CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

-•NATHAN•-

Normally they're back by this time.

I sat at my desk in my office, looking out the window for any sign of Red's car. It was five-thirty in the evening and I was hoping that Presley's delay was only mere Portland traffic.

Stop it, Nathan. Stop worrying, you'll turn into your father.

I pushed away my paperwork and rose from my seat. I started my walk towards my sister's room. It was in times like these that my little sister knew just the right words to say. She kept me from doing anything too drastic, she grounded me. The difference now was that she wasn't the only one anymore. There was a certain hazel-eyed boy that took up that position more consistently now.

I knocked on Haley's door with two sharp raps. No answer. I knocked again, and still no answer.

Is she deaf?

"I'm coming in, Hales," I announced. "You better have clothes on."

I swung open the door and immediately wished to gouge my eyes out. Alvin was on top of my sister, kissing her with eagerness. My sister seemed to be enjoying herself. They were still clothed, but it wasn't any less of an ugly sight.

Alvin turned his attention towards the doorframe where I stood, his eyes widened and he hastily fell off the bed.

Idiot.

Haley screamed. "Ever heard of knocking?," her cheeks were flushed.

I crossed my arms. "Is this a fucking joke?"

Alvin slowly rose from the floor with his arms held up in surrender. "I wasn't hurting her, I prom-," he began.

I shook my head. "Stop talking. You sound like an idiot."

After silence took over the room for a moment longer, I added with a smile. "I know you wouldn't hurt her, Al." That made him look to Ally with a surprised grin. I took a step further. "But if you ever do...," I trailed off, erasing my smile.

Alvin sucked in a breath. "Never would dream of it, boss."

Haley groaned and threw her head back onto her pillows. "Get out, Nate."

Before I could speak, Alvin interrupted.

"I almost forgot," he said, wide eyed. "Tyler told me to tell you he wanted you in the computer room."

Looks like the conversation with Haley would have to wait.

Before I departed, I locked eyes with both of them. "Don't sneak around like thirteen year old little kids, yeah? I don't like secrets."

They looked at each other in shock, but before they could say any more, I shut the door.

Kids, that's what they were. That's what they should be. I guess they were still kids, but they were kids with guns and knives.

I didn't bother knocking before entering the computer room. Red, Tyler and Kyle had pale faces, looking like they saw a ghost. When they turned to look at me, Red gulped, Tyler scratched his head and Kyle pursed his lips.

"What's with the faces?," I asked, an awful feeling starting to creep into me. "What's wrong?"

Then it hit me.

Presley.

I stood in front of Red and gathered all the calmness I could find from within me.

One. Two. Three.

"Where is my healer, Gregory?," I spoke low. Red gulped again at the sound of his real name.

"Nate, look, we didn't want to worry you-," In a flash, I grabbed him by his shirt.

Tyler stood up. "It's been proven. Ross and Raymond are brothers. I found medical records."

The fact made me release Red. "When did you find this out?," I seethed to Tyler. He took a step back.

"About an hour ago, but I had to be sure before I told you or the boss," he said quietly.

I darted my eyes between the three of them.

"Where is Presley?," my voice was calm.

Kyle gave me a cautious look. Red looked uneasy, then spoke to the ceiling. "He wasn't at the school," his voice had a wobble in it, a wobble that I'd never heard in him before. He turned to face me. His eyes had an apology in them.

I know who has my love. I know. I know. It's him. It's Raymond. It's the devil himself.

My stomach lurched frighteningly. At the age of nine, after I cried myself to sleep when the facility was under attack, that was the last time I felt like this. When I was terrified out of my mind, I swore to myself that I would never let myself be afraid again. It was because of fear that my life was almost cut short. Fear was for the weak, I had decided that night, and I had lived by that ever since.

But now, fear had clung it's fingers around my throat. Suddenly, I realized that fear wasn't for the weak, for it had claimed me, and Nathan Pierce was not weak.

I gave them one last look and sprinted out of the computer room to my office. The sound of bounding footsteps indicated that they were following me. I didn't stop them.

When I reached my office, I dialed the number that I never thought I would use. The most dreaded number. My three comrades watched me with eager eyes as I held the phone to my ear.

Kyle crossed his arms. "K Blades."

The other line of the phone picked up.

"Ah, I knew you'd need me sooner or later, Pierce," Raymond answered. I could almost see his yellow grin. "Everyone always does."

"I know you fucking have him. I swear to Satan, if you put your disgraced hands on him, if your men breathe near him, you're dead. Your scum of a family is dead, you're gang will die. All of them. Are you listening?," I growled into the phone. I tried my best to keep the desperateness out of my voice.

Raymond chuckled.

"Goddammit, Raymond," I almost broke the phone in half. "You're not listening are you? If I don't have him in the next hour, a bullet is going to be-," Raymond laughed again, halting my speech.

He must've had a death wish.

"I believe you're too late, Pierce," his voice was taunting. "Your boy is already dead." Then the call cut.

The phone fell out of my hands limply.

Kyle must've heard, because he shook his head. "He's bluffing, Nate. There's no way they'd...kill him."

I felt like I was underwater. Like the world was far above me. Like I wasn't apart of the world. Something within me cracked, and suddenly my chair flew across the room and into the window. A loud crashing sound followed.

I looked at my three comrades in front of me with bewilderment. I had thrown the chair. I didn't even register it until I saw their faces of shock.

"Nate," Kyle moved closer to me. "Calm down, all right? We'll find him."

"You don't fucking get it, Ky," my voice felt raw. "He's not just my healer. Not anymore. He's much more than what I bargained for," I breathed, feeling the room spin. "I'm in love with him."

It was out.

I was out.

My three friends looked at each other.

Red sighed. "Yeah, bro, we know."

Tyler nodded with a reserved smile, a smile nonetheless.

"How could you know-," my question was cut off by Kyle.

"How could we not?," Kyle asked incredulously. He gave me a playful shove. "You treat him like he's gold. Gold that nobody else can touch but you."

He was right. Presley Flint was gold. Gold to me. So precious and rare.

I gave a sniff. "Before I break anything else, do the three of you swear to do whatever it takes to take Presley back? All rules broken, no questions asked?"

Tyler nodded. "The more illegal the better."

I almost laughed. Almost. The image of Presley being hurt hung over my head, making my blood feel icy.

"Are we going to tell the boss?," Red asked. "He's going to be livid."

I stiffened. "His methods are outdated. He doesn't need to know about this, boss or not."

I went to my desk and skimmed through my paperwork, finding my secret weapon. It would take Raymond by surprise.

Kyle spoke up. "What do you have in mind, boss?"