"You want to tell me why you dragged me out of bed so early in the morning? I mean, off the couch." I spoke as Theo and I sat down at the restaurant.

"Lyssa is back."

"What?" I laughed. "Are you drunk? I don't know what you had buddy, but you should share."

"I mean it, Sebastian." He looked at me seriously. "She's back."

"Maybe we're misunderstanding each other here, Theo." I leaned my elbows on the table. "Lyssa, Killian's girlfriend, Lucy's adoptive mother, died eleven months ago when a building collapsed on her." Don't ask, long story.

"Yes." He looked at me like I was an idiot. "But she obviously survived."

"How sure..."

"She tried to kill them." He cut me off.

"Oh yeah, that sounds like her." I laughed.

"I have to get back to New York."

"Wait what? No." He can't leave. He needs to talk to Maya first.

"I don't like it either, trust me. I thought I would have more time with Maya, but I have to go back."

"No Theo, trust me, you should stay." Lyssa chose a really bad time to come back from the dead.

"I can't. I have to help them. But I can't tell Maya that. So what do I tell her? That I'm leaving her again after telling her I wouldn't?"

"You can't leave." I said between my teeth.

"What's your problem Sebastian?" He frowned. "Shouldn't you be glad we're leaving?"

"Under other circumstances, I would have already sat on the plane, but..." I stopped and took a breath. I looked away from him and ran my tongue over my front teeth. "Maya has a problem." I finally said.

"What problem?" He looked at me confused.

"I..." I let out a frustrated breath. "She was supposed to tell you herself."

"Tell me what, Sebastian?" He insisted.

"She has a...Maya has uhmm..." I swallowed hard, knowing that if I said it, someone is going to end up dead.

If we had no connection to the mafia, he might have taken it differently that his sister has a stalker. But what if this stalker isn't after Maya, but wants to get to Theo and Killian through her?

"I swear Sebastian, if you don't tell me what..."

"She has a stalker." I finally said and regretted it at that moment.

Fuck.



"They were just flowers, Julie." I said into the phone.

"Maya, I love you, you know that, but what you're doing is stupid. Why don't you just go to the police about it?" It came from the other side. "Is it because of Chri..."

"I'm not in the mood to deal with it." I said before she finished her sentence. "I'd just give him attention. And I don't want that. So no police."

"I'll make sure you have that on your tombstone." She said sarcastically.

"Funny." I left the room and closed the door behind me.

"Wait, are you leaving already?"

"Yes, why?"

"The papers!" She screamed, my eardrums almost exploding.

"Oh I almost forgot." I grabbed my head and turned back. I opened my laptop and found the document that Julie wanted me to print for her.

I pressed print, but the printer just beeped. No toner.

"Ugh." I sighed and headed to the room where Theo was sleeping.

"Do you have them?"

"Give me a second. I'm out of toner." I entered the room and headed to the table. I opened the first drawer, which was supposed to contain new toner.

"And by the way, did you hear about Anabel breaking up with her boyfriend?"

"Which one?" I closed the drawer as there was no toner in it and opened another one.

"I think his name was Max. The big one with the shaved head. They were together for..." I heard Julie continue talking but her words faded into the background.

I looked at the open drawer, in which there is definitely no toner.

If this is a dream, someone please wake me up.

"Maya?" Julie was trying to get my attention, but that's pretty much impossible since I'm looking at a gun right now.

Why the fuck does Theo have a gun in his drawer?

"I'll call you later, Julie." It was the only thing I could get out of myself before I hung up and put my phone on the bed.

My gaze still fixated on the gun. My chest was heaving faster and a million reasons why Theo could have a gun were going through my head.

However, I always came to the conclusion that he didn't have it for anything good.

I don't know my own brother.

Obviously I know nothing about him.

Absolutely nothing.

*****

I'm late for work, but that's the last of my problems.

I've been sitting in the kitchen for a few minutes looking at the gun in front of me.

How could I have missed it? Something this big!

I knew he was hiding something, but this? This is too much.

"Theo, calm down." I heard Acker from behind the door before it swung open and they both walked inside.

I moved away from the table and stood in front of the gun so they wouldn't see it. It's time for the truth, if he doesn't tell me...I don't know what will happen.

"Why didn't you tell me Maya? You have a stalker?"

I looked at Acker, who looked guilty. Of course he told him.

"How could you hide something like that from me?" He raised his voice with every word while I was silent and just looking at him. "You are my sister. Mine to care after." He was pointing at himself. "I'm supposed to take care of you."

"Theo, calm the fuck down." Acker tried to grab his shoulder, but Theo just shook him off.

"Don't get involved. You should've told me as soon as you found out." He pushed him until he fell, the couch saving him from falling to the ground. "I had the right to know."

"The right to know?" I snorted and got their attention. "I also had the right to know that my brother is a criminal."

"What?" It slipped out of Theo's mouth.

I reached behind me and raised the gun for both of them to see. "Why do you have a gun, Theo?"

"I..." He skipped his gaze between me and the gun. "No...don't turn this on me, Maya."

"Turn this on you?" My voice broke mid-sentence. "Theo why the fuck do you have a gun?" I put it back on the table.

"Maya..." He approached me and I took a step back, unable to get close to him. He noticed what happened and there was pain in his eyes.

"I don't know you at all, do I?" I shook my head. "I don't know anything about you."

"Maya please." He walked towards me again.

"Don't." I stopped him. "Don't come near me." I looked at his face. "Did you kill someone?" I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth. "And don't lie to me."

He didn't answer, just exhaled heavily and lowered his head.

"Oh my God." My heart raced and I was breathing shakily. "What did you get yourself into?"

"Please let me explain."

"Why? So you can lie to me again?" I shook my head. "I knew you weren't telling me the whole truth, but this?" I looked at the gun. "I don't know you."

"Yes you do, Maya." He insisted. "I'm your brother."

"No." My voice broke. "No you're not. I don't know who you are."

"Don't do this Maya." He shook his head. "Please..."

"Get out." I finally said. "Get the fuck out and never, ever, come back." I looked at him in disbelief.

How could I have missed it? How could I not know?

I walked past him before he could say anything else or stop me and locked myself in my room. I leaned against the door and slid to the ground.

I heard them talking, but their words had no meaning.

He killed someone.

Theo killed someone.

I don't know my brother. I don't know anything about him.

"Maya?" I felt a knock on the door after a few minutes. I don't even know how much time has passed. "I'll explain everything, I promise, but I have to go. I have to go back to New York. I'll be back as soon as possible and we'll talk, okay? Maya?"

I covered my mouth with my hand and let out a shaky breath.

"I'm really sorry Maya. This wasn't supposed to be like this." He was silent for a while. "I'll be back, I promise."



So this didn't go well.

Maya locked herself in her room after confronting Theo about the gun she found. It was not a pleasant conversation for either of them. And for me as well.

If Theo didn't have to leave, maybe they could work it out between them, but he is.

I sat on the couch looking at my packed travel bag. Overthinking. What am I doing?

"I'll be back, I promise." Theo's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Before long he appeared next to me. "We should go." He exhaled heavily. "Sebastian?"

"Huh?" I looked up at him.

"We should go." He repeated.

"Are you okay with leaving her here like this?"

"You know I'm not." He shook his head. "But I have no choice."

"She'll hate you if you leave. She'll never want to see you again."

"You think I don't know that?" He snorted. "If I could, I would stay. I would tell her everything, and she would understand."

"But you're leaving."

"Luna needs me."

"Maya does too." I snorted. "But you've already made your choice. She has a stalker, Theo. We both know it's quite possible it's because of you. You have enemies."

"So tell me what to do? I'm open to suggestions."

I exhaled heavily and closed my eyes. What am I doing? "I'll stay."

"What?" I could hear the surprise in his voice.

"You heard me." I looked up at him. "I'll stay. I'll make sure she's okay. Killian doesn't need me back home anyway." I stood up from the couch. "I know you'd do it for me too if it was Val."

"Are you sure?" I could see the relief in his eyes. He doesn't like leaving Maya here, but it'll be a little better if I stay.

"What are friends for, right?" I shrugged.

"Thank you, Sebastian." He walked up to me and hugged me.

"Yeah, yeah." I patted him on the back. "Say hi to Lucy for me." I pulled away.

"I owe you."

"Oh yes you do." I laughed. "It's only going to get harder with her now." I looked at the door of her room.

"I'll be back as soon as possible. Thank you." He tried to smile and picked up his bag off the ground before turning and walking out the door.

I could almost hear his heart breaking with each step.

His trip did not turn out as he thought it would

And I'm stuck in Seattle.

Sometimes I have really bad ideas. This one is probably in the first place. No, it's definitely in first place.

I'm already regretting it.

What the fuck did I got myself into.



My phone kept ringing, but I didn't have the strength to pick it up.

I don't even know when it started to get dark outside. I sat in my room lost in thoughts. How could I have missed it?

I shouldn't have let him back into my life. This is what happens when you give someone a second chance.

"Are you going to be locked in there all week? I ordered a pizza if you're interested." I heard Acker from the other side of the door.

He didn't leave. Why didn't he leave?

"You don't have to talk, but at least eat something." He spoke again before I heard him move away from the door.

Is this some type of trick? Get me out of the room and then convince me that my brother is a good person?

I got up from the ground and unlocked the door. Not because I want to hear his bullshit, but because I'm hungry. I will not starve for Theo. Not for anyone ever again.

I left the room and found Acker in the kitchen with two boxes of pizza. "Finally, I thought I'd get that door off its hinges." He continued to eat carelessly.

I reached for the box to take it to my room, but he caught my hand.

"Sit down." He ordered me like a dog.

"Screw you." I snorted.

"Then no pizza." He let go of my hand and pushed the box away from me.

"You don't have to talk, but at least eat something, huh?" I shook my head repeating his words. Liar.

"Sit down, Maya." He looked up at me. "Please." He said without any emotion.

I moved my chair and sat down. "Satisfied?" Without a word, he handed me the box. "Why are you still here?"

"Because someone has to take care of your ass. Unfortunately, that job fell to me." He took a bite of the salami pizza.

"I don't want you here."

"Too bad. You have no choice."

"How many people have you killed?"

"Enough to make you afraid of me." He tore off another piece of pizza. "But no more than your brother. That's what you wanted to hear, wasn't it? That your brother is a murderer?"

"Why?" That was the only thing I got out of myself. I don't even know what I was asking about.

"Why what? Why did he kill them? Don't worry, they weren't good people, they deserved to die." He said as if human life meant nothing.

"How can you say that?" I frowned. "They deserved at least a trial and prison. Who made you judge, jury and the executioner?"

"Sooner or later they would get out, and trust me, you don't want those people on the loose."

"You have no right to decide that." I shook my head unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth.

"When you have a gun pointed at someone's head, you have every right."

"Oh God." I breathed out hard. "This is messed up."

"The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can get back to your life."

"Accept it?" I snorted. "My brother killed people and you want me to just accept it?"

"Or it will eat you alive. Your choice."

"My life was so simple, why did you have to come?"

"It would happen sooner or later, Maya." He shrugged.

I'm so deep in shit that I'm not sure if I can get out of it.

And the worst thing is that I can't do anything about it.



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