Highschool

THIRD PERSON

When they finally turned into her street, Josephine felt a small surge of relief. Her house was just up ahead, a familiar sight that should have been comforting but instead felt like a fortress in the night, standing tall against the shadows of what had just happened. Luke parked in front of her house, but before he could even turn off the engine, Josephine's phone buzzed in her pocket. A single glance at the screen made her stomach drop: Vito.

She swiped to answer before the phone could ring a second time. "Vito?" Her voice was hoarse, shaky despite her best attempt to keep it steady.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" The worry in Vito's voice was palpable. "We've been trying to reach you for the last twenty minutes. What the hell is going on?" She could hear the sound of her other brothers in the background, their voices low and tense.

"I'm fine," Josephine said again, this time more to reassure him than herself. "Just got home. We are outside, actually."

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a sharp exhale from Vito. "Get inside. Now. Both of you."

Josephine didn't argue. She hung up, feeling a tightness in her chest as the dread settled back in. They were going to want answers. They were going to want to know everything. Luke, still sitting in the driver's seat, looked at her with a small frown. "I guess we go in then?

Josephine nodded, though she didn't have the energy to respond. Her brothers would know what to do. She just needed to get inside, where it was safe.

"Thanks, Luke," she said, reaching for the door handle. "Really. For everything."

Luke offered a small smile, but there was still worry in his eyes. "Anytime," he said, his voice gentle. Josephine nodded, stepping out of the car and walking toward the front door. As she approached, she could see the lights flickering on in the windows—her brothers must have already heard the car pull up. The door opened before she could reach for the handle, and Vito stood there, his expression a mix of concern and barely contained anger. Behind him, Domenico and Valentino watched her closely, their eyes flicking over her with sharp intensity.

"Josephine," Vito said, his voice low but firm. "What the hell happened?"

Josephine hesitated for a moment, taking in the sight of her brothers, their protective presence settling over her like a shield. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breath. "I'm okay," she said again, though it sounded more like a plea for them to believe her than a statement of fact. "I... I ran into some guys. They attacked me."

Domenico's eyes narrowed. "Where are you hurt?"

"Nothing serious." Josephine shook her head, her mind racing to piece everything together, while Vito grabbed her shoulders and looked over her body, searching for injuries, "They... they seemed to know who I was. They said they had a message for you," she added quietly, trying to keep her voice steady.

Valentino, the quietest of the three, stepped forward then, his expression unreadable. "What message?" he asked, his tone flat but there was a hint of something darker beneath it.

"I didn't get the chance to ask," Josephine replied, her voice cracking. " Luke showed up and helped me get away before they could do anything worse."

"Luke?" Vito's brow furrowed, but then he looked behind her, seeing the blond guy with Blood coming from his nose onto his shirt. "You are both safe now. Get inside." Josephine stepped inside, feeling the warmth of the house wash over her—though it didn't fully erase the cold knot of fear that had settled in her chest. Domenico shut the door behind her, locking it with a soft click. Valentino went to the kitchen, probably to get some ice.

Vito, always the one to take charge, turned to her. "Tell us everything. All of it. What did they look like? What did they say? And don't leave anything out."

Josephine nodded, already feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She sat down on the couch, her hands trembling slightly as she recounted everything: the three men, their words, and how she barely managed to escape with Luke's help. Every detail, every fragment of the encounter, she laid out for them.

The room grew heavier with the silence that followed. Domenico and Valentino exchanged a look, their minds already racing to figure out what was happening. Finally, it was Vito who spoke, his voice low but deadly serious. "And you didn't see anything beside the scar?"

Luke, who had been quietly observing up until now, spoke for the first time since entering the house. "One had a tattoo on his neck... something with cards and a crown above it."

The three brothers straightened, their expressions hardening. They exchanged a brief glance, then Valentino disappeared into the next room, only to return moments later with a baseball bat in his hand. The sound of the bat tapping against the floor was sharp in the tense silence, a warning of what might come next. Domenico moved toward Josephine, his eyes scanning her face for any signs of distress. "Tiny," he said softly. "Would it be okay if I take a look at your ribs?"

Josephine instinctively flinched, shaking her head. "It's nothing serious, Domenico. Nothing's broken, I swear. Don't worry about me."

Domenico's brow furrowed, but he nodded, accepting her reassurance for the moment. He then turned his attention to Luke, who had been standing quietly beside Josephine, still visibly shaken. "What about you?" Domenico asked, his tone practical, but his eyes assessing Luke's face. "Your nose is already starting to swell. Let me guess... broken?" Luke winced, trying to touch his nose lightly, but Domenico had already stepped forward, his fingers gentle but firm as he examined the damage. "Broken," he muttered under his breath. "Nino."

Valentino, understanding what his brother wanted, stepped in just then, blocking Luke's line of sight for a split second. It was all it took for Domenico to reposition Luke's nose with a quick but controlled motion, the sickening crack of bone filling the room. Luke gasped in pain, but Domenico kept his grip steady, holding him still until the nose was back in place. It was a brief moment of agony, but it would heal faster this way.

"There," Domenico said calmly and patted his shoulder. "You'll live. But next time, don't get into trouble, alright?"

Luke, his face pale and covered in sweat from the pain, managed a pained grin while placing the ice pack back on his nose. "I'll try to keep it in mind."

Vito, who had been quiet during the brief exchange, stepped closer to Josephine, his face still grim. "You're sure you're alright?" he asked, his tone softening just slightly.

Josephine nodded, though her body ached and she could still feel the lingering effects of the fear that had gripped her earlier. "I'll be fine," she replied, her voice steady, though she wasn't sure if it was the truth.

Vito's eyes narrowed. "Gentlemens." His gaze flicked between Domenico, who was already pulling his phone out of his pocket, and Valentino, who stood with the baseball bat casually resting on his shoulder. Domenico was typing quickly, already working on the next steps. Valentino, however, was studying Luke with an intensity that seemed to cut through the tension.

He finally spoke, his voice low. "Could they see the hoodie? The one you were wearing?"

Luke looked down at himself, suddenly aware of the shirt he was still wearing. "Yeah..." His voice trailed off as realization hit him. He had forgotten all about it.

Vito sighed, his eyes hardening as he glanced at Luke. "Then you're staying here. Is your family home?"

Luke blinked, taken aback. "What? No, my parents are out this weekend. They're hiking with my sister."

Domenico, who had slipped his phone back into his pocket, turned to Luke with a sharp look. "That's exactly why you're staying here. Your name's on the shirt, and the school logo's on it too. Do you have any idea how fast they'll track you down once they see that?"

Luke's face drained of color as Domenico's words sunk in. "Oh shit..." His voice was barely a whisper, the gravity of the situation suddenly clear. His shirt wasn't just a shirt—it was a literal breadcrumb trail leading straight back to him. If those men were looking for him, it wouldn't take long for them to connect the dots.

Vito stepped forward, his tone more authoritative now. "Exactly. And right now, you're a liability. Those guys won't hesitate to use anyone or anything they can to get to us. You're not going anywhere until we figure out what the hell is going on."

Luke swallowed hard, his throat tight as his mind raced. He knew he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he didn't expect things to escalate this quickly. Josephine watched him carefully, her expression unreadable but empathetic. She understood the situation too well by now. She had already seen how fast things could go from bad to worse, how quickly someone could become a target without ever intending to be. "I'm sorry, Luke," she said softly, her voice filled with sincerity. "You didn't ask for any of this."

Luke nodded silently, not trusting himself to speak. His mind was still racing, trying to grasp the enormity of what had just happened. He was in way over his head now.

Valentino, ever the practical one, stepped in. "You can sleep in the guest room," he said, his voice gruff but not unkind. "And I'm sure we'll find something more appropriate for you to wear. Give him one of my sweaters, Josie."

Josephine nodded and moved to fetch one of Valentino's oversized sweaters, but her eyes lingered on Luke for a moment longer. She could see how shaken he was, and the idea of him staying in this house, surrounded by her brothers, made her uneasy. They were used to this life—the danger, the weight of the decisions they made every day—but he wasn't. He didn't belong in this world, and she hated that he'd been dragged into it.

But she had no choice. Not now.

Vito, who had been quiet through most of the conversation, spoke up. His voice was firm, carrying the weight of authority that came with his position as the oldest. "Agreed." He glanced over at Luke, his eyes sharp, but there was an underlying sense of protection in his tone. "You'll stay here, no exceptions. We'll deal with everything else."

Luke felt the tension in his chest tighten. "I... I understand," he stammered.

"One more thing," Domenico suddenly said, his voice cool and steady. He pushed the sliding door to the terrace open and whistled sharply into the night. The sound cut through the stillness, low and commanding. Josephine stiffened. She knew what was coming, and she could see Luke's confusion growing as he looked between the brothers. It didn't take long before the trio of black dogs appeared, their silhouettes barely visible against the dark night. Zeus, Ares, and Hades—massive, imposing creatures that seemed to almost materialize out of the shadows. Their eyes gleamed in the moonlight as they stepped forward, each dog more intimidating than the last. Domenico stepped aside, his eyes locking onto Luke's with a quiet, unyielding intensity. "They'll sleep in Tiny's room. All night long," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "If you plan anything stupid, your nose will be your smallest problem, understood?"

Luke's heart pounded in his chest as he looked at the dogs. He wasn't sure if they could understand human words, but the way they stood, shoulders tense, eyes never leaving him, made it clear that they were no mere pets. They were part of the family. And their loyalty was unshakable.

"Yes, sir," Luke managed to say, his voice barely a whisper. He swallowed again, trying to calm the racing of his heart. "I won't do anything. I promise."

"Damn right," Domenico replied, his tone icy. "Tiny, your watch stays on. No rash moves. Understood?"

Josephine nodded, her gaze filled with concern as she watched the three brothers leave the house, their footsteps heavy and deliberate. The door clicked shut behind them, and for a moment, the weight of silence settled in the room. It was a silence that felt too loud, too suffocating. Zeus, the largest of the dogs, bumped her lightly with his head as if to remind her that he was still there, still watching. She looked down at the black dog and then glanced over at Luke. The tension in the room was palpable, and it seemed to hang in the air like a storm ready to break.

"Come on," Josephine said softly, breaking the stillness. She turned and gestured toward the hallway. "I'll show you to your room."