Ares’ Pov

We approached the cabin with caution.

We had to take into account any potential dangers. We couldn't risk anything.

There was a huge possibility that dad had led the bastards right to the safehouse. If we approach without a plan, it can endanger his life more than we already have.

“Surround the premises, we don't want anyone escaping. But hold on fire, you could injure who we're here for.”

As always, my brother Zyphre has taken the charge. He prefers to lead on the field and execute missions rather than conduct a business meeting like Hades.

“If I may ask, who are we defending?” Leonard —the man leading the team of fifteen that would cover the back— asked hesitantly.

He knows how little we appreciate people meddling in our business. But it's necessary that we let them know so they don't shoot at my father.

“A fifty-four year old man.”

I was about to take a step towards the cabin along with my brother when Hades' voice halts us midway.

“And a girl in her mid teens.” He informs Leonard, keeping a calm face.

I don't know how Zyphre and I forgot about her. She's been a consistent presence in our mind since we talked to her. But we had gotten so focused on saving our father that she just slipped out of our thoughts.

Our men nod and scrabble to their positions. Zyphre stays ahead with me and Hades right behind him.

We keep our hand on the gun tucked under our jeans covered by the jackets. We can't just walk in holding guns because we thought there would be more people than we had been informed of.

An unsettling feeling set in me as Hades rings the bell. I'm not nervous, but there's something that I am sensing in all our composure.

None of us are pleased with the situation.

If I was capable of emotions I would feel something at the prospect of meeting the girl for the first time, but I don't. I want to be anywhere but at this cabin seeing the one person I had planned on never knowing.

I'm not curious, I don't care. But a part of me wonders how she'll be.

I look around to confirm everyone else is hidden from the view. The paramedics are not less than a yard away while the rest of our men are waiting for a potential attack.

The door opens in three heartbeats. And I'm met with a striking resemblance to people I see daily. Us.

She has soft black curls identical to Hades. The arch in her brows tilt upwards at the end like Zyphre. Her lips look a lot like mine but they're parted in shock.

Something I would never do. Open display of emotions is the worst thing one can do to himself.

Her eyelids are coated with eyeliner and her mascara has smudged down to her cheeks with the tears. Her face is red like she's been overwhelmed for hours now.

Her jawline is shaped just like ours. It's like she was made with us as a reference. Even her piercing black eyes are exactly- they're wet.

She's crying.

I see her wipe her tears harshly with the back of her hand while she looks behind us trying to find something.

Was this a trap?

It could be possible she's looking out for any backup that we brought. She's making sure that she has accessed the situation before she executes her plan.

We can't trust anyone. It's the oldest trick in the book to use women and children to lure grown men into a pathetic display of weakness that leads to death.

She's still not looking at us. Either she's not trained or our presence doesn't matter to her. It makes me believe she doesn't know who we are or she would’ve shown some discomfort seeing the men she probably hates.

“Where's he?” She flinches at the harshness in my voice.

But we can't accommodate to her. We're in a rush and we must act fast. We have to know exactly where our father is so we can help him before it's too late.

We didn't just follow a random phone call that informed us our father was dying.

We had tracked his phone which showed this location. Whether he's kidnapped and all of this is staged or he's actually inside passed out. Either way we had to come here.

“You didn't bring a doctor?” Her voice is one of disbelief and her eyes are shedding more tears now.

Now I understand why she was panicking and looking around. She was waiting for help and not us. All she's interested in is to get my father healed.

Not even waiting for a look of approval from my brothers, I wave the paramedics over. I don't trust the girl but somewhere I know she can't be a spy. She's too disoriented for that.

“Oh thank fuck.” She sighed in relief seeing the men dressed in white coats.

She opened the door wider to let them pass and I just noticed how unwelcoming she was with us. Maybe she does know who we are.

Alex came forth to go in and examine our father —as per our instructions— but before he could ask her where he was, she answered his unasked question.

“He's inside. He's shot in the shoulder. He's bleeding. Please help him.” She rushed out her words with her voice just a decibel over begging.

She was so desperate to save the man, she must care for him so much. But it isn't surprising. If our father was a fraction of how he was with us, of course she's gonna love him.

She didn't bait us an eye and went inside showing the doctors their way to the room. When she tried to go in with them Niko —a male nurse under our payroll— grabs her arm to stop her.

“You can't go in, miss.” He politely tells her but she shakes her head.

“No, please. I won't do anything. I'll just silently stand there… I promise.” She's begging again.

If I thought she anything like us, she isn't. She might have our facial features but she seriously lacks control over herself.

“I'm sorry I can't allow you-” She cuts him off.

“Please let me stay beside him.” Her voice broke at the end.

“But-” He didn't complete the sentences before Hades grabbed her other arm.

She looked at him with teary eyes but he ignored her and turned to Niko. “Go in and lock the door.” He was about to do as told when Hades added. “You better save him.”

The warning was clear in his voice. If anything happened to our father, we’d burn the world. And the men treating him will catch the flames too.

“No I have to-” Niko closed the door before she could beg any more.

She didn't turn back to Hades, she just kept looking at the door as if it has taken away her last hope.

Hades left her arm as she couldn't delay our father’s procedure any longer. She wasn't even bothered by his hold on her and now that it's gone she doesn't seem to notice it.

She sinks down to the ground and presses herself against the wall next to the door. Wiping her face one last time she brings her legs closer to her face and hides herself in it.

She looks broken.

We hear her cries and I look at my brothers who look back at me wondering what we should do. We finally decide to just sink down on the sofa because it's not our problem.

We never signed up for this.

Once seated my mind goes back to the man passed out in the room right now. My hands fists on their own at the thought of the worst.

Even if we hadn't been in much contact —because of one god-damned mistake of ours— the thought of losing him forever never crossed our mind.

I heard a sniffle and my sight fell back on the figure on the floor. It was then that I start to take in her appearance.

My eyes were strictly trained on her face from the moment I saw her. Her resemblance to us was unnatural and I couldn't take my eyes off her features to examine the bloody excuse of an outfit she's wearing.

She has a sort of crop top on that's slid down from one side and is lose enough to not stay in place, exposing the lace bra she's wearing.

The fishnet tights on her legs are covered with the shortest denim shorts. Her hands have six bohemian style rings and one of her wrists is covered with eight bracelets overlapping each other.

She's wearing thick leather boots with a silver chain attached to it. Everything on her is black, from her outfit to the paint on her nails.

Her hair is messy and open like she's had a rough night. They drop down two inch above her shoulders and are set in the middle of her- what the fuck?

“Is that a hickey on her neck?” I whisper to Zyphre who instantly looks up from his phone to examine it.

Hades has abandoned the contract he has pulled up on his phone to distract himself from thinking about how bad our father's suffering right now.

All our eyes are fixed on her neck that's visible because of her short hair. There's a huge red mark on one side and another smaller one next to it.

“It looks like it.” Zyphre confirms what we already know. He's as shocked as I am.

“She smelled of alcohol.” Hades whispers to us.

All the dots seem to connect now.

The late hours of night. Her outfit, the now ruined makeup and hickeys on her neck.

She had come from a club.

I doubt dad would allow her to go clubbing at just sixteen. He didn't even let us go out so young. We always had to sneak out and I think she did the same.

My jaw clench at the thought of what I know she was doing out so late at night. She's just a child, she should know her fucking limits.

It's all fun and games until you get someone pregnant, or in her case get herself pregnant.

Even beside the pedos out there, there's still a million different types of danger she could encounter.

Is she so naive to understand it?

The door opens and I almost snap my neck to see Alex coming out. I hastily get up to hear some potential good news.

Alex makes his way towards us but before he could she comes to stand between us. I grit my teeth to not snap at her and exhale a deep breath.

If she thinks he's more dear to her than us then she's wrong. She could never care for him more than we do and she better get out of our way before I shove her to the side.

“How's he? Is he okay? Did he wake up?” Does she have to panic all the bloody time?

Alex turns to us, knowing well who he serves. He's not answerable to anyone but us and he knows his life depends on how respectful he acts and how good he does his job.

“He's fine. There's nothing to worry about.”

A relief sets in me and suddenly the room feels more breathable. Alex doesn't know how much I love the words he just spoke. I know my brothers share the same feelings as they too visibly relax.

But our subtle reaction was only known to us, whereas she completely went all out. She placed a hand on her chest and exhaled heavily leaning against the wall, finally stepping aside like she should’ve earlier.

“How bad is the wound?” Zyphre asked.

He's always the most sorted among us three. He likes to get straight to the point and not waste a single minute processing any news.

“The bullet only grazed his shoulder. I'm not sure how he passed out because he certainly didn't bleed a lot. But I’ve taken his sample, I'll send it over for testing. He still hasn't woken up but I'm sure he will in a few hours.”

“Can I meet him now?” She asked with a hopeful glint in her eyes.

“Alex, leave.” Hades orders before he could reply to her.

Alex didn't have to be told twice and hurried back inside the room. Once alone, she turned to Hades with furrowed brows like she's finding his behavior weird.

“How about we have a small talk before you go sit by his side?” Zyphre takes a step towards her.