Me and the boys had gotten back to my house midafternoon the next day. Unfortunately the world doesn't stop and I can't spend forever in a sex cabin in the middle of the woods. But Orion had to get back for a work thing and Carter was going back to Orions for the day to talk to his realtor and sort some thing's out about his house (wherever that is, I'm honestly still not sure). Meanwhile I was sprawled across my bed with a big bowl of popcorn, having a movie marathon, enjoying my alone time. It feels like it's been a long time since I've had true alone time.

After getting bored of watching movies I grabbed a new book off the shelf and took it outside along with a blanket. It was just around sunset, so the sky was illuminated beautifully. I took a seat in the little hanging chair near the pond, enjoying the gentle sounds of water trickling through the little waterfall. I cuddled up in the chair, pulling my legs up and settled in.

~~

I heard my sliding door open and my head shot up. It was Carter. He walked across the deck and down the stairs to the little gazebo area I was in. It was now a few hours later so it's nighttime but I had fairy lights strung up all over my back yard and garden. "Hello, princess, how was your day?" He asked, leaning down to kiss me softly. I put the bookmark on my page and smiled up at him. "Good, I was enjoying my alone time." He chuckled, sitting down in one of the Adirondack chairs I had out here. "Glad to hear it." "How did your meetings go?" He let out a breath, running his fingers through his hair.

"I forgot how much I hated going through the motions the first time I bought a house. There's a few offers on my house back home, but they all want a very close move in time so I'll have to go back and get everything packed up." I nodded. "Where do you even live?" I finally asked and he grinned. "Colorado." I hummed. "I can see that. You seem like a Colorado person." He raised his eyebrows. "And what is that supposed to mean?" I laughed. "Chill, laid back, mountain man." He chuckled at my response and shook his head.

"Have you looked at any places here yet?" He nodded. "A few, nothing I'm really interested in though." "When are you planning on going back?" He sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I don't know yet. Probably sometime next week since my realtor there wants to move so quickly." I nodded. "At least there's interest, it would suck if you put it on the market and it just sat there for a while, that's money wasted." He chuckled, waving his hand. "I'm not worried about the money, I could completely abandon that house and be fine starting over completely here."

As he spoke I guess this is the first time I truly took a pause to think about how much money both of them probably had. Obviously I'd made comments about Orions house and his stupidly expensive liquor collection, but it never really crossed my mind for more than a minute. I honestly couldn't care less if they were Rockefeller rich, but I was honestly kind of curious now that I thought into it.

Carter noticed my silence and the look on my face and smirked. Before he could speak the deck door opened again and Orion came out. "Hello, my love." He kissed me when he made his way over here before taking a seat next to Carter. "Do you want to know?" Carter asked, a devilish look on his features. "Know what?" Ry asked. "I'd made a comment about how the money from the sale of my house isn't a concern. Now I can see those gears turning in her head and I think she's never really considered just how good we are at our job." Orion chuckled, smirking too. I shrugged. "It's never really been a concern but I'll admit now that I'm curious."

They looked at each other before looking back at me. "Do you want an actual number or a ballpark?" Orion asked, pulling out his phone. I thought for a second. "Ballpark is adequate." Orion tossed me his phone and I almost dropped it, not expecting that. Upon reading the screen my jaw dropped. "That's just legal money from one account. Gotta keep some things legit for taxes, insurance, and other adult shit. And you can't keep everything together." He said, unfazed. '82,473,652' is the exact number in the screen in front of me. I was actually baffled. While I understood organized crime was obviously a lucrative industry, I definitely didn't imagine that number.

I locked his phone screen and starred at them, collecting my thoughts as both of those smug little assholes just say smirking at me. "And you?" I asked Carter. He shrugged. "Probably a little less than Ry these days, I enjoy spending my money." I couldn't help but laugh a little at the absurdity. "So, care to explain to me why I haven't been taken on any dates?" I pursed my lips. Both of them chuckled and I threw Orions phone back. "To be fair, when Ry was gone I basically took you somewhere everyday for a month." I scoffed. "That wasn't a date." "If you want to be taken on dates, my love, you just have to say so." Orion said and I rolled my eyes. They both know I don't really care about going on a date, it was sarcasm.

"All that money and I only got a twenty thousand dollar tip." I hummed, opening my book again. Carter burst out laughing and Orion rolled his eye playfully. "I was testing the waters." "So what's the excuse now?" "No excuse, angel. Ask and you shall receive. What's mine is yours." I couldn't help but laugh. "I don't want your money." He grinned at me. "I know you don't, but if you did, you could have it." "I'll keep that in mind." Both of them laughed.

We settled into a comfortable silence and I went back to reading my book while they talked quietly about random things. It's safe, calming and comforting to just have them around.

~~

For some reason I couldn't sleep well. I'd very carefully snuck out of my bed, which was not easy, and made my way outside to sit on the porch. I started aimlessly scrolling on my phone, hoping it would tire me out more and I'd be able to fall back asleep. There's nothing like an hour of doom scrolling random internet videos to knock you out.

I stood from the chair, yawning, finally feeling like I could fall back asleep. But there was still a feeling in my gut that had my brain fighting to stay awake. Just as I had reached my back door my phone rang. And the name said it all, I started at it for a second. It's 3am, and my gut is right, something's definitely wrong.

"Reign." I answered. "Warren's gone." He said, calmly, but I knew him enough to know there was a sense of panic in his voice. My heart dropped. "What do you mean he's gone?" I asked. "I found his car in back of Brusters, phone and wallet inside, keys in the ignition. Door was cracked open and blood smear on the side. Something bad is going down kid. You know how careful he is." As he spoke I was inside, changing clothes in the laundry room already, careful not to wake up Carter and Orion. I didn't hesitate, he's family. "What's the plan, I can leave now." I said, pulling the hoodie over my head. "I'm outside. I've got a guy looking through traffic footage and any nearby home security he can hack into to see if there's any sight." I found myself nodding even though he couldn't see me.

I grabbed the second hand gun I keep that's unregistered and untraceable and a stack of cash before practically running out the door. Reign was in a black car, waiting at the end of the driveway. "You don't think this is related in anyway?" I immediately asked, guilt settling in the pit of ny stomach. Reigns sighed, pulling away from my house. "I can't rule anything out yet, but we were careful. If it is related I don't know why they'd target him. We don't get caught doing shit like that." I opened the glove box, smirking when I already saw a stack of cash and boxes of bullets. I threw in my cash, closing it before putting my gun in the door.

"You're gonna need to turn your phone off. I can't have those two hot heads tracking you while we're trying to work." I nodded, knowing it's for the best. I debated sending a quick text to Orion but decided anything I'd say would probably make it worse. So instead I texted Spence, though I'm not sure that's any better.

'I love you. I've got some things to handle, don't worry.'

I sent it and quickly switched it off. I already knew when the two of them woke up and I wasn't there all hell would break loose. But I didn't have time to worry about that now.

"I need you to go through everything with me. Any person who may have it out for Warren specifically. What you guys have been doing, anyone who's been around. Just talk out loud." I said, taking a breath. Reign glanced at me before nodding. As we headed in the direction out of town towards the bar his car was found Reign recalled details I'd always swore I'd never want to hear, things I never wanted or be apart of. But now it's necessary. To help protect my family.

~~

Seeing the blood smear across his truck was enough to unsettle me. Just the thought of someone being able to overpower him had my mind racing. I talk about how old they are often but really they're only in their mid 50's. And they're in great shape, they don't skip training despite being retired. Warrens too fucking paranoid. They could take down the best of them with ease.

"They don't have cameras, but that dirt bag bartended has a spy cam pointed out here for when he fucks drunk girls in the parking lot." He grumbled, tossing me a phone that I know isn't his. I glanced up at him, noting the bruising on his knuckles. "He said it's motion activated and there's an app." I opened it, scrolling through time stamps and clicked on one from a few hours ago. Warrens truck was in view and you can see him walking towards it. The footage is by no means quality, but there's no mistaking the two suvs speed into the parking lot as he'd gotten in. He was outnumbered. 8 people cornered him and wrestled him into a trunk. He out up one hell of a fight but they'd knocked him out with what looks like a pipe or something.

"God damnit." Reign muttered. You can tell these are people who are experienced. No faces, no plates, no identifying clothing, features, tattoos, nothing. "Come on. We need to go meet up with Grady, he'll be able to enhance the footage and see if we missed anything." I followed him to the car and we left. Meanwhile, I rewatched the footage over and over, looking for even the slightest hint of something.

Reign and Warren would always tell me when I was younger that I had a natural instinct. My gut feelings were usually right. And thinks weren't adding up in my head. The pit in my stomach grew more and more as I replayed the video and organized all of the information reign had told me in my head. I did not have a good gut feeling. I had a feeling this was worse than either of us could imagine. But I don't know who would have such a grudge to go through the effort.