me. Up close, I could see a couple of faint scars across his face and a longer, fresher one going up the front of his neck. His shoulders were relaxed but somehow tense at the same time, just like Keeley's.
"No. I just want to know how you feel about her," I spoke, a twinge of jealousy lacing through my voice. Keeley is the best thing that has and probably ever will happen to me, and right now, we're in a good place. I don't want anybody coming in and ruining that as selfish as it may seem.
"Why? Jealous I'll propose to her before you do?" My eyes flew to him and it was taking everything in me to not kill him. The only thing stopping me from doing so was Keeley.
He laughed loudly as one of his hands came up and clapped me on the shoulder like we were old friends.
"Relax, dude. Keeley's my best friend and I wouldn't change that for anything. I see the way you look at her and I can see it in her too. That's something special I wouldn't want to get between." Brady looked me in the eyes as he spoke and a sad smile replaced the smirk that was previously there.
"Do you love her?" The words were out of my mouth before I could think and I immediately felt my ears heat up.
Brady chuckled softly as his head shook side to side. His hand slid off my shoulder and down into his pocket. His eyes softened while turning to face the fireplace where a fire had been set.
"Of course I do. You'd have to be fucking stupid not to love her. From the moment I met Keeley, she's taken my life by storm. I was a walking disaster, even at 13 when we met, but Keeley didn't care. She taught me more about loving myself and living for me than anyone ever had. At some point along the line, I fell for her. Keeley shut me down immediately, of course, but I'd rather be her friend than nothing. So do I love Keeley? Absolutely. But am I in love with her? No, not anymore. "
I didn't know what to say to him. Brady didn't strike me as an emotional guy, and you know what, he probably wasn't. But here he was: telling me about his feelings for my Tesoro. All of what he said was true and I respected him greatly for that.
I didn't have anything left to say to him because what do you say? I turned around after a minute of silence and began to head upstairs to change. I was almost out of the room when I heard him call out.
"Luca-" I halted in my steps and looked behind me. Brady had turned around and was now staring at me. The look on his face startled me solely because it mirrored Keeley when she was dead serious about something. I knew immediately that the words he was about to speak held the utmost importance.
"Keeley is the only person I have left, and I would do anything to keep her safe, and more importantly, happy. You need to understand that." His voice had considerably lowered, and the hoarseness of his voice made him sound much older than he really was.
He didn't have to tell me he would hurt me if I did something to Keeley. The promise was in his voice, not his words.
I gave him a sharp nod before turning and walking away.
***
Keeley's POV
I bound up the stairs with the biggest smile I've had on my face in months. Brady was here. My Brady was actually here.
I giggled to myself as I ran to my room and into my closet, quickly stripping down and shimmying on a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a raggedy old t-shirt. I slipped on my favorite fuzzy socks and threw my hair up in a messy bun, not really caring about my appearance, just eager to get back downstairs.
On my way out, I saw my best boy sitting patiently by the doorframe. I smiled brightly at him and together we raced down the hallway, down the stairs, and into the living room. I paused at the entrance of the living room to look for Luca, but it didn't click to move out of Gus's way. The next thing I know, Gus jumps into me, and the ground becomes my new best friend.
I landed with a thud and a painful groan. I hear a chorus of "Ooo"s as I roll off of my face and onto my back.
"Keeley!" I hear Luca rushing over to me and I open my eyes to see his dark ocean blues.
"Stai bene, piccola?" he whispers to me while holding my hand and lifting me up with the other. I groan as I stand and stumble into him. That makes three times today I've been slammed into the ground by someone or something that weighs more than me.
(Are you okay, baby?)
"Oh, just peachy. Nothing like repeatedly getting tackled on your birthday," I chirp in a sarcastic voice. I pull up the side of my shirt and slightly tug down the side of my pajama shorts. On my right side, a nasty bruise has formed on my hip from being hit so many times. So much for being mark-free.
Brady immediately bursted out into laughter, and by the redness of his face, he had been holding it in. Slowly everybody followed in his steps. I tried to be annoyed, but in all honesty, it was funny.
I rolled my eyes as Luca and I walked over to the couch. I sat in between him and Brady who was currently wheezing and had tears falling from his eyes.
"Just shut up," I chuckle while shaking my head. One of his tattooed hands comes up and wipes his eyes.
"That so reminds me of when we were late to training," he wheezed and this time I joined in, knowing exactly what story he was telling. "I was running after you and we flew through the doors, but you stopped and I didn't!"
I was laughing just as hard as he was now. I still remember us flying through the doorway. I stopped to stand at attention but he didn't. He hit me so hard we both ended up in the infirmary with minor concussions from the fall.
With all the noise, Gus started barking and ran to me. But when he saw Brady, his tail wagged faster and barks got louder.
"Hi, GusGus! How's my baby?" Brady cooed to my best boy. He scratched his ears as Gus licked his face. Those two have always had a special relationship and I love to watch them together.
"Okay, okay. Let's calm down," my father chuckled. He waited until everybody's laughter had faded and only smiles were left. "I think it's time to give Keeley her gifts.
"My gifts?" I ask surprised. "I thought Brady and the painting were my gifts?"
"What painting?" My father looked at us and it was then I realized he didn't know about our little incident earlier.
All of us looked to Nick, who was quite offended we were going to make him answer. He let out a sheepish laugh while looking anywhere but our father.
"Um, Keeley really liked this painting and they didn't have it on anything in the gift shop. So when we offered to buy it and they declined, we had to pull some strings."
My father had an unamused look plastered across his face. After a moment, he let out a sigh and went on with what he was doing, choosing to just ignore us.
"Anyway, as much as a pleasantry it is to have Brady with us, he is not one of your gifts. These are." He motioned to where I could now see Stefano walking in with two boxes and a sparkly gift bag. I didn't know what to do as he set them in front of me on the coffee table. I felt a lump start to form in my throat.
Besides Brady, I can't remember the last time I had ever received a birthday gift. I don't know what changed between then and now. If anything, I'm more trouble now than I was then. Someday I know I'll have to sit down and talk about what happened between us all, but for today, I think I'll just be happy.
"Well go on and open them, Munch," Finn smiled from his spot across from me. I laughed as I picked up the first box. It had sparkly silver paper and a big red bow. Six cards sat tied with a ribbon on top, so I automatically knew they were from my father and brothers.
"Do you mind if I read these later?" I ask, knowing that what's in them might make me cry.
"Of course. They're yours and you can do whatever you want with them." I smiled at my father and began to gently tear away the paper. Once all the paper was gone, I opened the black box and I swear my breathing stopped.
"You didn't," I whisper going wide-eyed at my father and brothers. My mouth hung open as I turned back to the box and gently lifted out the handcrafted handgun. It had rich-toned wooden plates on the handle and the worn silver gave it an opalescent look to it. This gun had to be one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
"Donnie picked it out, but we all liked it," Nick explained. I smiled widely at my brothers and set the gun back into the box. I stood up off the couch and hugged each of my brothers tightly and made sure to give Donnie an extra thank you. We aren't the closest, but I know he loves me as much as I love him.
"Well, open our gift, Tigrotta. I want to see if you like it." Stefano pulled me away from my father whom I had just hugged. He pushed me back into my seat and placed the long, rectangular black box into my hand. This one only had one card, but I put it off to the side with the others.
I lifted the lid of the box and drew in a big gulp of air.
"Holy shit," I breathed out. I lifted the long sword out of the box and held it delicately in my hands. The handle was beautifully crafted to where it somehow fit my hand perfectly and the elegant wisps of metal on the handle created almost a shield to protect my hand.
"Do you like it? It's made of the strongest metals in Italy and will slice through just about anything. We know you like a little extra pizazz when you kill people," Giovanni explained. I turned and looked at all of my Italian family. They all held bright smiles as I twirled the blade in my hands.
"This- it's stunning. I love it, thank you!" I gently set it down and hugged Stefano, Gio, and then Matteo, saving Luca for last. He hugs me tight and places a kiss on the top of my head before whispering to me.
"I have something else for you later." I looked up to his eyes, and by the mischief swirling in them, I knew there was an underlying message.
I sat back on the couch and took the last bag into my lap. This one was from Brady.
"You didn't have to get me anything," I tell him softly. A lazy smile appeared as one of his arms lifted to rest on the couch behind me.
"Just open it, Sweetness," he laughed.
I shook my head at him as I took the card and set it with the others. I pulled the tissue paper out and what was left inside the bag was a book. I gently pulled it out of the bag and opened it.
From the moment I looked inside, I struggled to take a few deep breaths. It was a scrapbook, but not just any scrapbook. It was the one our missions team would work on whenever we had time. Last I knew, it had gone to Dylan's family when he passed.
"How-" I stopped for a second to prevent myself from crying. After a minute, I cleared my throat and turned to face him. "How'd you get this?"
"I tracked his parents down before your dad found me. I wanted to have it for the next time I saw you." He gave me a sad smile and I threw my arms around him. He held me tight as I struggled not to cry. Once I was sure I could keep it together, I pulled back.
"Thank you. Thank all of you guys," I spoke while facing the rest of the family. "This, this is really special."
After we cleaned up the paper and put everything away, all of us settled in on the couches and chairs to watch movies. Everything seems so surreal at the moment: my family, Brady, the Moretti's, Luca. I never thought I would have a functional family, much less a group of people that care about me.
I stay snuggled into the couch, squished between two of my favorite people for the rest of the night just laughing and chatting away, happy to have them.
***
Knock Knock Knock
"Come in," I yawn from my bed. We had all said goodnight about an hour ago, but I couldn't sleep as the day's events kept my mind awake.
I watched the door crack open and Luca slips inside with some sort of board in his hands. He shuts the door quietly and makes his way over to me. Luca crawled onto the bed next to me after the board had been set down.
The yellowish light from my bedside lamp illuminates his bare chest and tanned skin. Luca's dark ebony hair is disheveled and falling over his beautiful blue eyes. He is a sight for sore eyes and I don't think I'll ever get over the sight of him shirtless and only wearing sweatpants.
Gnocco leaned into me and placed a slow, loving kiss on my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he ran one hand up my side under my shirt, his other hand keeping the two of us propped up. He licked the seam of my lips and I opened my mouth to him. His tongue swirled with my own, and it didn't take me long to give in to him.
He pushed me back until I was flat against the bed and he used his elbows to prop himself up as he kissed me. My legs locked around his waist and pulled him closer, desperately needing his touch. One of his hands reached out and held the side of my face. Our kisses slowed to a stop and eventually the only thing I could hear was the sound of our heavy breathing.
"I'm not going to know what to do with myself if you kiss me like this every day," I laugh quietly. He smiles and buries his head into my neck, the feeling of the stubble on his chin causing a chill to run up my spine. I unlock my legs from around his back before we both settle down and embrace each other.
We lay there for a few minutes as I run my hands through his hair and he holds me tightly against him. My body slowly relaxes and I can feel my eyes starting to drift close.
"Oh, wait!" I flinch as Luca suddenly scrambles off of me. I sit up and rub my eyes as he reaches off of the bed and picks up the board he walked in with.
"What is that?" I say while stifling a yawn. I sit cross-legged on top of the blankets and watch as he turns what I now see is a picture frame towards me.
"Look."
The picture frame was larger, and around the border, I could see a collage of different pictures that either somebody had taken of us or ones we took together. That part alone was so special I almost missed what was in the center.
Within the border held a breathtaking picture of a single bright white star, and underneath in a pretty font, it said "La stella di Tesoro." I stared at it in confusion, but after a moment, it clicked and my mouth hung open as I looked at him.
"Did you-did you buy me a star?" I quietly asked him in awe. Luca's dazzling smile told me everything I needed to know. I set the picture frame off to the side against my table and tackled him into a tight hug.
A throaty laugh escaped his lips as his muscular arms tightened around me. My sweet Luca keeps on surprising me.
"You're the best, you know that?" I giggle as I pull away from him. His arms stayed locked around my back as I cupped his face in my hands.
"Nah, you just bring out the best in me, baby." Luca kissed me softly once more before gripping my hips and sliding me off his lap. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I watched him begin to stand up. I reached out and grabbed his wrist tightly.
"Where are you going?"
"Your father told me I couldn't stay in here tonight because it's a school night and you need to sleep." I rolled my eyes and shook my head with a small smile.
"Fine. But at least stay with me till I fall asleep?" I gave him my best pouty face and a deep chuckle bubbled from his chest.
"How could I say no to you?"
I scooched over and lifted the covers so he could climb in next to me. Once he was in, I laid my head on his arm and tangled my legs with his, trying to steal as much of his warmth as possible. In no time at all, I felt my body relax against him and begin to doze off.
Luca ran a hand through my hair and pressed his lips to the top of my head.
"Buonanotte, Tesoro."
(Goodnight, Tesoro.)
***
When I woke up the next morning, Luca was gone, but there was a Gus sitting on my body and licking my face.
"Gus- I can't breathe," I choke out as I nudge his chunky body off of mine. Thankfully he gets the message and I'm able to sit up.
My best boy goes running over to the door and I can tell he needs to go outside.
"Give me one second, Gus, and then we'll go." I look over to my clock and see that it's only 4:30 in the morning. Great. I stumble out of the warmth of my fuzzy blankets and into the bathroom where I do my business and brush through my hair. I pull it back into a ponytail before changing into a pair of training shorts and a sports bra, figuring I have time to get in a workout before school.
Gus and I silently trot down the dark halls, making sure not to wake anybody up. I open the back door for Gus and he sprints out into the yard. A small smile makes its way onto my face as I see my baby happy and loving life no longer stuck in some depressing school.
While I wait for him, I walk into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water and an apple, doubtful I'll even eat it but it's the thought that counts. Gus is sitting outside the door when I go back, and after I let him in, we go tiptoeing downstairs and into the gym.
I flip on the light switch and head over to the treadmill while Gus lays down in his dog bed I had brought down here a couple of weeks ago. Once I see that he is all comfortable, I get started on my workout and pray that this time I won't go flying off the treadmill.
***
"So... tired," I groan as I crawl my way to the sparring mat in the middle of the gym. I flop down and lie on my back breathing hard. I wonder why I do this to myself: run for miles, cardio for what seems like forever, weights that make me tired even just looking at them.
But then I come back to reality and realize that this is my life and as suckish as it feels right now, it will more than likely help me in the long run.
"Got one more fight left in ya?" I hear that hoarse voice I had missed so much call out from the other side of the room. I peek my eyes open and lift my head, watching as a shirtless and tattooed Brady walks without a care in the world over to me with his hands shoved into his pockets. Since I had last seen him, he had added a whole lot more tattoos to his torso and chest, and from the way I saw a few lines coming over his shoulders, probably his back as well.
"Probably not," I laugh as my head falls back to the ground. I bring up a hand and wipe the sweat from my forehead and then proceed to wipe my hand on the bottom of Brady's sweats.
"The hell, Keeley? Don't go wiping your nasty sweat on me!" He fakes an offended look as a hand flies up and rubs his chest. I shake my head at him.
"Please. You've been covered in my blood. I think my sweat is the least of your worries."
I think back to the time Bardy and I were on our own for a quick mission and I had been stabbed in the side with a knife. After killing the guy, I had crawled my way to Brady, where I had then proceeded to pass out from blood loss. That was a mess.
"Just shut up and fight me," he said while kicking me in the side. I knew for a fact that he aimed directly at my already swollen bruise.
I rolled over quickly and shot a leg out to the back of his knees causing him to stumble. I took that as an opening and jumped up off the ground. As soon as I was on my feet, Brady came at me again, this time with a series of punches and quick kicks. I did my best to dodge them, but in the process, I had left my left side open and he sent a solid kick into my ribs. I coughed and stumbled back.
I paused and looked at him: his face carrying that lazy grin it normally did, but there was a hint of trouble in his eyes.
"Something wrong, Sweetness? Because I'd say you're losing your touch. Is the normal life making you... soft?" I absolutely knew what he was doing. Brady was trying to set me off like a bomb so I would actually fight him back, and Brady is one of the few people to ever beat me in a match. He's tall, fast, and abnormally strong, which in the end, normally beats people's asses, but rarely mine.
"I don't want to fight, Brady. I already told you," I said to him. I was tired and my hip was aching from yesterday. If I fought, it would no doubt burn all of my energy and I still had to go to school.
"C'mon, Keels. It's okay to be insecure. If my fighting skills were that shitty, I'd be insecure too." Brady continued to walk towards me till we were only a few feet apart. The game he was playing was nothing new to me. I know my skills aren't shitty, Brady's just being an ass.
"Fuck off, Brady. I'm not doing this today," I tell him while turning around clearly annoyed. I take a few steps before I hear him again.
"Gonna go cry to Daddy, princess? I'm sure he'll protect you. Oh, and maybe Luca will too. I'm sure he'll hold you and tell you everything is okay because that's just what soft people do."
I turned around in an instant and marched right back up to him, now clearly pissed off. His face showed surprise but at the same time amusement. I pointed a finger and jabbed it into his chest trying to calm myself down.
"Insult me all you want, Brady. I know you're just being an asshole but don't- and I repeat don't, talk about the people I care about like that ever again. Friends or not, Brady James, I will shove my foot so far up your ass that you'll be limping for weeks. Do you understand?" I let the detached coldness that my father normally exhibited leak into my voice. My body turned rigid and on edge. I know that this is just Brady, but sometimes he can be a real ass and needs to be reminded of what reality looks like: a punch to that pretty-boy face.
His smirk widens as he steps closer to me. "What are you gonna do? Cry about it?"
And then I snap.
He doesn't see it coming as I grip his wrist and fold it behind his back, causing him to turn and bend in order to stop me from breaking it. I pulled my knee up and knocked him square in the nose before shoving his body to the floor. I dived for his body but he rolled at the last minute out of the way. Brady grabbed my ankle and pulled me closer to him across the mat.
A devilish grin appeared on his face as he caged me in with his knees and began to hit me in any spot he could. I blocked my face and bucked my hips. Brady fell over and I jumped on top of him. We wrestled on the floor, each of us trying to gain the upper hand on the other. It wasn't until I swiped my hand across his face and used my nails to scratch him that he stumbled backward and I could jump onto my feet. He always hated when I would use my nails against him.
I took a few deep breaths as I stepped back and watched him hold a hand to his face. Brady looked me in the eyes as he slowly lowered his hand down. Even from where I was standing, I could see the few thin streams of blood from the scratches. Part of me felt bad, but the other part, the one that for some sick reason liked hurting people, was fueled with excitement.
"You wanna play dirty, Keeley?" He laughed a deep and frustrated chuckle. It was that moment I knew I fucked up. He only laughs like that when he is severely pissed off. "Well, Sweetness, I happen to like it dirty."
He lunged for me and I tried to dodge him, but I was too late. A strangled yelp left my throat as his hand tangled in my hair and yanked me backwards. Brady's knee came up and connected with the middle of my back, sending an extreme amount of pain through my body. I dropped to the floor but I couldn't afford to let him gain the upper hand. I sent a shaky kick to the side of his right knee and he fell a couple of steps.
I was up before I allowed myself to focus on the spreading pain in my back. The two of us threw out hits and kicks while trying to dodge the other's. My body was screaming in pain as he hit my right hip and I collapsed to the ground.
"Fuck!" I yelled as he twisted my legs in a way that Reform had shown us. I thrashed and used my core to sit up. I yet again swiped my hand at him, this time across the back of his neck. Brady hissed in pain and loosened his grip for just a moment. But a moment was all I needed.
I kicked harshly to his chest and he fell back. I took that moment to lock my legs around his neck and squeeze. I used all the energy left in my bruised and battered body to apply as much pressure as I could. I watched Brady struggle as I held him down. No air was getting into him and he was either going to have to tap out or pass out.
A tattooed hand slapped the ground three times and I immediately let go. Brady rolled onto his hands and knees while gasping, trying to desperately get a solid breath into his lungs. I on the other hand let out a small cry of pain as I tried to move, something in my back not feeling right.
"Are-" Brady coughed as he slid to sit on his butt. Sweat poured down his face and his body was covered in various marks but the worst was on his face. Three long scratches were littered with tiny beads of blood from where I had scratched him. The marks were long and puffy, no doubt stinging from the sweat in them.
"Are you okay?" Brady asked, finally managing to breathe in some steady breaths. I tried to sit up but the pain in my side and hip wouldn't allow me to. Not to mention my scalp was burning from where Brady had no doubt ripped some of my hair out.
"I- I can't sit up," I winced as I held back a few tears. Brady crawled over to me and his eyes ran down my body searching for any other injuries.
"Fuck, Keeley. I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to do that. I just wanted to fight and I shouldn't have said the things I said and I'm so sorry." Brady started to ramble and I let a painful smile out. Brady acted tough and like he didn't care, but when it came to me, he always worried even when I would tell him not to. This had been our relationship for so long. One of us would have a problem and the other would provoke us and we would fight it out. Normally, by the end, we weren't this beat up, but sometimes it did happen.
We would speak and say rude, hurtful things to each other. Was this healthy? No, but it was us. And if Brady had fought this hard today and said those things to me, something is definitely on his mind.
"Brady, what's wrong?" I asked as he helped me sit up at a sloth's pace. I winced as I was finally up. I leaned into his chest for support, and he gladly gave it.
"Well, my face stings from your claws and you look like-"
"Don't play dumb. You know what I mean."
"I'm not playing dumb. I'm telling you-"
"Brady."
"Keeley."
I sat and waited for him to answer my question. If I'm going to get the shit kicked out of me, I would at least like to know why.
It was quiet for a moment, but his heavy sigh broke the silence. "My dad called this morning and you know how I normally cope with my phone calls from him."
I felt my heart sink at Brady's words. His father was an abusive asshole that would beat Brady into a bloody pulp whenever he felt like it. To make himself feel better, Brady would go out and party and get high out of his mind. When his father found out, he sent him off to Mount Reform. For as long as I'd known Brady, he'd struggled with it. He'd be fine for the couple of months he was off the hard stuff, but whenever his dad came back up, he relapsed again.
"You didn't- you didn't do anything, right?" I ask quietly, praying that he didn't.
"No. Your father took me in on the only condition that I would get clean and I have been ever since." I let out a sigh of relief. The last thing I want is for him to fall back down that hole.
"Well," Brady said while clearing his throat, obviously wanting to stop talking about this, "Let's get you up, yeah?"
"Brady, I don't think that that's a good idea-"
"What the hell happened here?!" My head snapped up and my eyes immediately met the cold blue ones of my father. He took a few steps into the gym, and I could see the rest of the house following behind him.
Well, shit.
"We were training," I croak out. Brady had shifted and it caused a ripple of pain to shoot up my side.
"You're both a fucking mess! Nicholas!" my father shouted while turning behind him. Nick had murder written on his face as he stepped forward. "Go call Russo. I want him here now."
Nick gave him a sharp nod and left the room immediately, the clack of his dress shoes following him.
"Samual, Donovan, the two of you go get ready for school. Go." At my father's words, the two of them flew out of here and after Nick, leaving the rest of us in silence.
"Brady, didn't I tell you about the rules around here and how when we train, we train to better ourselves, not kill our family? Did I say something that you didn't understand?"
Nobody spoke as my father stood there. It was almost as if a wave of calmness had washed over him and had taken the anger under its wing, just waiting for the right time to explode.
"No sir, I understand," Brady spoke in the voice I had only ever heard him speak to our unit commanders with.
My father went to speak, but I had to interrupt him. "Do not put all of the blame on Brady because it is my fault as well. I am in this mafia too and I know the rules and I willingly broke them. You will not blame this on him." I stared in defiance at my father. The men behind him looked shocked that I had spoken to him in such a way, and to be honest, I am too; but I'm not sorry for what I said because it's the truth.
"Oh, so now you can just tell me what to do?" my father spoke while squatting down in front of me, his voice coming out in an almost whisper. I was terrified.
"I'm not telling you. It is because I respect you as a leader that I believe you should know the whole situation and what happened." My body was trembling from where I sat with Brady. Between the chill in the air, to the stickiness of my skin, to the pain radiating in my body, I felt nauseous and like I was about to pass out, and by the way I felt Brady's grip on me tighten, I knew he could sense it as well.
Yet I still held a brave face as my father's eyes burned into my own. His silver hair was styled perfectly and his beard was neatly groomed. The grey suit he wore with the fancy watch and the shiny shoes, he screamed power.
"Fine. Because this is Brady's first offense, I'll let him off with a warning. But you, Keeley, are stripped of all your duties until further notice. You are also grounded until I see fit. This means you go to school and straight home. You are not to hang around your friends after school, you are not to talk to anybody that is not in this house as we speak. You are on lockdown. Do you understand me?"
I felt my heart break as he spoke to me. He took away two of the most important things to me. I had just made actual friends on my own not too long ago and now I could only see them at school. And the mafia, that was the only thing that had seemed constant. From the military to the mafia, I was comfortable with that. Now, he's stripped me of both. But I knew this was necessary to keep Brady safe. His punishment would not have been as kind.
"I understand," I whisper sadly. My father stands up and I tilt my head to watch him, but my vision goes blurry and spots start to dance in my eyes.
"Keeley? What's wrong?" I hear Finn's voice call out to me, but I can't say anything as the darkness takes over.
***
"Ah, there she is. Open your eyes for me, Keeley." I blink a couple of times and squint as a fluorescent light shines in my eyes. It takes a second, but I am able to finally open my eyes all the way. I look around and make out that I am in my bed and Dr. Russo is standing off to the side with a clipboard in hand.
"The fuck are you doing here?" I groan while rubbing my eyes. I see a bottle of water on my side table, but when I go to reach for it, pain shoots up my spine allowing a small yelp to escape me.
Russo chuckled to himself as he unscrews the bottle and holds it to my lips. I snatched it from his hands and took a long drink.
"Well, somebody's in a good mood." I hear the sarcasm in his voice and it annoys me probably more than it should. To be fair, I'm a bit of a bitch after I pass out and he's the only one in here, so he automatically gets the most of it.
I glare at him but this does nothing but make him laugh. "Anyway, you are on bedrest till further notice. That knee to the back messed you up pretty bad, and then the fact you continued afterward, well you just got yourself into a pickle."
He smirks at me and I think he can tell I'm thoroughly confused because he starts speaking again. "Basically, deep muscle bruising and you also strained your back. So if you feel any tight pulls or spasms, it's because of that. You have some severe bruising on your hip, lucky it's not fractured, and a number of bruises elsewhere. You should be fine in a couple of weeks. Until then, I'm keeping you on bedrest a whole lot of pain killers."
"I'm not staying in bed for a couple of fucking weeks, Russo." I stare at him like he is out of his mind.
He tilts his head back and laughs wholeheartedly. "Oh, I know. It's just something I had to say. Someone will bring you your medications when you need to take them. Other than that, I'll see you later."
He gave me a mock salute before heading out the door, almost colliding right into Aubrey. Wait, Aubrey?
"What are you doing here?" I ask in surprise as she walks in and shuts the door. When she turns back to face me, it's obvious she's pissed.
"What the hell, Keeley? What happened to you?" Her fiery red hair is thrown up into a sloppy bun and she looks like she just came from school. Wait, what time is it?
I looked over at my clock and it said 4 o'clock. Shit, had I really been out for that long?
"Just some sparring. Don't worry, Aubr-"
"Don't worry? You're telling me not to worry? To not worry after you've been out for two days and haven't talked to a single one of us? You promised you'd be at school yesterday, but you weren't! You lied to me about helping me study and then you're my ride home, Keeley! It doesn't bug me that I have to walk, but you didn't even tell me! We're supposed to be best friends, Keeley. What the hell is going on?!"
I don't think I've ever heard Aubrey this angry before, and I felt terrible. I didn't even text her.
"Aubrey, I'm so sorry-"
"Sorry's not going to cut it, Keeley! And you didn't even tell us it was your birthday yesterday. What is going on? You just disappear without a trace and then suddenly I see you and you look like this!"
"I-" I didn't know what to say to Aubrey. I was being a terrible friend, but at the same time, it's not like I can tell her everything about my past and what my family does for a living.
"I get it. You've told me you never really had friends growing up, Keeley. Well, you do now and you don't just get to scare us shitless without some explanation! What the hell happened that made you look like this and don't say sparring. We both know that that's a damn lie."
"I- I can't tell you, Aubs," I mumble, the guilt slowly consuming me. I can't tell her that it wasn't just military school because I've killed more people than I can count, and Aubrey doesn't need that knowledge.
"Hey, Sweetness. I heard you were- who are you?" I looked at the door where Brady came walking in, looking much better than he did this morning. My two best friends stared at each other.
"Who are you?" Aubrey asked back, clearly confused.
"I'm Brady, her best friend." Brady walked closer to the bed and gave me a soft smile before turning to Aubrey.
"Wow," she sighed. The hurt was evident on her face and in her eyes.
"Aubrey, let me exp-"
"No," she stopped me while raising a hand in my direction. Her voice had lowered and I could see tears starting to form in her eyes. "You had your chance to explain, Keeley. I think I'll leave now."
She headed towards the door. "Aubrey-"
"Leave me alone, Keeley, and just- just stay away."
Aubrey walked out the door without a second glance and I listened as her footsteps faded off. I didn't know what to do.
"What the fuck just happened?" I gave Brady a sad look.
I was thinking the same thing.
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Final Word Count: 8345