Uni applications, scholarship applications, maintaining a good GPA, writing essays for unis, my responsibilities as the first child & daughter, Calculus, AP comp sci... y'all I wanna rip my eyes out of my skull and shove them down my mouth.

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Unknown: Time; what a fleeting thing.

"That's all the text said?" Preston asked.

I held the phone with my shoulder while I poured some more of the batter into the frying pan. "Yup."

He sighed. "This guy isn't giving us anything to work with,"

"Tell me about it. At least all the other texts actually made sense."

"And his texting pattern is completely random."

"He texts daily, then after two months and now after a couple days." I recalled, flipping the pancake.

"Yet he hasn't made a move on us since we found Melanie." Preston paused for a second. "Something's not adding up."

I finally caught on with what he was saying. "Something big is about to happen,"

"I feel like, yeah. Either way, we'll see what the others think when we tell them later today."

"Today? Why today?"

"We're having a meeting, remember?" He questioned.

"No, I don't remember." I stated, adding the last pancake to the plate with the others.

"Weird. Xavier was supposed to tell you."

"He's still sleeping." I placed a small cube of butter on the pancakes before putting maple syrup.

"The guards said we got home pretty late and Xavier was up the entire time making sure I wasn't disturbed as I slept. I wanted to return the favor."

"So why are you up?"

"I wanted to give him a little treat; breakfast in bed made by me." I busied myself by decorating the pancakes with strawberries and blueberries.

Preston sounded surprised. "Since when do you cook?"

"You make it sound like I'm some disaster in the kitchen." I scoffed.

"Laurent, you are. That kitchen could explode at any second and I wouldn't be surprised.."

He chuckled when I told him to shut up. "But it's the thought that counts right? It's cute you're doing this for Xavier."

"Speaking of Xavier, do you guys have anything planned for his and Mira's birthday tomorrow? Apart from their birthday ball that is." I placed the plate of pancakes on a tray.

"We're not doing anything." Preston deadpanned. "Mattia and Sophia aren't throwing the ball this year either."

I stopped pouring apple juice into the glass. "You've lost me."

"I think you better wake your boyfriend up. Not only does he have a lot to tell you, but you guys are about to be late for the meeting."

Preston hung up without another word. I sighed, rolling my eyes as I put my phone in my pocket before turning to grab the tray of breakfast I had made for Xavier.

Walking up the stairs to our room, I hoped he'd like it- or that it was at least edible.

I entered our room and placed the tray on the dresser next to our bed, taking a moment to admire Xavier as he slept. After sneaking a quick picture of him on my phone, I sat next to him on the bed.

"Xavier," I called out but got no response.

"Xav?" I tried again, softly running my fingers through his hair.

My fingers in his hair must've felt really good as a groan made its way past his lips. He leaned into my touch, moving so that his head was now in my lap but his eyes remained closed.

"Baby," I tried yet again, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Hm?"

"You awake?" A tinge of amusement laced my words.

He mumbled something and got off the bed, his eyes still shut as he yawned and ran a hand through his hair. He headed to the bathroom, rubbing his eyes and I could tell he was brushing his teeth from the sound of the tap being turned on.

When he was done, he climbed back into bed and lay his head on my lap with his arms wrapped around my waist.

"Good morning baby." His voice was muffled and still laced with sleep.

"Good morning sleepy head." I giggled. "Think you can get up now?"

"Why?" He mumbled, snuggling deeper into me.

"Apparently there's a meeting happening today and we might be late for it."

"Baby, the meeting doesn't start till we get there."

I tried a different approach. "I made you breakfast and it's getting cold."

Xavier shot up so fast that his head would've hit mine if I hadn't moved out of the way at the last second, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Awe, baby. You didn't have to." He smiled when I placed the tray on his lap.

"I know but I wanted to." I watched him as he took a bite, my heart fluttering in anticipation. "How are they?"

He swallowed with an even bigger smile. "Amazing, baby."

My face lit up as he took another bite. "Really?"

"Best breakfast I've ever had." He smiled warmly at me. "I love it."

Relief and happiness flooded through me as I watched him eat. Maybe my cooking wasn't so bad after all.

He finished the pancakes and looked genuinely satisfied. "Thank you for taking the time to make those for me, baby."

"Of course," I beamed. "You should probably go shower if we still want to get to the meeting on time."

He agreed, placing a kiss on my forehead before heading into the bathroom. As the sound of water running filled the room, I smiled to myself as I headed to our closet and picked out an outfit.



I opted for something casual yet classy. I held my hair in a low ponytail, leaving a few strands out in the front and on the sides and decided to wear my glasses instead of contacts, completing my look.

Once I was ready, I headed downstairs to wait for Xavier then headed to the kitchen to grab a glass of water but stopped seeing who was already in there.

Miles and Griffin had taken bites out of the leftover pancakes I had made. They hadn't noticed me yet so I quietly listened, excited to know how they liked them.

"I thought Xavier knew how to cook," Miles wondered, grimacing as he chewed. "These are awful; they taste like he used salt instead of sugar."

"Salt and sugar look the same, it's an understandable mistake." Griffin said quietly as he forcefully swallowed. "Maybe he's just having an off day, him and Olive were out pretty late yesterday."

I walked in and grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filling it up with water. Miles noticed me first, startled as he greeted me with a smile.

"Pumpkin, good morning."

"Good morning, small fry." The corner of Griffin's eyes crinkled with a smile.

"Good morning you guys," I replied with a smile. "How did you like my pancakes?"

"Your pancakes?" Miles repeated, coughing back his surprise.

Griffin stared at me. "You made these?"

"Yeah, I let Xavier sleep in so I could surprise him with them." I said.

The color drained from their faces as they realized that I had overheard their conversation and I bit back an even larger smile.

Miles quickly tried to cover up. "Oh, uh, well... they're not bad, you know? We were just exaggerating."

Griffin nodded vigorously. "I've never had anything like them."

They both ate more bites of the pancakes to prove their point, their faces contorting with a mix of emotions as they swallowed before forcing smiles.

I couldn't help but laugh at their attempts to avoid hurting my feelings. "Guys, you don't have to eat them if they're bad."

Griffin let out a sigh of relief. "Not bad. Just.. different."

"They were terrible." Miles said at the same time. "Horrible. Awful. Disastrous. If those 4 words had an orgy and somehow produced a baby, it would be those pancakes."

Griffin elbowed Miles in his side and Miles groaned but covered it up with a cough. "But practice makes perfect right?"

The realization that Xavier was just being nice when he ate them dawned on me. Yet, the fact that he prioritized my feelings had my heart fluttering.

"Xavier ate a whole bunch." I groaned, dragging my hands down my face.

"And didn't throw up? I respect him." Miles said.

Griffin elbowed him again, glaring at his boyfriend when he frowned. "I should probably stop talking."

Laughter escaped my mouth before I could trap it. "What are you guys even doing here?"

"Xavier and Griffin have to show up together, him being second in command and all." Miles answered. "We figured it'd be easier if we swung by and all just went together."

"I've been to a few meetings and they didn't have to show up together then, what makes this any different?"

Just then, Xavier entered the kitchen, looking fresh from his shower and ready for the day. He greeted Miles and Griffin with a nod. He headed over to me and placed a quick kiss on my lips before I stepped back, admiring him.

"You look amazing." I gushed.

He was wearing an outfit as simple as mine. A black dress shirt which had the first two buttons left open per usual, parts of his gold chain and tattoos visible and simple black dress pants.

"You look ravishing, baby." He countered.

I looked over at Griffin and Miles and compared to them, Xavier and I looked underdressed.

"You sure we shouldn't change?" I asked him, looking from Miles and Griffin then back to him and I.

Xavier shook his head without even sparing Miles and Griffin a glance. "You're perfect, baby. We're perfect."

His eyes darted the half-eaten pancakes then to Miles and Griffin. "Enjoy breakfast?"

"Yeah." Griffin nodded a bit too hard.

Miles coughed. "It was... interesting."

Xavier shot me a quick look, understanding what was going on but choosing not to comment. "Glad you liked it," he placed a kiss on my forehead, "Olive worked hard on those."

"You know you could've been honest with me, Xav. You didn't have to say you loved them if you didn't." I told him with a soft smile.

"But I did, baby. I loved them because you made them for me." Xavier wrapped an arm around my waist as he pulled me closer.

I was a smiling mess as he pressed a kiss to the top of my nose, my heart swelling with love.

Miles glanced at his watch. "We should get going if we don't want to be late for the meeting."

Xavier gave a final chuckle and turned to me. "Ready to go, baby?"

I nodded, grabbing my bag before we headed out the door. Three black cars were parked in front of the house. We all piled into the second one and within a second we were on our way.

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This was a bad fucking idea.

"Wyatt, you've gotta calm down." Arlo said. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching me like I was some bomb about to go off.

I shot him a glare but didn't stop pacing outside the door of the meeting hall. My nerves were on edge and it felt like the damn hallway was closing in on me.

And my brother's constant nagging only worsened the situation.

"I'm fine." I said.

Zayn raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're falling apart-"

"No shit captain obvious." I rolled my eyes, interrupting him.

Derrick stood next to him, frowning at me. "We can't afford to have you lose your shit today, Wyatt."

The sound of their constant warnings only irritated me even more, pushing me closer to the edge I was desperately trying to avoid. It took all I had to keep it together..

"I said I'm fucking fine, okay?" I stopped in my tracks, glaring daggers at my older brothers. "Stop treating me like I'm a child."

Before any of them could get another word in, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. We turned to see a small group of attendees heading towards the meeting hall.

"We have guests," Derrick warned and I could feel all their eyes on me.

"Stop it." I dismissed them. "I'm fine. It's just greeting people, yeah?"

"Signore Caselli," Zayn gave the first man a polite nod when they reached us.

The old man's sharp eyes flickered over to us, returning the nod before entering the meeting hall.

Next was Jun Lui, Alexis walking next to him. Arlo stepped forward, shaking hands with Jun Lui. "Mr. Lui, a pleasure."

"What's with the formalities? You're acting like we aren't going to be a family in less than two months." Mr. Lui laughed, pulling Arlo in for a hug.

"One month, 3 weeks and 3 days." Alexis specified. "Bàbà, you think you could let go of my fiancé, you're squishing him."

Arlo couldn't contain his smile as he swept Alexis into his arms, burying his face in her neck. "I missed you."

"Love, we live together and you saw me this morning." She smiled as he kissed her.

"Yeah, but we didn't ride here together." Arlo's frown was kissed away by a giggling Alexis.

Mr. Lui turned to the rest of my brothers and I. "It's good to see you boys again."

His smile calmed me for a second and I found myself returning it. "Good to see you, man."

Alexis and her father said their goodbyes before making their way into the meeting hall. After them came, Luca Steiner, a smug swiss bastard who acted like he owned the place.

Derrick's tone was ice cold. "Steiner."

Steiner gave me a lingering look, a smirk playing on his lips. "You brought your mutt. Be sure to keep him on a leash."

I smiled, completely irritated. "What is it with people calling me a dog? Is this some new kink or something?"

My brothers on the other hand didn't take too lightly to Steiner's remark.

"I suggest you don't insult my family." Arlo spat.

"Big talk coming from the lowest ranked here," Derrick scoffed.

"Another word and I break your fucking neck." Zayn's voice was laced with venom, his short temper visible as he spoke.

Steiner smirk only grew. "Just a friendly reminder is all."

Zayn's glare followed him as he walked into the meeting hall. After he had gone through the door, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. My hands were balled into fist, the urge to punch someone growing.

"I really hate that guy," I sighed, still glaring at the spot where Steiner had stood.

"Hate isn't a strong enough word," Zayn muttered.

"Don't let him get to you," Arlo told me.

I nodded, trying to keep my emotions in check. As much as I hated to admit it, my brothers were right. I had to keep it together.

I straightened the jacket of my suit and took a deep breath before following my brothers into the meeting hall. As we stepped inside, the tension from earlier seemed to dissolve as we looked around the hall.

It was designed to accommodate everyone attending the meeting, adorned with dark mahogany paneling and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the soft light of the morning sun. A long, polished table dominated the center, surrounded by high-backed leather chairs.

Each seat had a nameplate, ensuring everyone knew where they were supposed to sit while the walls were lined with impressive artworks and accolades, highlighting the wealth and influence of everyone present.

My brothers and I found our seats next to the rest of our friend group and sat down, exchanging pleasantries with the other guests while we waited for the last of the attendees. Xavier, Griffin and their families. The room buzzed with low murmurs of conversation before the doors of the meeting hall opened a few minutes later.

Xavier walked in with Olive by his side, the entire hall rising to their feet the second they stepped in. They were underdressed compared to the rest of us, yet the respect Xavier commanded was undeniable.

Olive seemed to also notice the difference in their dressing and leaned into Xavier, whispering something to him. He responded with a whisper of his own which seemed to reassure her while he placed his hand gently on the small of her back, guiding her towards their seats at the head of the table.

Following closely behind them were Griffin and Miles as dressed up as the rest of us were. They moved with the same calm assurance as Xavier and Olive, the air in the hall laced with an unspoken tension. Griffin took the seat next to Xavier while Miles took the free seat between Olive and I, the rest of us sitting as well.

"Good morning and thank you all for coming." Xavier started, all focus moving to him. "As always, it's important to review the status of our operations, address any issues and plan our next steps. That is the reason for this meeting today."

The meeting started after that, beginning with a review of the finances by Xamira who covered the current state of our asset and addressed any concerns she might have regarding expenses or the overall financial health before reviewing all the sources of revenue the mafia generated.

The large screen at the end of the room flickered to life with charts and graphs detailing the mafia's finances.

"Our primary sources remain consistent - real estate investments, offshore accounts, and our network of legitimate businesses. The casinos and clubs bring in a lot of revenue, especially the ones in Vegas and Atlantic City."

"What about the smuggling operations?" Signore Caseli asked.

The graph on the screen showed a high raise in our income generated over the last month, almost triple what we'd made from the clubs. "They continue to be our most lucrative venture-weapons, drugs and high-value art."

"However, the risks are escalating." Zayn spoke up. "Rival factions are becoming more aggressive, making it difficult to move our goods without interference."

"Expanding into cyber operations and cryptocurrency could offset some of that risk." Olive suggested.

Steiner snickered, staring at Olive. "What would you know about cyber operations?

The familiar itch in my brain returned and I found my nails digging into the arms of the chair I was seated on as I tried to calm down.

The tension in the room grew thick. I saw Olive place her hand over Xavier's, subtly stopping him from responding.

"Besides my billion-dollar company, where I specialize in coding advanced games and developing unbreachable databases, nothing really." Olive's tone was as equally condescending as Steiner's.

"Now, I might not be an expert, but that's certainly more than you're capable of doing, isn't it Mr.-" Her eyes flickered to his nameplate. "Sterling?"

Hushed laughter from the attendees was heard through the hall while Steiner fumed. "Steiner." He corrected through gritted teeth.

"The fact is our data indicates that investing in these sectors could effectively counterbalance the risks we face. It's about staying ahead in a rapidly evolving market and securing our position."

Xavier smiled proudly at Olive while the rest of our friend group nodded our heads, proud of her as well. Xavier approved Olive's suggestion and Griffin wrote it down.

"Steiner." I called. "I suggest you pipe down, yeah?"

Jordan took the floor next, presenting a report on the businesses Russo Industries were partners with, recent negotiations and potential threats from competitors. The screen behind him shifted to display detailed breakdown of the contracts with four of Russo Industries' key partners.

"Hanzo Tech in Japan fortifies our cybersecurity, in return, we provide exclusive access to our security infrastructure, allowing them to test their products in real world scenarios. Belmont Shipping in the UK allows us to move our cargo without interference and we ensure their operations run smoothly in regions where they might face complications."

Jun Lui helped with the presentation. "Swiss company, Luxar Holdings, provides an extra layer of protection to our assets, keeping our wealth growing. We offer them access to our high value investments, including stakes in emerging stock markets. Okoye Global in Nigeria provides us access to rare minerals whereas we ensure the security of their trade routes and offer financial support." Jordan finished.

Xavier spoke. "In the coming months, we will be renegotiating some of these contracts. Our allies are powerful but like us, prioritize their own success."

"Okoye Global has been vital in our expansion into the African markets." Preston commented. "We should make sure to keep some sort of contract with them."

Xavier nodded to Griffin who scribbled something down on the notebook in front of him before motioning for the meeting to carry on.

Zayn went after Jordan and outlined the recent operations, providing detailed insights into their successes and any adjustments needed for future missions. Derrick spoke about recruitment and training, emphasizing the importance of bringing in fresh talent and also mentioned the ongoing efforts to get recruits without infiltration by rival groups.

Next was Arlo who talked about our rivals. "We've been monitoring the Reaper," he began, his voice steady but laced with concern. "His movements have become more calculated- quiet, and there is yet to be any offensive attack from him."

"There have been minor disturbances in a few of our warehouses from smaller groups. Shipment interception as well as vandalism." Alexis added. "There is a possibility that they work for the reaper but we are yet to confirm."

Arlo continued. "We have reason to believe the Reaper is planning a major simultaneous attack against multiple fronts. We've seen an increase in recruitment on his side, though we're still unclear on the full extent of his new resources and alliances."

"An increase in security measures should be implemented at the warehouses." Jordan said. "Fortify our supply routes or find new routes all together." The hall reverberated with murmurs of agreement.

" In respect to the Reaper's silence, we have to assume that he's preparing for a war." Olive stated. "Meaning we also have to-"

"A war?" Steiner interrupted. "Do you think this is one of your silly fairy tales, little girl?" Olive tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she locked her gaze on Steiner.

"What the fuck did you just call her?" Xamira and Kat spat.

He gave a dismissive wave and continued his rant. "And speaking completely out of turn? You need to learn a thing or two about respect."

"If he keeps talking, I might kill him." Miles said.

I sighed. "Why are there always dumb fucks that never know when to shut up?"

The itch in my brain intensified, my foot tapping against the floor while one of my hands came up to cover half of my face. From the looks of it, I wasn't the only person struggling to keep calm.

Xavier looked like he was barely holding it together, his hand gripping and then releasing the gun in his holster when Olive rubbed her fingers over his knuckles, trying to calm him.

Steiner sneered, "Just because you're fucking the boss, you think you can spout any nonsense that comes to mind? A war? Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound?"

The tension in the room snapped as our friends, almost in unison, rose from their seats, clearly fed up with Steiner's disrespect. But Olive quickly stopped them, and they reluctantly sat back down at her request.

Olive stared at Steiner, her expression unreadable, not uttering a single word. The hall fell into a heavy, silence, so thick it felt like it could drive you mad.

Steiner began to shift uncomfortably under Olive's unblinking gaze. He faltered, his bravado fading as the silence stretched on. "What?" he finally muttered.

"Let's hear what you think the Reaper might be planning." For what felt like the first time ever, Steiner was speechless. "For someone so opinionated, you're awfully quiet."

"From where I'm standing, it seems pretty clear that the Reaper has gone off the radar entirely and is strengthening his forces as we speak. Would you rather we assume he's just left us alone? That he's never going to attack?"

The room was deadly silent, everyone hanging on her words. Olive leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

"If you can't contribute anything of value, Steering, I suggest you remain silent. We don't have time for baseless skepticism and fragile male egos, yeah?"

Xavier stared at Olive, a proud smile on his face. The tension in his jaw softened, but his eyes were still cold as they shifted to Steiner. He gave Steiner a warning look and Steiner, recognizing the warning, wisely kept his mouth shut, sinking back into his chair with a barely concealed scowl and a face flushed with embarrassment.

Xavier let the silence linger for a moment longer, then, with a deliberate calm, he straightened and turned his attention to the room at large.

"There's one more matter to address before we conclude this meeting." Xavier stated.

He took Olive's hand and they both walked to the end of the room, standing before all of the attendees present.

"Effective immediately, Ms. Olivia Laurent is officially the new Donna of the Russo mafia. Her swearing in ceremony will be in about two weeks."

All eyes turned to Olive who rested her hand on Xavier's arm, her smile exuding a certain power to it as she waved.

"I'm deeply honored to take on this role and contribute to our family's legacy." The room erupted in applause as everyone acknowledged Olive's new position.

Once the applause died down, Xavier addressed the room again. "With Olive stepping into her new role, there will be a change in the way things are run. We will be coming together as one unified front."

He nodded to Preston, who stepped forward to take over the briefing while he and Olive returned to their seats.

"Our operations will now be divided into five key divisions, each led by a trusted lieutenant." He gestured to Xamira and Zayn, who stepped forward. "First, we have The Treasury division, which will oversee all our financial operations led by lieutenants Xamira and Zayn."

"Nexus," Preston continued, "will handle all matters related to technology and cyber operations. This division will be led by Kat and I." Kat moved to join the others.

"The Sentinel division is responsible for security and enforcement, including training our soldiers and securing our assets. Derrick and Arlo will lead this division," Derrick and Arlo joined them.

"Specter will focus on intelligence and espionage, gathering critical information to keep us ahead of our enemies. Wyatt and Jordan will be your lieutenants for this division." Jordan and I exchanged a glance as we joined the others.

"And finally, we have Aegis.," Preston concluded. "This division specializes in the health and well-being of our personnel and handling medical emergencies, managed by Lieutenants Miles and Alexis." Miles and Alexis smiled as they walked up to us.

"Tactics and battle strategies will be discussed between the Don, Donna, the second in command and all the lieutenants." I announced while Xavier, Olive and Griffin stood up to join the rest of us.

"Unbelievable," Steiner scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Is there something you want to say to the rest of us?" Miles glared at Steiner.

"It's quite the statement having a woman of her standard take on such a prestigious role."

"A woman of her standard?" Xamira repeated, glaring daggers at Steiner.

However, he just continued. "Tell me, was it just the boss you were fucking or all of them?"

The room had gone quiet, everyone refusing to believe that he was actually speaking to the newly appointed donna that way.

"I suggest you get on your knees and apologize to her before I blow your fucking brains out." Griffin spoke for the first time during this meeting, his gun pointed at Steiner.

"I dare you to say another word." Zayn spat.

Steiner rose to his feet, slamming his hand on the table. "This is clearly nepotism. It's bad enough the unstable mutt is a lieutenant but making a slut our donna is outrageous. These cowards seated at the table might stand for it but I won't."

The moment Steiner opened his mouth, I knew it was going to be bad. But fucking hell, I didn't think it'd be this bad.

I tried to hold it together, I really did. Tried to control it.

"It's best she remains what she is - a pretty face with holes that need to be filled, yes?"

But I couldn't wouldn't.

Because I simply didn't want to anymore.

I felt the flip switch in my mind. A twisted smile crept onto my face as I felt my nails break the skin of my palm, blood pooling at my fingertips. But the pain only heightened the thrill.

He just had to keep running his mouth. I'm so glad he couldn't shut the fuck up.

Xavier's hand was raised, his gun pointed at Steiner's skull, his finger hugging the trigger. Smiling, I bumped into him the same time he pulled the trigger causing him to shoot the ceiling instead.

I scratched my head, smiling at Xavier. "My bad, boss man. You mind if I handle this?"

"Wyatt-" One of my brothers called but I was too far gone to identify whose voice it was.

Xavier looked confused but nodded when he noticed my hand twitching at my side. "Have fun."

Without giving any of the others a time to react, I was in front of Steiner. The room around me had faded and the dead bastard standing was the only thing on my mind.

I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air. The five-foot-nothing man flailed, trying to keep his feet grounded while his hands clawed uselessly at my arm.

"Could you repeat that for me?" I beamed at the quivering man.

His eyes widened in shock, his mouth opened and closed but no words came out. "You look like a fucking fish." I laughed. Fear flickered in his eyes and it only fueled my depraved thoughts even more.

I slammed him against the wall with a sound that echoed through the suddenly silent room. I smashed my head against his as he was pinned to the wall, the asshole groaned in pain while struggling against my grip.

"I asked you a question." I said, my smile still plastered on my face as I headbutted him again. "So you answer my fucking question, yeah?" Another headbutt. "Repeat. What. You. Said."

Steiner whimpered, his tears mixing with the blood on his face as he repeated the vile things he had said about Olive. I could feel the warm trickle of blood running down my face, and when I brought my free hand to my forehead, I found my fingers coated in crimson.

The sight of my own blood forced a manic laugh from my throat, the sound echoing off the walls.

"Look at you," I whispered, dragging my bloodied fingers across his face. I leaned in close and licked the blood that had spilled down the side of his face.

I was unsure whether it was his or mine but I couldn't care less as I laughed, pulling away.

"This is going to be so much fun." I told him. I tightened my grip on his collar, my other hand moving to squish his mouth together, forcing his lips into a pucker. "We're going to have so much fun together."

Using my free hand, I grabbed my double bladed knife out of my suit pocket and brought it to the side of his mouth.

"Stick your tongue out for me?" I asked, pressing the blade into his skin.

Steiner struggled, his eyes flashing with panic as I spoke. He looked around, his gaze darting frantically from one face to another, silently begging for someone-anyone-to step in and save him.

"You think anyone here is going to help you?" I laughed while I clawed at my face.

I half expected someone - particularly any of my brothers - to stop me at this point, but no one moved. Instead, all eyes remained fixed on us, each person waiting to see what I'd do next.

"Seems like we've got quite an audience, huh?" I mumbled. "Let's make this entertaining for them, okay?"

I released my grip on his throat just enough to let him gasp for air. His chest heaved as he sucked in a breath but that relief was short-lived when I slammed his head against the wall again, the sound of bone cracking against concrete sending a shiver of satisfaction down my spine.

"Now, where were we?" I asked, crouching down so I was face to face with him. "Ah, yes. Your tongue."

I equipped myself with the brass knuckles in my pocket and punched the side of his face, his jaw breaking with a sickening crack. His displaced mouth made it easier for my fingers to find his tongue. I brought the blade to his tongue, relishing in the sound of his screams as I cut through it.

Blood was everywhere - on my hands, splattered across my face, pooled at my feet. His screams filled the room, the wet and garbled sound so beautiful to me that I hummed in sync with him.

I looked down at the crumpled man on the floor, his hands hopelessly attempting to stop the flow of blood from his mouth.

Crouching down next to him, I grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced him to look at me. "You wanna talk so bad, don't you?" I slapped my knife against his cheek, leaving little cuts.

I pointed at Olive with the knife. "Go on then, apologize."

He opened his mouth but I stopped him, driving his head into the floor, splitting it open. "You need to learn a thing or two about respect. Wasn't that what you said?"

"You keep your head down when you speak to her." I brought my mouth to his ear. "If you're unable to apologize, we'll just have to come up with another way to show the pretty lady how sorry you are, yeah?"

The man kept his head to the floor as he mumbled and cried to Olive, various sounds leaving his mouth yet not one word.

"What a shame." I tsked with a sigh, yanking his head up so he faced everyone.

"You see, the problem with people like you," I started. "Is that you think they are above everyone else; like some type of superior being."

"But the thing with superior beings is that they see everything." My fingers moved to his eyes, prying one open. "And you can't really see without eyes, can you?"

I plunged my thumb into his eye socket, feeling the soft tissue give way under the pressure. His scream was muffled by the blood filling his mouth, and his body jerking violently.

I twisted my thumb, digging deeper until I felt the wet, slimy resistance of his eyeball, then I yanked it out with a sickening squelch.

The eye dangled from its socket, connected only by a few thin strands of nerve and muscle which I cut off using my knife.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I whispered into his ear, laughing as the others watched me take out the other one.

Instead of cutting it out like the first, I let it dangle from its socket, adding a peculiar kind of beauty to the unfinished masterpiece in front of me.

His head slumped forward, the blood-soaked eyeball swinging grotesquely as he groaned in pain. I hummed, taking the eye that had been cut out.

"They say they eyes are windows to the soul," I brought the eye to my mouth, exhaling onto it gently before polishing it with my thumb. "But I don't see anything. Do you?"

I placed the eye in my palm and held it out for him but then realization struck. "Ah yes, you can't. Your eyes are um- indisposed at the moment,"

"Let's take care of your arms next."

I carefully placed his eye in my pocket before I stood up and grabbed his arm, yanking him to his knees. I pulled him by the arm to the edge of one of the small concrete pillars that held up the ceiling of the hall, smiling as he shuffled on his knees, unable to do anything but follow me and positioned him in such a way that the start of his shoulder was where the pillar ended.

I used my belt to tie him to the pillar before tightening my grip on his arm. "I just want you to know that this will hurt me a lot more than it's going to hurt you."

With a wink, I bent his arm backward, twisting it slowly. I reveled in the cracking sound of his shoulder dislocating, the sound of his muffled screams made the smile on my face grow.

Unconsciously, I began humming the tune of the nursery rhyme 'Three Blind Mice.'

I could feel the tendons and muscles stretching beneath my grip, fighting to keep his arm attached to his body.

"Fuck yeah." I yelled. "Now we're talking, baby."

With every inch I twisted, the sounds that came from him increased, his body writhing even more but I held him in place, forcing him to endure every second of it.

His suit had begun to tear and made his flesh visible. Using my knife, I dug it into the start of his shoulder and dragged it down through his flesh. Blood seeped from the widening wound, drenching both Steiner and I, as well as staining the floors and wall.

Steiner's screams had devolved into broken, hitching sobs, his body convulsing uncontrollably. Sweat and tears mingled on his ashen face, his one eye that dangled from his eye socket swinging ferociously back and forth as he jerked.

"Does it hurt?" I teased. "Awh, you can take it. Just a bit more, you can do it."

Due to the help of my knife, a violent jerk from me was all it took. The tearing sound that followed was wet and revolting, accompanied by a fresh gush of blood that splattered across my face and chest.

My tongue darted out to lick the blood on the corner of my lip as the sickening snap of his tendons finally giving way, reached my ears. Steiner's arm now hung uselessly, the flesh barely clinging to the joining making me laugh harder.

I gave his arm one last pull and with a sickening rip, his arm tore away from his shoulder, blood spraying across the room. The stump oozed thick, dark red, and the sight made me so fucking happy.

Steiner's body slumped, shock and blood loss starting to claim him. Hauling the severed arm over my shoulder, I crouched down to look at him, still humming that cheerful little tune.

"You did so good," I cooed, motioning to his arm on my shoulder. "I think this and your eye would make fine souvenirs."

Steiner slipped in and out of consciousness and from his state, I could tell he was on the brink of death. Which meant that the next thing I did to him, would in fact be my last.

And holy fuck did I need to have a grand exit.

I sat crisscross applesauce in front of him and leaned my head against my hand which rested on my knee, using his severed hand to scratch my head as I thought.

"Kay, so I took your eyes and arm but it doesn't feel like it's enough, you know?" I placed the arm on my lap and played with his eye between my fingers. "What do you think I should do?"

Steiner screamed - or at least, I assumed it was a scream - and writhed in front of him, muffled sounds and noises escaping him.

I shook my head. "Nah man, that's horrible. I can't do something like that. You think I'm some sort of monster or something?"

Unable to contain myself, I leaned back, laughing as my hair fell into my eyes.

"You wanted to talk about holes, didn't you, Steiner?" I paused, smiling. "Let's talk about holes."

I got out my knife again. Pressing one of the tips of the blades against his bloody cheek, I slowly drew a circle, the piece of flesh falling out when I was done.

Steiner thrashed against my hold. "Relax," I whispered, moving the blade down to his throat.

I cut out a hole in his neck before doing the same thing on his collarbone. Blood spilled from the circles while I continued to hum, a smile etched on my face as Steiner continued to slip in and out of consciousness.

I moved lower, slicing into his abdomen and carving out another circle, this time much larger than the others I had carved previously. His breathing came in short, frantic gasps which only added to my amusement.

I peeled back the layers of flesh, exposing the organs beneath. I paused, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. "Shit. I didn't mean to gut you man, my bad."

Steiner writhed uncontrollably as I reached into the open wound, my fingers brushing against his organs.

"So this is what organs feel like, weird." I turned to the others. "Anyone want to have a go?"

"Yes? No?" They all took a collective step back, much to my disappointment. "You guys are no fun."

Grabbing Steiner's tongue from where I had thrown it earlier, I turned back to Steiner, crouching down next to him again.

Despite being an arrogant fucking asshole, I had to commend him for lasting this long. I placed my hand on his head, running my fingers through his hair.

I brought my mouth to his ear. "If you had just focused on insulting me, you would have probably lived to see tomorrow. But you just had to say shit about Olive. And what kind of best friend would I be if I didn't do anything? You understand, don't you?"

If he had any eyes, I would've said he was crying but it was hard to tell. "Shhh, it's okay. It's over now."

Forcing his mouth open, I shoved the tongue back in, making sure it was firmly lodged in his throat.

"Choke on it." I whispered then placed a kiss on his forehead before standing up straight.

His body convulsed as he tried to breathe, but the tongue blocked his airway, cutting off his air supply. I watched as he struggled, his face turning purple as he desperately tried to gasp for breath.

I stood there, watching until the light finally left his eyes, his body going still as death claimed him at last. The room was silent now, the only sound was the ragged breathing of the others as they watched in horror.

"What a mess." I mumbled as I turned to them. "Anyone else have something to say?"

Silence.

"No? You sure?" I grinned, waving the arm at them. "Nobody else thinks they're a big shot? Or got something to say about Olive? Or any of my friends?"

The silence was deafening.

"Okay." I tilted my head, thinking. "Well, I gotta get cleaned up. This is kinda unsanitary, who knows where his blood had been."

I stepped over Steiner's lifeless body before walking out of the hall, his eye in my pocket and his arm hauled over my shoulder, a giant smile on my face.

That had to be my favorite 10 minutes of the entire day.

═════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹═════

"Wyatt?" The door of the empty office I was in creaked open and she peeked her head in. "You here?"

I couldn't help the smile on my lips as our eyes met.

"Hey grumpy," I turned back to the wall in front of me, running my fists into it over and over and over again.

She walked in and headed over to where I stood. "Hi." She said, her gaze shifting from the dent I had created in the wall to my bruised hands.

She reached out to hold my blood stained hands and I flinched, pulling away from her touch. "Don't want to get it on you." I mumbled.

"Wyatt, give me your hands." Her tone left no room for argument.

With a reluctant sigh, I turned away from the wall and placed both my hands in hers, allowing her to look at them.

She shook her head softly and briefly looked around the office before her eyes landed on a first aid kit on the shelf at the other end of the room.

She got hold of the first aid kit while I got out chairs for us. I turned mine backwards and placed hers in the right way but she shook her head and turned hers backwards to match mine.

"Does it help?" She asked as she cleaned my hands.

"The alcohol? I heard it's supposed to." My grin was wiped away by the look on her face. "If you're talking about me punching the wall, then yeah. A bit."

"You wanna talk about it?" She asked gently.

"You see, it all started when I was born." I couldn't control the laugh that slipped past my lips.

"Wyatt," She shook her head, trying not to smile. "Seriously."

I returned her smile. "I'm being serious."

My smile faded as memories that I had locked away flooded back into my head like a monsoon. "It started when I was born, in a small village in Russia."

"Russia?" She repeated, confused and I nodded.

I could tell she had a million and one more questions to ask but she remained quiet and waited for me to continue.

"There was this 'cognitive enhancement' program for the kids as they put it. It wasn't something people volunteered for. The KGB took a child from each family the second they turned 7 and experimented on them."

"I was an only child."

"They injected us with chemicals and subjected us to psychological torture. They wanted to break us down and rebuild us from the beginning. Create the perfect soldiers, the perfect killing machines."

"But shit like that, it messes with a kid. With our minds, our bodies. Most of the others didn't survive. And the ones who did weren't the same afterward."

"Those experiments broke me. Shatter my mind into pieces. Turned my hair white. The scientists said it was one of the many side effects of the treatments."

"My split personality is another. Technically, that's who is known as 'Il Demone Bianco'."

"Just now, in the office, that was him and not you?" She asked softly.

"Yes and no. He is a physical representation of all the depraved thoughts I have in my head. But it is still me. When I'm triggered, it's like a switch being flipped."

"So you know when you're about to switch?"

"Yeah. And in some cases I try my best to control it. But I'm not often successful as you've probably noticed. As Demone Bianco, I'm aware of everything I do but rather than try to stop, I indulge."

"I wasn't always this fucked up, you know. Before the experiments, I was just a normal kid. My family was killed trying to keep me away from the program."

"While in the program, I was the KGB's pride and joy. Amongst the survivors, they realized I was different; more powerful if you would. I remained their pet till I was 12 where Quin found me during one of his expeditions."

Her eyes softened. "That means you're not-"

"I'm not biologically related to Arlo, Zayn and Derrick, yeah. And hell was it hard growing up.."

"School was shit. To the other kids, I was this weird foreign kid who couldn't speak English. I got bullied for the way I looked, especially when I was with my brothers. You'd be surprised how creative kids can be with insults."

Olive's eyes filled with tears, her heart breaking for the boy who had endured so much.

"Arlo didn't go to school with us but he decided to dye his hair to look like mine when he heard. Derrick was in his last year of high school but always defended me. Zayn on the other hand, had a short temper and beat up anyone who even looked at me the wrong way."

Olive reached up, gently cupping my face. Her thumb brushed away a tear that had escaped my eye. "You've been through so much and yet, you're still here. Still fighting."

"I know I'm fucking awesome, huh?" I laughed. My smile faded. "I'm messed up in the head."

Olive smiled. "I am too."

"Yeah, no shit Ms. 'Laughs while stabbing a red headed leprechaun'." I snickered.

"Why do you even remember that?" She laughed. "That was such a long time ago."

"Like I'd ever be able to get that image out of my head."

Her laughter turned into a smile before it faded completely. "Yeah, me neither." She looked at me. "Since that day, I don't know. It's like-"

She paused trying to express herself. "It's like I've been waiting- wishing, for an opportunity where I can feel that way again. There are these-"

"-voices?" I asked, studying her. She nodded and I grinned at her. "What do you know, you're just as fucked up as I am."

She rolled her eyes. "All I know is that there are times, like earlier with Steiner, where I want nothing more than to-"

"-subject them to torture beyond imagination, watching as every trace of hope fades, leaving only fear and the haunting realization that they will die by your hands cemented in their brains?"

She looked stunned as she stared at me which only made me smile more as I stood up.

"Yeah, grumpy. You're a little psycho, just like me." I pulled her up so she was standing too. "Can't wait for our next mission. We're going to have so much fun. You might end up singing the nursery rhymes with me."

She shook her head with a laugh. "Yeah no, that's never going to happen. Why do you even do that?"

"It's therapeutic." I grinned at the look of unbelieving look on her face. "Fine you caught me, it fucks with their head and I love the confused look they always get whenever I start."

She shook her head, softly smiling to herself. "Thanks for fixing me up, grumps. I think it's time we head back, don't you?"

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

╔══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╗ 𝑿𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒓 ╚══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╝

"Hey bossman," Wyatt smiled as he and Olive reentered the hall.

He carefully placed Steiner's severed arm in a corner of the room before heading to the sink to wash his hands.

"Someone's in a better mood," Xamira smiled.

Wyatt shrugged. "Finding out you're not the only sociopath in the friend group would do that to you."

"Where did everyone go?" Olive asked as she walked into my arms.

"Wyatt's stunt scared them off." Miles said.

Griffin remained quiet, busying himself with the pile of documents in front of him

Kat spoke up. "In his defense, the meeting was over anyways."

"And it would've been a lot worse if Xavier had been the person to take care of Steiner." Jordan stated.

Olive looked up at me, her brown eyes clouded with confusion.

"Don't worry about it, baby." I whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

From the look on her face, I could tell she wasn't going to let it go that easily but right before she could ask another question, the others walked in.

"We've got takeout." Alexis smiled.

"Thank you, I'm starving." Wyatt sighed, attempting to grab a box from Alexis.

"Wyatt," Arlo called, placing the boxes he was holding on the table.

"But I'm hungry," Wyatt whined.

"And so is everyone else. You just gotta wait a few minutes, Wy." Preston coaxed.

Wyatt huffed, crossing his arms in front of him before joining the others to sit. We had changed to a smaller table in a different part of the meeting hall that had enough seats for each of us.

Everyone helped set up the food and arrange it on the table, even Wyatt, who only helped because Preston asked him.

The second Miles sat next to him, Griffin put away all the documents he was working on, placing them in a neat file before moving them to one of the shelves in the room.

He returned to his seat and slipped into his boyfriend's waiting arms, resting his head on Miles' shoulder. Miles' face perked with a soft smile as wrapped his arm around Griffin, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you for being patient and helping, Wy." Preston laughed as Wyatt grabbed his food.

Wyatt muttered something under his breath and busied himself with his food. Olive looked between Wyatt and Preston, her eyebrows furrowing in the middle of her head.

"What's on your mind, baby?" I asked her with a soft smile.

Those eyes that never failed to take my breath away met mine and I could visibly see the tension leave her features.

"Nothing, just zoned out for a bit." She smiled, opening her mouth when I brought a fork to her mouth.

"Food's good everyone?' Arlo asked, looking around the table as murmurs of agreement and approval were heard.

"Why wouldn't it be good Arlo?" Alexis raised her eyebrow. "I told you everyone would like it, I have excellent taste."

"I know that, you're marrying me, aren't you?" Arlo laughed when Alexis narrowed her eyes at him, placing a quick kiss on her cheek that made her face flush.

Wyatt stuffed his face with food as he looked around the meeting hall. "Hey, where are my brothers?"

"Quinn needed them for a raid." Kat explained.

"And he didn't need me?" Wyatt's face fell.

"He did; having you with them would've probably made things a hundred times easier," Xamira added.

Wyatt scratched his head, confused. "So why aren't I with them right now?"

"Quinn understood that you had been nominated for the Gala des Étoiles tomorrow." I told him.

Olive looked at Preston who winked at her, mouthing the words 'the call earlier'.

Wyatt's smile came back faster than it had left. "No way. I get to go? I know last time it was held you and Griff got to go because of your parents but I got in-"

"Technically, we all got in. Collectively. As a group." Jordan deadpanned.

"And some of us got nominated for other categories." Arlo added.

Alexis nodded. "It's all written on your invitation letter."

Wyatt frowned. "I didn't get one."

"Did you check your mail this morning?" Preston asked Wyatt.

"Yes-" Preston raised an eyebrow and Wyatt huffed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, no."

"Then it's probably there, just check when you go home today." Xamira said. "Speaking of home, Diego got home a couple minutes ago and sent me the cutest pic of the kids, you wanna see?"

"Does anyone want to explain what the Gala des Étoiles means?" Miles spoke up. He turned to Xamira. "Sorry for cutting you off, Mira."

She smiled, shaking her head, silently telling him it was okay.

Olive looked at Miles. "The Ball of the Stars."

He laughed softly while Griffin smiled for the first time today. "I know what it means, pumpkin, that's not what I-"

Griffin cut his boyfriend off. "Thank you, small fry."

Olive smiled, then yawned, her eyes fluttering closed. I pulled her seat towards me so she was practically resting on my side.

"You sleepy, baby?" I whispered, pulling her closer into me.

"No." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "I'm awake."

Griffin yawned the same time Olive did. "The Gala des Étoiles is um-" He yawned again, snuggling closer to Miles, his voice laced with sleep. "A big deal. Important people come and have- I don't know. It's like a big party."

His eyes fluttered. "Where you can make a lot of friends and there are awards too and we might get some. Isn't that cool?"

Miles' face was filled with love as he brushed a hand through Griffin's hair. "It's really cool, sleepyhead. You're gonna wanna remember this conversation though, you think you can stay awake?"

"I'm... awake." Griffin replied, his voice barely a whisper. "Just gonna close my eyes for a second, okay?" He closed his eyes, a small smile on his lips when Miles placed a kiss on his forehead.

"And... he's out." Miles said, turning to look at the rest of us. "Does someone else want to explain what's going on? Cause I got an invitation too."

"I mean it's basically what Griff said. It's the biggest event of the year where all the important people of society come to 'cultivate connections'". Xamira said, air quoting the last words.

"In reality, it's just a huge party for rich or important people. And towards the end, they hand out awards for different categories." Alexis continued.

Jordan nodded. "It's pretty hard to organize and the event hosts hundreds of influential figures. And as such, it's held every 10 years."

"Where is it?" Olive asked sleepily, her voice muffled by her face in my chest.

"This year, it's in Monaco." Kat replied. "Next year who knows? It could be in Vancouver or the Maldives."

Arlo spoke up. "We're gonna be in the air for roughly 10 hours before landing and driving 30 minutes to Monaco and another 15 to get to Monte Carlo where we'll be staying."

"Hell to the fuck yeah, I'm so excited." Wyatt beamed.

"Okay, that's all good to know. Just remind me when we leave again for the event that's tomorrow evening." Miles asked.

"Tonight." Xam answered.

Miles sighed. "You guys really need to work on your communication when it comes to things like this."

"The invitations were sent last minute. It's a tactic to see how well prepared you can be on short notice," I explained.

"I mean, who does that?" Wyatt scoffed. "It's like they want us to prove ourselves worthy of being there."

"Exactly." I replied as I ran my hand through Olive's hair, slowly lulling her to sleep. "At the end of the day, this is all a big game and we're just pawns. Everyone. Including the very people hosting it."

"It's about power and control, the ability to adapt and strive under pressure. Those who can, come out on top and those who can't are weeded out."

"Well that's just amazing. Does anyone else have anything they probably should have mentioned earlier but waited till the last second?" Miles asked, rolling his eyes.

There was a moment of brief silence in the office before multiple voices overlapped each other.

"Olive's been getting texts from the reaper," Preston stated. "I'm pregnant." Kat blurted. "Preston and Nathan are dating." Wyatt drawled. "Miles and I are adopting Mel." Griffin mumbled.

There was silence as we each stared at each other, Griffin and Olive fully awake after what had just happened.

"WHAT?"

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Meanwhile somewhere in Spain...

A blade whistled past my ear, the cool metal so close to my face that I could feel it but I just grinned, clutching the royal jewels tighter.

Fucking losers. Can't even throw a knife properly.

The shouts of the guards closed in from all sides, echoing through the alleys as I ducked and twisted, pushing my legs harder.

I wasn't going to get caught. I already knew that.

But I would be a fucking liar if I said that the thrill of almost getting caught didn't turn me on.

Which was why I 'tripped' on a rock. I went sprawling forward and the instant I hit the ground, I rolled to my back, my eyes darting around the guards that now encircled me.

"Got you now!" One of them shouted.

"There's no need to shout, man. I'm right in front of you." I mumbled, covering my ears.

"You're going to be locked up for a long time." Another one said.

"Oh no, I'm so scared. Someone help." My voice was flat as I stared at them. "That work for y'all?"

Without waiting for them to respond, I used my hands to spring off the ground in one fluid motion. I landed on my feet, resting my butt on one of my heels as I looked around me, spotting the narrow doorway.

Too fucking easy.

I pushed up, coiling my body like a spring and with a swift king, I swung my leg low, catching the guard in front of me in the knees. He crumpled to the ground with a low groan and using that momentum, I spun into the next guard, delivering a sharp elbow to his ribs.

"Catch them!" Someone yelled but it was too late.

I was halfway up the cramped stairs before I burst onto the rooftop, the air crisp against my skin. Laughing, I ran across the rooftop, leaping over the gaps between buildings and onto new rooftops.

That was boring. What's next?

I checked my phone to find my next location.

The Gala des Étoiles.

Now there's a challenge.

I licked my lips in anticipation. Tomorrow was going to be exciting.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Meanwhile, somewhere in Athens...

Blood splattered across my face as the head rolled clean off the body.

Skiá. {Greek: Shadow}

That was what they had called me before I killed them. Same with the others.

I looked around the room that was once filled with creatures, too evil to be called humans. Their blood pooled at my feet, their mangled and disfigured bodies scattered around me.

Skiá.

I liked that.

I laughed, falling to the ground. My clothes soiled with their blood, the memories of what had just happened bringing me joy.

So much joy that I couldn't control my laughter as I laid there.

In the blood of my enemies.

Making snow angels. In this context, I'd call them blood angels.

I picked an eyeball next to me and held it in my hand, above my head.

Next up... what was it called again?

The Gala des Étoiles.

I crushed the eyeball in my hand, laughing as the juices slid down my arm, some splattering across my face.

This was going to be fun.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

C.O.D.: I'm sure your brain looks squiggly.