Victor's POV:
I held this tiny, precious girl close to my chest, listening as her breathing evened out and she started to lightly snore. I knew she'd been exhausted, I would be too after all that went yesterday and this morning.
I wasn't as tired as the others because I had gone to bed early last night and had a nap on the way here from Gabe's house. Sang sighed and tried to snuggled in closer to me, so I wrapped my arms around her tight and pressed a kiss to the back of her head.
I hurried my face into her hair and closed my eyes enjoying the feel if this small girl in my arms. Breathing deeply I couldn't suppress the soft sigh that left my mouth. She always smelled the same, like being fresh out of the shower but at the same time having a soft, almost powdery and delicate twist. She was gorgeous. Everything about her. She was nothing like any girl I had ever met.
Before all this had started my parents had tried setting me up with plenty of girls. They only wanted one of two things though, money or your name in the high society. My grandmother was the one who taught me to tell the difference between someone being genuine and someone trying to use you to benefit themselves.
I ran my hand over my pendant as the memory came rushing back to me...
On my 9th birthday my grandmother had taken me to her home after my parents had forced me to play a concert. My grandmother had been furious, and neither one of my parents had wanted to deal with me anyway so they "allowed" me to go with her. We had gone to her house where she had a small cake and 2 gifts waiting for me me.
The first was a certified copy of her will, stating that I was to inherit all if her things, from her properties to her money at the age of 18.
The second, was a small box wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a white bow placed on top. I opened it quickly with a big smile on my face. Inside was a weird shaped silver medallion placed in the middle was an off white heart.
I must have looked as confused as I felt because grandmother laughed quietly before taking it from my hands. She explained that it was a shielded heart and it was to remind me to always protect my heart from everyone. She told me that if I shielded it nobody could ever take advantage over me and if I should one day meet a woman who wouldn't I was to give it to her so she would know she had my heart, mind, body and soul as well as it being a symbol that I would now shield her heart.
She put it on and I haven't taken it off since.Grandmother passed away that summer and I completely closed up, locking my heart and emotions away from any girl I had met after that...
But laying here, right now, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe one day the sweet, fragile, most beautiful little creature I was currently holding on to tightly in my arms would be the one to open my heart back up completely for the first time in 7 years, as I drifted off to sleep next to her.
Sang's POV:
We all woke up about an hour and a half later, quickly ate and were ready to clear out the mansion. I was paired with Luke and Meanie to clear the first floor, Mr. Blackbourne, Sean, and Nathan were taking the second floor leaving the top floor to North, Victor, Silas, and Kota.
Luke, North, Victor, Kota, Silas, Meanie and I were to enter through the back staircase hidden on the right side of the house while Nate, Sean, and Mr. Blackbourne entered from the front. When we entered we separated into our groups and started off towards the kitchen to clear it out while the others headed upstairs.
Luke was silent and moved swiftly throughout the room without making a sound with me and Meanie following close behind. The kitchen was huge with a professional look to it with an island sitting in the middle. Along the far sides of the rooms were two short hallways, one leading to a dining room and the other to what I'm assuming was the maids chambers.
The kitchen, dining room, living room and the laundry room were all clear so we backtracked and moved to check the maids chambers. Luke put a finger to his lips telling us to stay quiet before turning to me and signing.
"I'm going to pull the door open but I want you to have your gun ready just in case there's one in there." Luke signed with a serious face. I looked at him with a small smile as I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, jeez thanks. Make me do it why don't you." I signed back with a teasing glare, and he nodded happily.
"Ladies first." He signed back with a snicker.
"And who says chivalry is dead?" I signed with another eye roll.
"How much do you want to bet Gabe thinks we're talking about him." He signed quickly, I giggled quietly, shaking my head at his silly antics.
"Oy, Luke, Trouble...stop talking shut about me." Meanie whined dramatically. I laughed quietly as Luke shot me a smug look that said 'I told you so.' He cmturned serious again before holding up 3 fingers, then 2, then 1, and flung the door open as I raised my gun and stepped into the room.
The smell was horrid immediately making me gag and cover my mouth and nose with my sleeve. I could hear one of the boys begin to vomit and one hissed out "shit" while stepping back to leave me alone. I quickly scanned the room only to step back out and slammed the door closed before taking off towards the kitchen and puking into the sink.
The room was full of 8 dead bodies. some were on the floor, some on the beds. They weren't like the undead, more like a bullet to the brain dead. From what I could see it looked like they were all staff here but I couldn't be sure, and based on the smell of decaying flesh and the dried blood I would guess they'd been there for about a week and a half at least. My stomach rolled again and I vomited as the images flashed across my mind.
I could vaguely hear the other boys explaining to the rest of the group what we'd found and a strangled whimper come from Victor- I think before my hair was scooped off my neck and a hand began to rub my back softly.
"Shhh pookie, its gonna be okay. Your okay. Take some deep breaths for me...inhale, exhale...inhale and exhale, good girl sugar plum." Sean cooed in my ear as I slowly began to pull myself back together. A wet rag was rubbed across my mouth and I side-glanced to see Nathan looking at me empathetically but there was also concern in his eyes. I thanked him softly and moved to sit down on the floor in the kitchen leaning against the wall.
"Sang baby, don't sit on the fucking floor it's dirty." North growled from across the kitchen. I ignored him and he started for me, but to everyone's suprise Gabriel stepped in between us and directed a heated glare his way that had North freezing mid-stride.
"Oy, leave Trouble the fuck alone, you didn't see what was in there North. If my Trouble wants to sit on the fucking floor for a couple minutes to gain her fucking composure then she gets to sit on the god damn floor and you'll fucking let her or so help me god..." Meanie snarled at him. North's eyes were wide in surprise before narrowing on meanie and he clenched his fists, his jaw tightened and he opened his mouth to say something back, by this point I was shaking and I could feel my eyes filling with tears so I looked down.
I didn't want them to fight, and certainly not because of me. I hated fighting and yelling, I knew North only yelled when he cared and he just happened to have a short temper but things like this always brought me back to my stepmother and her awful punishments. I closed my eyes as I felt the first tear begin to fall.
Silas, my gentle giant who had been quiet and watching me intently the entire time, while everyone had been focused on North and Gabriel, put an end to whatever North was going to say by dropping a hand on North's shoulder and speaking to him in Greek.
" North," he barked and pointed to me. "Είχε αρκετό σήμερα . Αυτή doesnt χρειάζεται αυτή τη μαλακία τώρα αδελφό . Κοιτάξτε της, shes κουνώντας σαν ένα φύλλο. (She's had enough today. She doesnt need this shit right now brother. Just look at her, shes shaking like a leaf.)" He hissed out. Whatever Silas had said had North's head snapping in my direction and all anger leaving his eyes as his face softened.
He was next to me in two strides and crouching in front if me to wipe a tear away as everyone else- the exception being him and Silas- made their way to the maids chambers to see the damage. He sighed before dropping onto his but and pulling me onto his lap.
"I'm sorry Sang baby. I'm so sorry. Please don't cry...your killing me with those tears baby." He pleaded with me but all I could manage was a sniffle and a shaky nod.
Silas's POV:
Poor aggele mou. She's seen so much shit in the last two days, it's a miracle she didn't break down before this. She's strong, so, so strong and beautiful and she doesn't even realize it. I had been watching her as North and Gabe had been arguing like a bunch of ηλίθιοι (idiots). She started shaking and whatever they were arguing about, that was only partially what was on her mind.
My angel is broken.
She was broken before all this had started, you could see it in her eyes and whatever had flashed through her mind, that was what caused the tears.
"...your killing me with those tears baby." North pleaded softly with her. I had never seen North be this gentle with anyone before, ever. She sniffled, jerkin her head in a little nod and North looked at me panicked and helpless. I walked over to them and plucked her off his lap and into a hug. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I wrapped one arm across her back pressing her to my chest and the other tucked under her butt, lifting her feet off the floor.
As I walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards Victors room, I felt her legs wrap around my waist tightly pulking us closer together, and I couldn't keep the small smile from playing at my lips. Gods she was amazing, and she fit with me perfectly. I knew a few of my other brothers had already began to see just how special my aggele mou was and I couldn't help but to know that I knew it the second I laid eyes on her.
We may have only known this little girl for 3 days, but I trusted her with my life as did most of my brothers if not all of them, and from what I could tell, she trusted us with hers as well. Things were different now though, we weren't given too much of a choice but to trust one another and I think that's what has been speeding up all of our bonds with this little angel in my arms.
I made my way upstairs, aware of my 8 brothers trailing up behind us to support this beautiful mess if a broken girl that's changing each and every one of our lives, and for me that sealed it...
We were keeping her forever, no matter what.