Another chapter today cuz why not. ;)



I regret letting Killian go. I'm bored now.

If I knew what Nyx was doing, I would think of a plan, but since I don't, I can't do anything.

I let out a frustrated breath as I switched to another program on the telly. How is it possible that there is nothing normal in it?

I turned off the TV, and then I noticed that there was a black laptop under it.

Maybe I could watch some of the movies Luna was talking about.

I got up from the couch and went to the TV to get it. I took it and went back to sit down. I put it on the table and opened it.

Of course there is a password.

I'm glad I paid attention in computer classes. Even though I spent most of the time playing with a knife in my hand under the table, something stuck with me.

I easily overcame the password, which, by the way, was Acker0123.

I'll have to talk to Killian about that, because this password is beneath his dignity.

When the laptop loaded, there were no icons or wallpaper on the desktop. Suddenly, some folder just opened and something started to load in the middle of the screen.

To my surprise, a woman appeared on the screen.

Her dark brown hair was tied up in a high bun, from which a few strands fell directly into her face. Her skin was like porcelain, and her cheeks were pink. Full lips that were the shade of strawberries and sharp cheekbones.

She was looking at me like I am a ghost, and only then did I notice a small light near the camera.

This is a video call.

"Hi?" She said carefully. "Who the hell are you?" Her voice sounded sweet. She could swear all she wants here, her voice won't change. For some reason I can't imagine her being upset.

"You have to be Val, right?" I noticed her eyes and saw a bit of Killian in them.

"Yes. And you are?" She raised an eyebrow. "Wait, are you Eris?" I nodded. "Of course you are." She laughed. "Nice to meet you." She smiled, and I probably melted just because of that.

Are you telling me that this lovely and beautiful woman is the sister of the people I met here? Is she perhaps adopted?

She looks so innocent and happy.

"Sorry, you freaked me out a bit." I laughed nervously. "I was just trying to find a movie and you popped up." I explained to her.

"You're going to have to get another laptop. This one is only for video calls with me. Killian had it modified to make sure no one would break into it from the outside."

"That sounds like Killian." I acknowledged.

"Are they in there somewhere? Killian and the others?"

"Killian left a while ago, Finn is locked in his room, Kai had some phone calls and I am avoiding the fourth one."

"Let me guess, he was trying to flirt with you." She didn't wait for my answer, she just started laughing. "Sebastian will never change."

"I can go get Finn if you want to talk to him." I started to get up.

"No, no." She stopped me immediately. "I'd rather talk to another woman. I've had enough of men lately." She rolled her eyes.

"That bad?" I laughed.

"You can't even imagine. My boyfriend Ryan and I have been fighting ever since he started moving in. I regret ever asking him to move in. It was easier before."

"I would give you advice, but I'm the last person you should be taking it from."

"Why? You charmed my brother. That's something to brag about."

"I charmed your brother? What are you talking about?"

"Killian and you?" She raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me there's nothing between you two?" When I didn't answer her for a while, she had her answer. "That's what I thought. I'm going to tell you something he'd probably kill me for if he heard it, so it's better to keep it between us."

"Sure, no problem." I listened carefully.

"Killian is not the kind of person to go to someone and ask for help." That makes two of us. "But a few days ago he called me and wanted advice about a woman. It couldn't be you, could it? Anyway, it was the first time I'd ever seen him so confused. And that's saying something. When he called me, he was changed. I haven't seen him like that in a long time. He closed himself a long time ago and didn't want to let anyone in. Sometimes not even us." She smiled sadly. "I didn't like seeing him like that. But I couldn't do anything about it."

"Has he always had a problem with being touched?" The words came out of me before I could even think. "Sorry." I immediately apologized. "I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's okay. Our father was....not the best." She exhaled heavily.

I didn't need her to say anything else. I think I know what that means.

He beat him.

That's why he doesn't like to be touched, but doesn't have a big problem with shaking hands.

And yet, he spent the last days with me in bed with me on his chest, and not once did he seem to mind.

"I was talking to Finn a few weeks ago when he had a fight with Killian and he told me they made up because of you." She smiled. "And that Killian hugged him for more than five seconds. I don't know if you know how much that means to us."

"I didn't do anything. I can't take credit for it."

"I have a feeling you should. My brothers aren't much into relationships, I bet you've noticed. Finn is closed off. Sebastian only thinks about one thing. Kai tries to help Killian as much as possible, and so he prefers to bury himself in work rather than find someone. But don't get me wrong, I love them all. They are everything to me. I take them as they are, even with all the flaws. But Killian is different. He took care of us since we were little. He is afraid that if he has someone, that will move him away from us. I know he would deny it, but it's written on his forehead. He would do anything for us just to make us happy, but he doesn't realize that we want the same for him. I would give anything to see him happy with someone. Have his own little family."

As I listened to her, I only confirmed what I already knew a long time ago. Killian is a good person and needs someone equal to him. And I don't thinks that's me.

"Maybe he already found someone like that." She snapped me out of my thoughts. "I think you care about him and..."

"I'm not the right person for him." I interrupted her. "I'm not a good person. All I can do is ruin his life, and I don't want that."

"You don't want to ruin his life? Sounds to me like you care about him. Whether you admit it or not."

"I can't give him what you want for him."

"And now you're just making excuses because you're afraid of getting hurt. I'll tell you a secret, every person in the world has been hurt at some point, but they've moved on. You'll hurt yourself before anyone else. You want something? Go get it. Why think about the future and something that may never happen, when tomorrow is uncertain? If you don't get something you want, someone else will."

"What if the next one is better than me?"

"And if not?" She snorted. "From what Killian told me about you, I'm sure that when you want something, you'll get it. Why should this be any different? The question is, is Killian what you want?

I thought I had the answer to every question in the world. But this one? I have none.

Is Killian what I want? Or is it just some kind of stage because I feel safe with him and it will go away after a while?

She is right about one thing though. Tomorrow is not promised. And in my situation, not at all.

Do I want to die letting my thinking stop me from having something between me and Killian?

While I was thinking about him, my cell phone rang next to me with a message. It was from him.

Killian: Half an hour has passed and no word from you. Should I go back?

I looked up from my phone to Val, who was looking at me with a smile.

"What does Killian like?" I asked and her smile only got bigger.



Lyssa: I'm alright.

I've been looking at that message for ten minutes. I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong.

People around me are talking and it's quite possible that they're asking me something, but I'm not paying them a lot of attention.

"Mr. Acker?" I finally looked up at Richard and noticed that everyone was looking at me. "We talked about the Russians and their plans." He made it clear for me. "Maksim Petrov has decided to leave his place in the mafia to his cousin, when he gets out of prison in a few years. Nikolai Sasha Petrov."

"What do we know about him?" I joined the conversation and put my phone on the table.

"Not much." Oscar, who has all the casinos in and around New York under his thumb, so he knows everything that is said where spoke up. "But we could see his work a few years ago. The Nilssons. That's why he's in prison."

"He's the one who killed them?" I frowned.

I remember when this information came out. However, no records have been released to the public. But photos of the bodies appeared on the black web. Well, at least what's left of them.

The Nilssons were one of the families that moved in mafia circles since time immemorial. Every man and woman in the Nilsson family disappeared within one week and bodies started turning up within the next. But every girl or boy under the age of eighteen was spared.

The reason why these murders took place is not known. Maybe it was revenge. Only one person knows, and I doubt he wants to talk about it.

"Yes. We're sure of it now." Oscar replied.

"Sounds like a threat." Richard said next to me.

"Or a good ally." I put my hands under my chin. "We have no problems with the Russian mafia. Maksim Petrov was sane, let's hope his cousin is too. Anything else while I was gone?"

"And here it is again." Richard whispered under his breath and rolled his eyes.

"Sir." Christopher spoke. "The Cubans..."

"Someone else?" I interrupted him. "If that's all, our meeting is coming to an end.

"But sir..." He tried to speak again.

"We will not work with them, end of discussion." I said more sternly. "You understand?"

Christopher sank into his chair and remained silent.

"Okay. If that's all," I waited for someone to say something, but everyone remained silent, "you can go."

One by one they started getting up and taking things from the table.

"Richard." I stopped him after everyone else had left.

"Yes, sir?" He looked up at me.

"Make sure Christopher doesn't do something stupid. It's the last thing we need."

"Of course." With those words he left the room and closed the door behind him.

I was left alone in the huge meeting room and could hear my own heartbeat.

Well, at least it was until the door opened again and a person stood in it, to whom I wanted to knock out the teeth.

"Acker." He opened his arms as if to hug me. Thank God he's so many meters away from me. He looked around the room and finally returned his gaze to me. "Won't your escort join us? The one with that..." Neckline. He meant to say the neckline. "With beautiful eyes."

Should I snap his neck now or when he opens his mouth again?

This is the bastard who called Lyssa a "good catch". I know exactly what was going through his head when he saw her. It took a lot of control not to kill him on the spot.

I have a feeling this will take several hours.

*****

I regretted that I was right. It really took several hours.

When I was going back, it was already dark.

Exhausted, especially from that idiot, I opened the main door and went inside.

I went to check on Lyssa but she wasn't in her room. I went into the living room, but I didn't find her there either.

I was about to go back to the rooms and go find Luna when I heard what sounded like pots falling.

Not again.

I started walking towards the kitchen, and I didn't even have to open the door to know she was there.

"Shit!" I heard her voice.

Prepared to see the kitchen in flames, I opened the door. I caught a glimpse of Lyssa standing next to the kitchen counter with the flour on it. But not in the packaging. It was everywhere. All along the counter, as if a bomb filled with flour exploded here.

"What happened here?" I looked at Odin who was next to her and his head was covered in white spots that were, brace yourself, flour.

"It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Don't worry, I'm surprised. But probably not in the way you wanted." I laughed. "What are you even doing?" I walked over to her and grabbed the paper she was reading before I entered. "Blueberry lemon cake?" I raised an eyebrow. "How did you know it was my favorite?" I put the paper back on the line.

"Of course you like something like this." She snorted. "Why isn't there chocolate in it? Tell me the truth, have you ever eaten it?" She looked at me seriously.

"Will you tell me where you found this recipe?" I ignored her question.

"Let's just say Acker0123 as a password isn't the best."

"You talked to Val?" I frowned. "Did she give you her recipe?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Just so." I smiled. "You have something on your face." I ran my hand over her cheek where she had flour.

It will be all over the house for a few more days.

"Better." I smiled and left my hand on her cheek. "You really should stay out of the kitchen."

"Hold on." She looked at my face. "You have something here too." She frowned at me.

"Where?" I grabbed a random spot on my cheek.

"Right here." I didn't even notice she took a handful of flour from the counter until it landed on my cheek with her hand too.

I took another minute to absorb what she had just done. Flour poured from my cheek onto my shoulders until it fell to the ground.

"Oops." She bit her lip to hold back a laugh.

"Did you just ruin one of my most expensive suits?"

"You asked for it."

"Really?" I took another step towards her, and with that I bumped into her chest. I managed to catch her before she staggered and fell. "Now you have a problem."

*****

It's starting to get hot in here. It's possible Lyssa left oven on.

Hope you enjoyed. <3