𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄

ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

He pressed a finger to his lips, signaling silence from everyone. With a nod of understanding, he flattened his back to the shingles on the side of the house and started to slowly walk toward the back entrance. He did his best to avoid any puddles that littered the floor – as any unnatural noise was sure to alert the men guarding the door.

After heavily pressing Caycee about every crumb of information she had on her family, he did his own research on the car ride over. Well – since they took two cars and he drove, he had her help. Basically, her uncle was roped up into some shady business with a local gang. The front that he was going to send her brother to conversion therapy was exactly that – a front.

He wouldn't be surprised if he never planned on moving August further from this place. With his debts paid off, and wages paid to reside here, he probably thought he was untouchable. Each entrance and exit was guarded by members of the small gang – each of them were obviously armed. He wouldn't dream of his niece coming around here to settle their dispute, but he also wouldn't believe that she now had a mafia member and two infamous assassins on her side.

Kaedyn put a hand in the air, stopping their movement with a halt. A second passed to make sure there was no suspicion aroused before he wrapped the side of his face around the side of the house. He used one eye to take in his surroundings; luckily for them, only one man seemed to be back here and he was too busy yelling on the phone and smoking a blunt to notice the sounds around him.

Amateur.

Without needing to relay the message down the line, he slipped around the edge; he ran on the balls of his feet, keeping his footsteps as silent as he could. The man didn't even turn around, nor notice the fact that he was about to die until he placed an arm across his collarbones.

"Ayo! What the fuck!" he said loudly.

"Sorry, mate," he answered nonchalantly.

Then he placed his other hand on his chin and ripped it in the wrong direction, snapping his neck.

Catching his body by his underarms as he fell, he looked over his shoulder to make sure everyone else was in position. He was happy to see that they were; Mason was pulling off the lock on the door and Kai was withdrawing his gun, leading with it as he slipped into the unknown.

He motioned for Caycee to hold the door open for him as he dragged the dead dude into the small and airy space at the base of some stairs. He dropped him with a thud, clapping his hands together lightly to rid them of dust; when done, he reached for his firearm.

Her hand on his arm stopped his movements.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at her.

"Do you – do you really not feel any remorse?"

His eyes moved from her face to the dead body.

Am I supposed to?

"No."

"Wow," she dropped her hand.

"What is it?"

"I guess I'm just stunned at how you can have empathy in some moments, and none at all in others."

"It's all about circumstance, darlin'," he smiled lightly.

"Right."

Kaedyn looked up at the stairs, hearing a small whistle. Mason was waving his hand, indicating that he was needed on the second floor; with Kai's head just barely passing the second floor, he knew it was because the number of people above them was too much for two to handle alone.

He nodded, but raised a finger, indicating a pause.

Bowing down, he withdrew a sharp, silver switchblade from the sheath he wore around his ankle. He placed the handle of it in Caycee's hand while proceeding to wrap her fingers around it.