"Zio, I got it." Beau pouted, struggling to carry her bag.
"Let me carry it, it's too heavy for you." He protested, getting ready to catch it if he needed to.
I chuckled at Beau's stubbornness. "Let Zion help you just a tiny bit."
"Just a tiny bit, okayy?" She let him hold onto the other side of the bag.
"Of course." He nodded down at her.
"Just kidding." He threw her bag over his shoulder and her on the other softly.
"Not fair Zio." She huffed, folding her arms across her chest.
"Don't be mad at me Beau." They disappeared into Carters lavish private jet.
"Where's Carter? I thought he was meant to pick us up this morning." I pulled my bag from Messiahs hands.
"Rei and Kai should be here any second." He took my bag back and gestured for me to make my way up the stairs.
"Kai's coming?" I asked settling in next to Beau.
"Sadly." Carter grumbled as they were greeted by the host.
"Not sadly." Kai popped in after him.
"Very sadly." He pushed Kai's head away from him.
"UNCLE CARTER." Beau yelled. "Why didn't you have breakfast with us this morning?"
"I had some business to handle and things didn't go the way I wanted them to so I had to lay some people to rest." He picked her up off of her seat and rested her on his lap.
"Did you put them to sleep Uncle?" She giggled, playing with the rings on his fingers.
"Something like that kiddo."
Kai snorted across from us, flipping through a magazine.
"Ello, I'm Beau." She jumped from Carters arms and made her way over to Kai, holding her small hand out to him.
"Very cute, I'm Kai." He grinned, showcasing his pearly whites and shaking her hand softly.
"Kai." She repeated. "That's a pretty name."
"Pretty?"
"Pretty, sim. (Yes)" She laughed.
Questions flew out of Beaus mouth nonstop until she finally fell asleep, Kai looked just as exhausted as she was. She now knew everything about Kai, from his full name to the last thing he ate.
"How old did she say she was?" Kai asked staring at her small figure curled up on my lap.
"She's 3." I ran my fingers through her hair.
"She's so smart for her age."
"Smart like her mummy." Carter butted in as he typed away at his laptop.
"Very funny." I threw a cushion at the side of his head.
"You know, if it was anyone else who threw that cushion. They'd either have a bullet or knife in their head." Kai whispered to me, clear amazement on his face.
"As long as you know." Carter ditched the same cushion at Kai's head.
"And here I thought I was your favorite cousin." Kai faked heartache.
"You're far from it."
I laughed at the two and carried on with my reading.
"I know deep down in that blackened heart of his, that I am his favorite out of the family." Kai whispered over to me again.
"Well I haven't seen him hold a gun to your head so sim. (Yes)" I chuckled along with him.
"Give it time." Carter grumbled.
Kai turned in the opposite direction and kept quiet the rest of the flight.
We landed safely, Carter and Kai left the jet to over see the checks being done on the vehicles. Carter always had them searched before entering them.
"Stay with Zion, I'll be back." I settled Beau into a seat and left to see what was taking so long.
"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked, watching as Carter inhaled a cigar as he studied a small device in his hand.
"Tracker was found on one of the vehicles. Rei isn't too happy." Kai watched Carter nervously.
"Don't tell me you call Carter 'Rei' too." I watched Messiah bark out orders.
"You're the first person I've met who addresses him by his first name to his face."
"Serial." Carter called over to him.
I've heard about Serial but I've never met him, Carter jokingly told me Serial was his hitman.
"Never met Serial have you." Kai stated the obvious as I stared at Serial with wide eyes.
"No, I've only heard Carter talk about him once."
"He's mute to everyone but Rei. I don't know the story but he saved Serial and Serials been paying his debt back all these years by working for him."
"Let's go." Messiah, pulled me by the arm. "You aren't suppose to be out here, it's too dangerous."
"I'm fine, I'm with Kai." I held my ground and slipped my arm from his hold.
"Doesn't matter, I still don't feel comfortable with you being out here." Worry coated his expression.
"You're digging your own grave Messiah." Kai snorted. "Your emotions are starting to show."
"What are you talking about?" I questioned Kai, following him over to Carter.
"Nothing important, but just remember." He turned to look at me intently. "If things go anywhere with you and Messiah, he'll end up dead in a ditch somewhere with a tattoo on his forehead."
"What? Are you mental?" I pushed at his shoulder.
"Maybe just a little." He smirked, slinging his arm over my shoulders.
"Messiah is just my bodyguard, and I have a boyfriend Kai." I frowned back at Messiah.
I never saw Messiah in a romantic way and never thought he saw me in that way either, it was always professional when it came to him.
"So who's this boyfriend of yours?" He wiggles his brows and pointed down at the promise ring on my finger.
"Zaden Salvatore." I answered just as we made it to Carter and Serial.
"Irmãzinha, what are you doing out of the jet? Where's Beau?" Carter asked, pulling me to his side.
"She's fine, she's with Zion and the rest. What's going on?" I asked, staring between him and Serial.
"I want a body by tonight." Carter dismissed Serial.
Serial turned and left silently, got into a car and sped away.
"Care to explain?" I asked as Carter guided me to a waiting SUV.
"I will once I get Beau, get in." He helped me in and closed the door behind me.
Seconds later he was back with Beau, buckling her into the car seat that was already waiting in the SUV.
"A tracker was found in one of the cars, Serial is gone to handle it." He leaned over and flicked my forehead.
Before I could say anything Kai started accusing Carter of keeping secrets.
"Why are you trying to marry her off to the Salvatore family? I thought this arranged marriage shit was over with." Kai pointed an accusing finger at Carter.
"Get your finger out of my face before I break it in six different places." He Kept his focus on the road. "And who the hell told you I arranged for her to marry someone."
"She has a ring on her finger, it's pretty self explanatory." Kai said quietly, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Ava was already dating the Italian Heir before everyone even knew she existed." Carter shrugged. "Her personal life is none of my business, and neither is it yours."
"Yes Rei." Kai said in submission.
It's weird seeing everyone tiptoe on eggshells around Carter, from the first time meeting him, I was never intimidated or scared. Maybe it was the fact that he was so gentle and concerned when it came to me.
We soon pulled into a driveway leading to a three story house, the house was heavily guarded just like Carters and some of the guards I recognized.
"Are those your guards Carter?" I moved closer to the window to get a better look.
"I had them come over last night, Vasily doesn't have as much men as I do and I wasn't risking it."
I nodded in understanding even though he couldn't see me.
"Kai will take you up to our rooms to freshen up for dinner, everyone will be meeting us at the restaurant. I'll meet you guys back down here when you are ready." Carter offered me his arm with Beau already in his other.
"Where are they?" Kai turned to a serious version of himself.
"Business. Get the girls up to their room."
We were greeted by maids at the door, they never made eye contact and kept their heads bowed at all times. Kai brought us up to the third floor and showed us which rooms are ours.
"Lock down this room and get it searched before these two enter." Kai told Messiah.
"They'll bring you and Beau down once you finish freshening up." Kai nodded and left.
"We'll set the room up with somethings and then you can enter Ms. Vice." Messiah avoided eye contact.
"Okay." I breathed. "Thank you."
"So is everyone going to ignore the human wall standing along these three bedroom doors." I gestured to the seven security guards who stepped aside for Messiah and the others to enter the room me and Beau will be staying in.
"Rei, has doubled your security team." Zion, Elliot and Preston stood around me and Beau protectively.
"Is it because of the tracker?" I asked, turning around to face Zion.
"Something like that Ms. Vice, that's a question for him."
"Room is ready, come on." Felik grabbed Beau from her sitting position on the floor with her coloring book.
"Fefe, I'm not done yet." She pouted.
"Ignore the nickname, ignore the nickname." I heard Felik chant to himself.
"Security is on the balcony as-well so don't worry if you see someone walking back and forth, the doors and windows are all locked." Messiah looked anywhere but at me. "Your bags are in the walk-in and the opposite door is the connecting bathroom."
"What is up with you?" Zion whispered to Messiah as they left the room before I could thank them.
"Let's get you into some stockings, it's a little chilly here." I pulled a white pair from her suitcase and slipped them on her.
She wore a long sleeve dress and a little fluffy vest so she should be warm with those.
"Is there going to be other kids here mummy?"
"I'm not sure, I hope there are." I pulled her dark hair from the braids I had did this morning and pinned the sides with her bows.
Setting Beau on the king sized bed with her tablet to play on while I got ready, my phone flashed with a notification. I checked it and smiled at the name that popped up. Kota is currently on holiday with his girlfriend Nessy, he sends me photos every now and again of the two of them. I miss Kota but I'm happy he's out finally enjoying his life.
Fixing the minimal makeup I wore and letting my hair fall from its clip, I ran my fingers through and fluffed it out to give it some volume. Since we were going out to dinner, I decided to change into something more dressy. I slipped on a nude turtle neck bell-sleeved top and black high-waisted skinny jeans.
Finishing my outfit off with some nude stiletto's, I did a once over and packed Beau's bag and slipped a pair of ballet flats on her feet.
"Lets go meu amor." I held my hand out to her to take.
Three of the new guards stayed in front of the bedroom doors but the rest followed Beau and I, all together we had nine guards on us. Messiah and Zion always leading in front with Felik, Preston and Elliot flanking, and the new guards being to our sides.
We moved as one big group, all falling in-sync with Beaus small steps.
"I was expecting to wait longer." Carter grinned, clasping a ring necklace around Beau's neck.
"You take longer then us Uncle Carter." Beau replied defensively.
"Says the person who takes 20 minutes to tie her shoe laces." He teased.
"I think sometimes you forget I am only 3 years old Uncle Carter." She held onto his thumb as they walked to the waiting cars.
Once we arrived at the restaurant, Instead of handing the keys to the valet, Carter handed them over to one of our security guards.
"Park them and have someone out here watching, I don't want another incident like this afternoon." Carter commanded.
"Of course Rei."
"I got her, up by me irmãzinha." Carter took Beau from my arms and gestured for me to walk along side of him.
I always walked behind Carter in public places like this and he hated it. So every time we were out, he made sure that I was always walking along side of him or else he'd stop and wait for me to catch up or Messiah would come from behind and place me right next to Carter.
You can never win. I thought with a sigh and walked along side of him.
To Carter, me and him were equals. To me, we were in different statuses, even though he is my brother. I always thought of him on a higher pedestool.
Every single person we passed bowed their heads towards Carter, their eyes filled with questions as they stared at me and Beau. People knew about Carter having a half-sister, they just didn't know who it was.
After tonight, I'm sure everyone will know.