Keeley's POV
Beep Beep Beep
I groan to myself as I hesitantly turn over and shut off my alarm. The sun isn't even up yet as I push Gus off my legs and stand up onto the hardwood floor. Today is Monday, and it's also my first day back to school since the beginning of December. Today would be the day I get Aubrey back.
I shuffle my way to my closet and throw on some workout shorts and an old t-shirt, already dreading my morning routine as I tie up my shoes. I redo my hair and tie it into some sort of bun, if it actually qualifies as one considering it quickly falls into a ponytail.
Gus is still snoring softly as I walk out of my room and through the house. It's still really early, no doubt my brothers are all sleeping comfortably in bed. The house is dark and cold this early in the morning making it feel eerie and like something is just waiting to pop out at you from behind the corner. This is how I use to prefer the house because it meant I was alone. But since being home, the absolute worst thing is having being surrounded by silence. It means the people that I love the most aren't here, and that's not a life I want to live anymore.
I step off the last stair into the basement with surprise as the lights are already turned on, normally I'm the only one down here in the mornings. I walk through the basement till I get to the window in the game room that looks into the gym. I'm taken back at the person who looks up and smiles at me.
I open the door warily and am greeted with my father standing up off the mats and walking towards me. He's in sweats and a ratty old t-shirt, which is vastly different than what I'm used to seeing him in.
"What's up?" I ask him as he stops in front of me. His silver-gray hair hasn't been gelled back yet and if I didn't know better, I would think he's just an ordinary guy.
"Well," he began with hopeful eyes, "I was hoping we could train together this morning. I know you normally like this time to yourself, but I just wanted to see what your routine was and how you prepare yourself for the day."
I didn't realize I was giving him a look until my father cleared his throat.
"Oh, yeah, sure," I said kind of confused. It's not that I didn't like training with my father and it's not like we had a bad relationship anymore, it's just strange. "Well, I normally start out with cardio and then go to weights. And then I finish with tactical stuff, so like punching bags, knives, things like that."
"Alright, then let's do it," he said enthusiastically. I gave him a doubtful look. I know that he's been a lifelong mafia man and can handle practically anything, but my morning routine normally leaves the best of the best tired and worn, including me. It's meant to push and try your body to the point of absolute exhaustion. I'm definitely skeptical.
He must have seen my doubt as he continued to stare at me. He motioned towards the gym equipment to urge me forward and start.
"You sure?" I ask for a final time.
He lets out a heavy breath. "Jeez, I know I'm old but I have trained my whole life."
I shook my head as an amused smile formed on my face. This should be entertaining.
"Okay then, let's do it."
***
"Fucking hell, Keeley," my father heaved as he collapsed onto the sparring mats. The two of us lay on the ground covered from head to toe in sweat. I may have amped up the workout just a smidge to see if I could get him to quit, but he didn't. The old man stuck with it the whole time. From the running and ab circuits to the weights, he didn't stop. Normally I would do a lot of punching and practice combos on the bag, but we decided to spar instead.
I had never actually fought my father in hand-to-hand combat. Hell, I don't think I've actually ever seen him fight, but he was good and surprisingly fast for a man of his age and stature. For every hit I delivered, he would retaliate with some combination of kicks and blocks. I tackled him, he tackled me. The old man had actually gotten a pretty good kick to the side of my leg and I could begin to see a dark bruise forming, of course, he didn't leave unscathed either. I had been messing around with him towards the end and thought it would be funny to karate chop his neck. It was funny, to me, but he found it less comical as bruises formed on his collar bone and neck.
"Not bad, old man. You still got it in ya," I laughed as I wiped the sweat from my forehead off with the bottom of my t-shirt.
My father turned towards me and gave me a smile. He looked worn out but still happy, and maybe even a bit proud as his eyes softened. "You, Munch, are quite the fighter. Better than your brothers by far."
I let out a small laugh and rolled my eyes. "It doesn't take much to be better than them, Dad. Did you see Finn the other day when he tried to take down that guy during training? I've met little girls who can hit harder than that."
"Well, I guess you're right," he said while pushing himself off the ground and offering a hand to me. I kindly accepted his offer and yanked myself off the ground. "But I am proud of you, Keeley. You've made a lot of progress since being back, both in your training and in your life."
I shuffled awkwardly in my place as my father complimented me. I knew that I had improved and grown quite a bit in the past months, but knowing that he actually noticed my hard work made me feel kind of happy.
I looked at him and gave a small smile. "Thanks, Dad. I've been trying."
"I know you have, Keeley. I know." The corner of his mouth tilted up as he wiped some sweat from his forehead. He looked proud of me in the way he stood tall and a fatherly look took over his face.
We both began to head towards the door, but I stopped. Today was also about getting Aubrey back, and I knew that I would have to tell her bits and pieces of our lives. I needed to make sure he knew what I was going to do.
"Um, Dad?" I asked. He stopped walking and turned to face me. With his hands in his pockets and his shoulders not so tense, he looked like any regular guy. It was strange to me to see him so different than how he normally appeared.
"What's up?" His eyebrows scrunched together in the middle as I stepped closer to him and tilted my head up to accommodate for his height.
"The day I got hurt, you know, with Brady and everything," I began, but I could tell he didn't like where this was going already. He still held what had happened against Brady even though it was now over a month ago. "That day my friend, Aubrey, stopped by. She was that red-headed girl?"
"What about her?" His shoulders straightened out a little bit as did his posture. This wasn't so much about a family thing, but now it involved the mafia, and I think he could tell that.
"She asked me what had happened, and when I told her about me and Brady sparring, she didn't believe that was the whole story because it's not. There have been days I don't show up to school and when I come back, I'm hurt or just different. She wanted an explanation and I couldn't give her one."
I trailed off at the end, looking straight at my father. He knew what I was asking: asking if it would be okay to tell her. But I also knew that what I would be doing would be incredibly risky. Aubrey isn't fit for any part of this life, and even knowing about some parts of it can be dangerous.
"You want to tell her about the mafia?" The harshness in his voice wasn't a stranger to me, yet it still caught me off guard.
"Not all of it, just bits and-"
"You know the mafia is no place for civilians, Keeley. She could be killed, kidnapped, or even tortured for just knowing you right now much less knowing what you do."
"I understand that but she is one of my only friends and no one else is talking to me right now because I hurt them!" I realized that I was suddenly breathing heavy and I was throwing my hands around in the air. My father was not impressed with my loss of composure, but I think he could tell how physically desperate I was to have them back.
Now don't get me wrong, being with Brady, my brothers, and the Moretti's and Luca was great. I loved them all whole-heartedly and enjoyed all the time I spent with them. But Aubrey and the guys, I missed them. I missed being a normal teenage girl with normal teenage friends. I didn't have to be tough or serious with them, I could let loose and just laugh. I loved that, I needed that, and I was ready to do whatever needed to be done to get back to that.
My father stared at me for a long time, his icy blue eyes drilling holes in me, waiting for me to crack and give up. I knew this had to be hard for him. It wasn't just me this was would affect, it would impact everybody. If one of them got hurt, it would be my father's problem. Other leaders would frown upon him because he let innocent teenagers get in the crossfire. My friendship would cost more than just an "I'm sorry" from me. It would cost a lot of trust and protection from the mafia.
"This girl is important to you?" he asked. I could not tell what he was thinking, I rarely ever could. His eyes gave no hint and neither did his posture. I think this is one of the main reasons he's such a great leader and negotiator: he doesn't have any tells, besides the ticking of his jaw when he's angry or frustrated, that shows you how he feels. He asks the important questions and lets you do the talking.
"She is. She's the only true friend I've made." My father stares at me for a moment and after what seems like forever, he lets out a sigh and the tension in his shoulders lessens.
"Just bits and pieces," he begins and my face immediately lights up in a smile. "She doesn't need to know about the number of people you or I have killed, she doesn't need to know that some part of you enjoys it, and she doesn't need to know what we actually do. If she has any questions pertaining to those points or something similar, they are not to be answered. Do you understand?"
Against my better judgment, I gave him a huge smile and threw my arms around my father, giving him a tight hug. A small chuckle escaped him as he hugged me back.
"Careful there, Munch. People might think you're going soft." he snickered. I immediately pushed him away and shot him a sour look, which he ultimately just found more humorous than anything.
"C'mon. We both smell and need to get cleaned up before, what Stefano is calling, his "luxury, Italian breakfast." Lord knows if we're late we will probably get a lecture," my father told me.
"I thought Stefano is a terrible cook?" I asked as we began to walk through the basement and towards the stairs.
"He is, but he claims he's a better baker and most of it is pastries," he explained as we headed up the stairs. The faint smell of baked goods began to make its way throughout the house.
"For my health, I hope so. I don't think I can survive another food poisoning incident," I reference back to the time he made me boxed mac and cheese. I was sick for two days after he used mayo instead of milk and lard instead of butter.
My father and I part ways at the bottom of the stairs, him going down the hallway to his office and me going up to my room. You could hear all the boys getting ready and moving around their rooms as the house slowly woke up. This was by far one of my favorite parts of the day.
I walked to the very end of mine and Luca's hallway before entering my bedroom. Gus greets me with the sweetest bark as I coo to him and scratch his ears. My smile turns from him to the painting above my bed. I had finally convinced my brothers to help hang the painting they got from the museum on my birthday above my bed. The angel was still glowing in her beautiful aura, and considering my room and all of its furnishings were either black or dark colors, it was the only color in here.
I gave Gus a kiss on the head before heading to the bathroom and looking at myself in the mirror. I was excited for today: I'd be back at school, I'm getting Aubrey back, it all just seems like today would work out.
Today would be a good day.
***
Less than an hour later, I'm finally showered, dressed, and ready to go. I was feeling good and considering I hadn't been to school in a while, I thought I might as well dress cute.
I had thrown together a dark red bralette and a cream-colored sweater paired with my favorite pair of light-washed jeans and worn Doc Martens. Luca's bracelet was clasped around my wrist, and the rings my brothers had bought me for Christmas decorated my hands. There were five rings, one for each of my brothers, and I thought they were absolutely gorgeous.
I had actually put a little effort into my hair this morning and used a hairdryer so my hair would lay straight and flat down to my waist. I gave myself a final look in the mirror before walking out of my room with my backpack and towards the staircase. But the moment I had shut my door, I saw Luca walk out of his room, and good Lord, he looked good.
It was clear he was working today as his black dress shirt was neatly tucked into his light gray dress pants. Polished black dress shoes were on his feet and on his wrist I could see the bracelet I had bought him for Christmas. He had recently taken to keeping a bit of dark stubble across his jaw and upper lip, defining his chin that much more. Luca's hair was gelled back, and even from here, I was consumed by him.
I don't know how long I was staring, but when Luca turned around with an eyebrow raised, I couldn't even deny the fact that I had been ogling him.
"See something you like, my love?" he speaks slowly with a hint of mischief laced in his voice. I quickly hide my flustered state and turn my confidence on. I straighten my shoulders and walk towards him with just an extra little sway in my steps. My tactic works as I notice his eyes travel down my body and only meet my eyes when I'm no less than a foot in front of him. I trail my hand gently up his chest while keeping my stare on him.
"Yes, I do, very much in fact," I whisper. I physically feel his heartbeat quicken where I had laid my hand on his chest. His breathing got heavy as one of his hands snaked around my back and under my sweater to rest on the small of my back. The warmth of his palm radiated throughout my body. "Do you?"
A low chuckle escaped his lips as he leaned down and used his free hand to gently tilt my head up. "I do, Tesoro, especially when you are wearing that. You look even more angelic than you normally do when you wear white."
He leaned down and placed a slow, deep kiss on my lips. I leaned further into him as I wrapped my arms around his neck and both of his hands grabbed my waist. There was nothing rushed or hurried about this kiss. It was just us together.
Luca pulled back after a moment and looked at me softly with those dark ocean blues of his, a small smile gracing his perfect face. I gently ran my hand down his sharp jaw and over his cheek, to the slight bump on his nose and over his forehead and across his hair. It's so easy to lose yourself in him when you look. He's everything I could ever ask for in a guy, but he wasn't just some normal guy. To me, Luca was extraordinary. Extraordinary in the way he talked, in the way he presented himself, in the way he looked at me. Luca was one of a kind.
"Sei così bella, Tesoro," he whispered while brushing a hair from my face. "Ti amo."
(You are so beautiful, Sweetheart. I love you.)
I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Ti amo anch'io."
(I love you too.)
We pulled apart after that and I held his hand as we walked the rest of the way down the hall and down the stairs. Shouts and chatter could already be heard from the dining room when we reach the bottom of the stairs. The two of us share a knowing look as we walk together towards the chatter.
We find everyone talking loudly around the table that is filled with pastries, cakes, fruits, and so much more. I guess Stefano wasn't joking about a luxury Italian breakfast. We greeted our families as we rounded the table and to our normal seats.
Everyone eventually settled down and turned their attention at Stefano who looked extremely proud of himself and the buffet of food in front of us.
"Keeley and gentlemen, may I present to you: breakfast!"
***
I stood outside my first hour, AP Calculus, a while later debating on whether or not to go in. Breakfast was great and everything, Stefano was definitely a better baker than he was a cook, but I couldn't stop thinking about Aubrey. I needed to make things right, I just didn't know how.
The warning bell rang throughout the school as I took a final breath and walked into class and to my normal seat, which was right next to Aubrey. She wasn't paying attention to me as all her focus was on the textbook in front of her. Her red hair was in a messy braid running over her shoulder and onto the black hoodie she was wearing.
When I finally got to the table, she looked up and her face was blank, but in her eyes, I could tell there was something else. I gave her a tight-lipped smile as I pulled out my chair, sat down, and got out my things. The bell had finally rung, but Mr. Monroe wasn't here yet. I turned to Aubrey.
"Aubrey?" I asked quietly. To my surprise, she turned to me and looked at me expectantly. "Can I give you a ride home? I'd, um, I'd like to give you an explanation. A real one, this time."
She just stared at me for a moment, and I could tell she was thinking about it; and after only a few moments, she gave me a soft smile.
"I'd really like that, Keeley." I smile back at her. I'm that much closer to having her back.
***
"Hey, Angel," I hear an oddly smooth voice call as they approach the art table. When I look up, I see Ryder walking up to our table and plopping down in the seat beside me. He's wearing a long-sleeve football t-shirt and dark jeans. As normal, his hair is perfectly in place and the piercings across his ears and face sparkle.
"Hi, Ryder," I laugh as I look over at him. He goes to respond, but before he can get a word out, Ms. Loren bounces into the room with her paint-splattered overalls and a torn t-shirt. Her brown curls are all over the place and I think her glasses may actually be upside down.
"Good morning, class! Oh, I do hope all of you just had a wonderful, wonderful break, but alas, it is time to get back to the magical world of art!"
Ryder and I look at each other at the same time and roll our eyes.
"We are going to be hopping into a new unit called "Wants, Hopes, and Dreams!" This is the unit we will be working on for the rest of the year, and it's about paintings of all the things we do not have, the things we wish we were, and all of that we hope to attain! There will be a total of five assignments due, and the first one will be a painting of childhood dreams. I want you to paint what you either wanted or wanted to be as a child. This canvas is due in three weeks, so let's get to work!"
"She's got to be on something, don't ya think?" I heard Ryder ask from beside me, but I couldn't find it in me to answer as I smiled at my sketchbook.
What you wanted to be as a kid... I remember perfectly. When I was eight, my father took our family to the ballet for my mother's birthday. I was ecstatic because it was one of the only family things I got to go to. I don't remember the title of the show or the story all that well, but I remember one scene where the princess ventured away from her family and became a ballerina. She traded her poofy light blue dress in for a short, fiery red one.
I remember that night went terribly: my father got upset when my mother complained about how boring it was and my brothers couldn't sit still. Everyone hated it but me. The next day I asked my father for dance lessons, and to get me away from him and my mother, he said yes. I took classes from the ages of eight to twelve. Luca thinks I only took a couple of lessons, but really, it was my life and it was what I lived for.
I began lightly sketching out a woman's figure and a red ballet dress in my sketchbook. She was exactly what I wanted to be when I was younger, she was my hero.
"Keeley, are you even listening?" Ryder smirked from beside me. I snapped my head over to him as a cocky smile formed on his face.
"Sorry, I was distracted," I tell him as I glance at the clock and then my book. A woman's figure was fully sketched as was her dress on the canvas in front of me and class was almost over. I must have been too focused to notice.
"No, you're good. I was just asking if you wanted to hang out while I watched my sisters next week? My mom is going out of town on Saturday, and I might need some female reinforcement. Between Lily, Brooke, and Bea, I might be in a little over my head."
I laughed as I put my stuff in my backpack when the bell rang. Everyone began standing up and shrugging on their backpacks as classes switched.
"I would love to. Just text me the details, okay?"
He told me he would as we separated ways and moved onto our next classes. Mine was free period so I found a table in the library in the back corner. Today had been pretty good so far between mending fences with Aubrey, getting along with Ryder, and this new art assignment. Not much could ruin today for me, I wouldn't let it.
***
I waited for Aubrey outside the main doors of the building after the final bell rang. Considering it was still early January, about five inches of snow covered the ground and it was quite cold. But if waiting out in the freezing cold wind was what it took to get Aubrey back, there is no doubt I'd do it.
A few minutes later, Aubrey walks out all bundled up in a coat and matching scarf. She gives me a small smile and we begin walking to my car. We don't talk as we get in and the car starts. In fact, we don't even talk till the heat is on full blast and we are about 10 minutes away from her house.
"First off," I began as my hands were slightly trembling. I was beyond nervous to tell Aubrey about my life. There was always the possibility that once she finds out, she might not want anything to do with me, and I don't blame her. The mafia is not for the faint of heart and Aubrey's heart is one made of gold.
"I'm so incredibly sorry. I should have explained to you better or even called when things happened. I know that coming over to my house and seeing me like I was was scary, and on top of that, meeting Brady. I want to explain everything to you and if you are still mad and don't want to be my friend afterward, I completely understand."
I hesitantly look over and see that she has all of her attention on me.
"I appreciate that Keeley, and I'm sorry too for freaking out and not letting you explain. I saw you at the mall that day and I wanted to talk, but I didn't know how and then that guy came up. I just- I want to be friends again."
Her words eased the tension in my shoulders as I glanced in my rearview window and forward again. She wanted to know, and I would tell her.
"To begin with, I know you'll have a lot of questions, and I'll answer the ones I can, but there is still a lot that I won't be able to tell you. You might not understand now, but at the end, it will all make sense," I explained to her. She nodded her head and I turned my gaze back to the rearview window and proceeded to make a right turn.
"I'll start with Brady. Brady and I went to military school together." Aubrey's lips formed an "o" as she began to understand. "You stick close to the people you are put into teams with because they become your family and you have to be with them. But Brady and I were closer to each other than we were the rest of the group. I can't explain it, but somehow we just understood each other a bit better than Dylan, Alice, and Lexi did. Those were my other teammates."
I paused to make sure she was still understanding, and she seemed to have her full attention on me. I kept driving and made my second right turn.
"Something happened while I was there, an accident. That's where I got the scars on my back from, and the others were all involved in some way or another. Alice and Lexi passed from it and the pain was too great for Dylan to bear, so he..." I cleared my throat on this part as it was always the hardest for me to come to terms with, "he took his life."
I heard Aubrey suck in a sharp breath of air as her body stiffened. I think she was beginning to understand why Brady and I are as close as we are. I kept driving and glanced in my rearview mirror again, deciding to take my third right turn. I don't think Aubrey even knew we weren't driving towards her house anymore.
"After the incident, Brady helped me a lot and I did the same for him. He's the only one who understands and the bond between us is unbreakable. He is my best friend, Aubs, but so are you." I give her a smile as I step on the gas a bit harder, successfully making it outside of the town's limits and driving into the country. I glance in my rearview mirror.
"Wow... I-I don't even know what to say. I'm so sorry for assuming worse and judging you for that. I should have- Keeley? Where are we going?" Aubrey asks from beside me as I approach eighty miles an hour. The squad of cars behind us picks up speed as well.
Shit.
"Aubrey, I'm going to need you not to freak out at the moment as I tell you this, okay, because we are being chased and we need to live," I spit out as I take a sharp turn. Aubrey's eyes widen in horror as she grabs the door and tugs her seatbelt tighter. I begin to pull up my father's number on the console.
"I'm-"
BANG BANG BANG
Aubrey screams as the sound of bullets pierce the air and the back windshield shatters. Luckily it's the only window that's not bulletproofed because it needed a quick fix and I didn't have time for bulletproof glass. All the other ones won't break.
I reach behind Aubrey's seat and yank the bulletproof vest I keep there up to the front.
"Put this on!" I yell at her while shoving it into her lap. The sound of bullets deafens my ears as I press my father's number on the screen.
"Keeley! What the hell?" she screams while putting the vest on. "What is go-"
"Aubrey!" I yell as she begins to go into full-on panic mode, which is understandable but really not needed at the moment. "Calm down and when I say go, you're going to trade places with me and drive as fast as you can. Do you understand?"
She nodded her head silently as my father's phone goes to voicemail.
"Fucking hell! Pick up the damn phone!" I scream while turning us down another stretch of road. I press Nick's number next, praying that he actually picks up the phone.
"You ready?!" I scream at Aubrey as she unbuckles her seatbelt. She gives me a quick nod and squeezes her eyes for a brief moment.
"Go!" The Hummer swerves as I dive into the passenger seat and her into the driver's seat. She quickly regains control of the car and speeds down the road. Nick's phone goes to voicemail. I reach into the glovebox and yank out two handguns. Both are fully loaded.
"Keeley, what the fuck?!" Aubrey screams as she takes a sharp left turn. I hold on tighter and reach for the helmet in the backseat. I buckle it on Aubrey's head and press Nick's number again.
I aim through the back windshield and at the front tires of the first car. I fire twice and hit each front wheel, successfully driving them off the road. Only three cars left.
"Hello? Keeley, what's going on?" I hear Nick's voice ring out throughout the car.
"Fucking hell, Nick! Pick up the damn phone next time! Aubrey and I are being chased by four black SUVs. I shot one off the road but three are still pursuing us. I think I see a "CC" painted on the front which probably means that it's Ceaser Chavez's men and they are pissed. I need you to track my car and send backup. I've only got two guns on me, Nick, and I'm not sure how long I can go."
I shoot again twice through the back window and only hit the body and windshield of one of the SUVs. Nick's voice is serious as he speaks to me.
"Okay, stay calm and hold on. I have ten SUVs full of men on their way fully loaded with men. The boys and I will be there in no time Keeley, just keep holding on. I love you."
"I love you too, Nick, just get here!" I yell over the sound of bullets as they pierce the body of my car and go through to the front window.
"How you doin' Aubrey?" I scream over the bullets as she continues to speed up and turn us down another road.
"Fine, I guess!" she wheezes. Her face is pale and her pupils are huge. I pray she doesn't pass out on me.
I turn back to the back windshield and unleash hell on the SUVs. I fire till only two bullets are left in my one gun, the other's empty. I managed to take out two cars, but the one is still holding on. I look at the clock and three minutes have passed since I called Nick. We never have men far away and it normally never takes this long for backup to show. I wouldn't tell or show Aubrey, but I am becoming increasingly nervous at the lack of help.
As I turn to fire my last two bullets, more shots rain down on my Hummer, and two went right through the back window. I screamed out in pain as one grazed my cheek and the other one nicking my neck. They barely touched me, but they hurt like hell. I immediately began to feel blood pour from my skin.
Aubrey screamed as she turned to me. "Keeley!"
"Aubrey," I said calmly to her, trying to mask my pain. It looked as if she was going to pass out at any minute and honestly, I felt the same, but she needed to live. I refused to let her end up hurt.
BANG
I watched as our back tire exploded and pieces went flying across the ground. The faint smell of gas began to fill the air as the car swerved back and forth. Shit.
"Here's what we're going to do and we're going to have to do it fast or they will hit us," I explain as I look around for my father's men. In the distance, I can hear the rumble of cars, but they won't make it in time.
"Slow way down and then put the car on cruise control and then I'm going to take the wheel. You're going to climb onto my lap and I'm going to blow out the tires of the SUV behind me. When I say go, you are going to open my door and we are jumping out and crawling into the ditch. It's going to hurt like hell and it's going to be scary but we have no choice. Do you understand this?"
I watched as a tear ran down Aubrey's face, but she still nodded. I took in one more unsteady breath before yelling at her to go. She does as I told her to and soon enough I'm shooting my last two bullets out the back windshield. We couldn't jump out of the car at 95 miles an hour, and because of how much we slowed, they were about to hit us as I shot out their tires.
Aubrey threw the door opened and we both jumped out, tumbled, and rolled harshly into the snowy ditch. I made it just in time to cover her body with mine as my car exploded, taking the last SUV with it. Aubrey's screams pierced my ears as shrapnel rained down all around us and on top of me, but I didn't dare move.
After about thirty seconds, I hesitantly rolled off of her in some of the greatest pain I've felt in a long time. Between being grazed by those bullets, jumping out of a moving car, and having pieces of what was my car rain down on me, I honestly felt like crying but I held it together for Aubrey's sake.
We both sat up in a daze, watching the fire as my father's men pulled up and began rushing towards us and the wreck. We were quite far off the road, although I don't know how.
"Keeley... WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?" she screamed at me. She was covered in snow, dirt, and my blood from shielding her from the shrapnel. But other than that, she didn't look injured at all. She'd probably have a couple of bruises from jumping out of the car, but she looked okay.
"Well," I breathed out as I turned to her. Her eyes were wide and clearly confused as the shouts of my father's men filled the air.
"I'm in the mafia."
***
"Okay, so that was a lot," Aubrey breathed out from beside me. We were at the big house in a mock hospital room in the infirmary. We had both been checked out and I've been explaining what I could to her for the past hour and a half, answering her questions to the best of my ability.
Aubrey was fine, only minor bruising and a scratch on her left hand from where she landed, but otherwise, nothing visible. Me, on the other handed, I was pretty banged up. Neither of the bullet grazes needed stitches, they were wider than they were deep, but still hurt pretty bad. Black and blue spots littered my back and legs from both jumping out of the car and having scraps of the car frame land on me. It hurt whenever I moved so Russo gave me some painkillers to numb the pain. He told me I was lucky and that I could have died if the bullet had hit my neck just a few centimeters deeper.
My brothers and father took care of me and Aubrey on the way to the hospital, each of them spewing how they'll beat some asses and decapitate those cartel members till they give answers. Aubrey fainted.
The bad news was there were two men in each of the Chavez cars. In theory, there should have been eight bodies, and only seven were recovered. This meant one of those men got away and news would spread soon throughout the underground. And just because it would be my luck, the news would more than likely reach the Russians.
But aside from all that, things were okay. I had explained to Aubrey about our family and what we do. She asked if I'd ever killed people before today, and I said I had. I didn't elaborate and she was quiet for a while after learning about that side of me.
"Do you have any other questions?" I asked as I moved my icepack from my right side to the left. She thought about it for a moment before looking up and meeting my eyes. A true, sincere look was on her face.
"You had one bulletproof vest and helmet and you gave it to me. I was shielded already in the driver's seat, but you kept putting yourself in the line of fire. Why'd you give it to me?"
"It never occurred to me to do otherwise," I told her honestly. Aubrey was my number one priority, not me. I don't think she understands that I wouldn't be able to bear the pain of losing someone else I care about. It would tear me apart from the inside out, and I knew that one-hundred percent I would lose myself.
"You're always going to be my biggest priority when things happen, Aubrey. I'll always be there to protect you and keep you out of harm's way, even if it means me getting hurt in the process."
A few lone tears escaped Aubrey's grey eyes as she reached forward and threw her arms around me. She was careful not to press against my bruises, but I didn't care. I knew I had finally gotten her back. I held onto Aubrey as if she was going to float away, and we stayed like that for a minute or two.
Eventually, she pulled away and sat next to me on the hospital bed, a small smile gracing her face.
"If it's okay with you," she laughed, "I would still really like for you to be my best friend. I'm sorry for pushing you away and reacting as I did. It was wrong and rude, and I'm extremely sorry."
I smiled back brightly at her. "Of course I'll be your friend, but only if you'll be mine."
She smiled at me again and gave me a big hug. It made me feel good to know that I had her back, and as soon as I apologized to Xavier and Alex, I'd have them back too.
"Hey, Aubrey?" I asked quietly. She pulled back and scrunched her eyebrows together.
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to have to ask you to keep this from Alex and Xavier. As you can see, it's pretty dangerous and I don't want anyone dragged in that doesn't have to be."
She nodded her head knowingly. "I know I'm a really suckish secret-keeper, but I promise I'll keep this one, Keeley. And if you need anything, just let me know."
"I really appreciate that. And if anything ever happens to me, Aubrey, and I'm gone or something's happened I need you to go to my brothers or my father and tell them this number: 23 74 49. I need you to remember that number, okay?"
"Okay, I will." I could see it in her eyes that she would never forget that number, and for that I'm happy. Someday, and more than likely someday soon, that number would be vital and I knew that she would come through with it.
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the door burst open and my favorite beanpole burst into the room.
"My God, Sweetness, what the hell happened?" Brady yelled as he ran to me and threw his arms around me. I hugged him back tightly and breathed in his familiar, warm scent.
"I'm okay, Brady. I'm okay," I assured him as he pulled away. He put his hands on either side of my face and turned me in all directions so he could see the damage. His face contorted into a mixture of pain, anger, and guilt. Pain because he knows the feeling, anger because of Chavez's men, and guilt because I know he thinks it should have been him.
"It's not your fault Brady and it shouldn't have been you," I tell him softly, knowing damn well he needed to hear those words.
He takes a moment and nods his head before stepping back and realizing for the first time that Aubrey is sitting next to me. Aubrey's eyes are filled with compassion as she stares at the two of us. I'm glad she knows bits and pieces now. Now she understands.
"Brady, this is Aubrey, my best friend. And Aubrey, this is Brady, my other best friend," I introduce them formally for the first time. Aubrey smiles and reaches out her hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Brady. I've heard a lot of great things about you." She smiles softly at him and the look transfers to Brady as he does the same.
"Nice to meet you too, Aubrey. Thank you for being there for Keeley." I smile at the sincerity in Brady's hoarse voice.
"Keeley? Keeley?!"
I look at the door just in time to see Luca's figure burst through the doorway. The moment his eyes find mine he's running towards me. His arms go around me as Aubrey's and Brady's did, and his head goes into the crook of my neck. I pull back slightly from the pain and so I can kiss his cheek.
"It's okay, Luca. We're all okay."
***
I can't sleep that night, partially from the pain and partially from fear. There is a very good chance Adrik would hear about what happened today, and if he did, he would find me. I knew what I had to do.
I sat down at my desk and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. Today made it possible for my worst fears to come true, and when he came for me, I knew I wouldn't win. I, myself, won't be strong enough, and it is going to fall on the responsibility of my family and the Moretti's to bring me back home. They can not do this without knowing what has happened.
So I write. I write down my life story starting from the moment I got to Mount Reform all the way to now. I write on my experiences, my missions, meeting the Morettis, to meeting Adrik. I write of the happy times we had, how I learned the good things about him well before the bad. I wrote on how I grew to love him, and ultimately, how much pain he inflicted on me.
I cried as I wrote, I could not avoid it. There was my life written onto fifteen front-and-back pieces of paper. And when I finished, I ripped the pages from the notepad and folded them into thirds before placing them into an envelope and sealing it.
I addressed the envelope to the one person I knew would blame themselves if something were to ever happen to me. Some would be angry, some would sulk, but he would blame himself, and he needed to know that it wasn't anybody's fault but my own.
I stood up from my desk at three AM and walked to the safe at the back of my closet. After punching in the code, I set it under the stack of pictures that showed Adrik and me happy all the way to the aftermath and the wounds he left. They would need to know it all to find me.
I locked the safe back up and climbed into bed. My eyes grew heavy as my breathing slowed and Gus curled up next to me. Today was shit, but I was okay.
We were all okay.
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Oh my gosh, you guys! I absolutely had so much fun writing this story and setting things up for future chapters! I already have plans for the next chapter, and it is quite different from what I've written, but I think you'll all like it. Spoiler: Adrik's POV.
So tell me what you loved about this chapter and tell me what you would love to see expanded on or more of!
Enjoy, and as always, Happy Reading!
Final Word Count: 7866