The smell coming from the kitchen was mouth-watering as I pranced from one end to the other, swaying to the Christmas music playing from the speakers around the house, my head bopping to a different tune playing in my head. The house wasn't decorated with decorations much to Brooke's dismay but there was a tree by the living room window, illuminating that small corner enough to make it seem semi-festive. Wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and an oversized thin top, I barely felt the chill of the winter season as the oven provided enough warmth when it blasted into my face, revealing the large dish I'd put in there.
School had broken up last week and the boys still hadn't seemed to get their head around the fact I was the one hiding beneath the black hood, sitting next to them in the hall, in the classroom and even standing next to them in the car park. Everybody else in the school was indifferent but the boys seemed to do a double take every time they saw me, mentally reminding themselves who it was beside them but who it was they had to pretend I was. It seemed Brooke wasn't the only one looking forward to the two weeks off school but for an entirely different reason: she wanted the Christmas holiday, but the boys wanted the time off school.
Nathan honoured his word in allowing Ian and Sharon to come for a meal and last night had been...perfect; everyone I loved all in one place, laughing and getting along as though they'd always been like this. For the first time in six years, there was no party, no drugs, no wandering hands of a stranger or drunken man roaming my barely covered body but rather a peaceful evening filled with movies, games and food. It didn't escape my attention that my brothers were constantly watching me, silently asking me with their eyes if I was alright and while I wanted them to enjoy themselves, I knew they were making sure everything was okay; I'd not spent Christmas with them in six years.
"You know, you can take Christmas Day off from waking up early." His voice sounded bemused from behind me and I whirled around to see Nathan standing on the far side of the island, watching me with amusement as I let my limbs move to their own accord. Living up to our daily standards, his morning coffee seemed to make itself as it was soon cupped within his palms as his hazel eyes seemed brighter than before; something seemed to shine in them recently that hadn't been there before. "The boys wouldn't exactly mind it."
"Perhaps I would mind," I commented, lifting an eyebrow in his direction, making him chuckle into his mug as he drank it slowly, allowing the warm liquid to move down his throat. Nathan let me work contently in the kitchen as he remained seated on the stool, eyes glued to his phone screen as he seemed engrossed with something until the sounds of footsteps sounded on the stairs and the doorway gave way to a cohort of surprisingly awake teenagers. I waited until after everyone was seated and situated with a warm drink before I decided to do presents- something I knew would gain varied reactions. "Now that everyone's here, I have some things I want to give each of you."
"I thought we said no presents," Matt announced panicked, eyes widening in alarm at the thought of not getting anyone a gift.
"We did," assured Dan quickly, frowning at me when I approached the tree; at the base were several little piles of wrapped shapes I'd managed to sneak under the tree while none of them were looking alongside some that Ian and Sharon had brought with them last night.
"I know you guys don't do Christmas presents but I wanted to show my gratitude for all you've done for me these past four months; saying it didn't seem to be enough," I excused, picking them up and giving them to their designated recipient; Shane and Cal both pecked my temple as I gave them theirs while the other boys merely kissed the back of my hand. However, when I reached Nathan, he grabbed my hand like the others had yet he didn't kiss it but instead pecked my lips tenderly, smoothing my jawbone with his thumb as he smirked down at me from his stool.
"No way!" Harry exclaimed, holding up the yellow jumper I'd gotten him, staring wide-eyed at the front of it and a large grin shaped his mouth as he twisted it around to hold it to his front. "I fucking love Donald Duck!" Something fell out as it unfolded and landed roughly on his lap- a large 750g jar of Nutella and he squealed when he saw it. "I will shoot anyone that touches this." He warned wonderingly, holding it up to stare at with adoration.
"I've been looking for these," Brooke acknowledged, staring at the trilogy box in her hand, reading the words written on the back while the eyeshadow kit I'd gotten her lay balanced on her lap, her hand protectively on the top. Beside her, Ace grinned upon seeing the Cookie Monster top I'd folded up with the Topman voucher while Justin looked at the ACDC and Twenty-One Pilots CDs piled together within his wrapping paper. Matt was already wearing the bike gloves, curling his fingers to test them out for size before fiddling with the small pack of ear buds- bright orange, yellow, green and pink pairs just to clash with his hair. Dan chuckled when he unwrapped the collection of James Bond movies, fingering through them all just to read the backs of them while Cal stood up to try on his new brown leather jacket; the sheep skinned inside pooled over the collar around his neck to act like a cushion around his collarbones. Shane whistled at a 1975 CD as he fiddled to put on the new Star Wars phone case onto his phone and when I finally turned to Nathan, he was already wearing the black leather jacket and brown leather bangles on his left wrist- both of which seemed to fit and suit him better than I expected.
"I feel really bad because I didn't get anyone anything," Ace admitted, looking almost dejectedly towards me but I laughed at him; he was standing in nothing but a pair of joggers hugging his waist as he hauled on his new top.
"We'll make it up to you, China Doll." Matt was still wearing the gloves as he hugged me tightly, squeezing a little too tight to prove he meant it before letting me go and sticking in a pair of buds. "I can't hear anything!" He yelled, no doubt unable to hear how loud he was being.
"Yeah and now neither can I," Shane muttered, winking at me in a way I knew meant 'thank you' as my feet carried me into the kitchen once more. I couldn't seem to stop smiling as I kept picturing their reactions to opening their presents; I wasn't sure what to get each of them at first but after a few weeks of simply observing them and getting to know them each individually, I learnt things about them. Shane and Cal were easy, and Brooke wasn't much harder than them but the others...I was clueless until their personalities seemed to show a little more with time; they were each important and individual within the group.
I was glad my brothers had found something like this to live in.
Breakfast earned a similar reception to the presents when I served them all a plate of it: beans with a layer of cut up bacon, scrambled egg and hash brown all covered in melted cheese. Served like a pie, the English breakfast was mixed together into layers and the boys seemed to think it was some completely new discovery when really, it was exactly the same thing I'd been making them since I got here. Glancing at the time, I mentally chimed that my next surprise of the day would commence at noon- exactly an hour from now so I had to get everything ready for it; Brooke caught my eye and smirked knowingly, but I hoped this would get a better reaction that the last surprise I'd revealed. I was too absorbed in my own thoughts and making the cake for tonight that I didn't see him come up behind me until I turned at the slightest feel of his breath on my hair, seeing him standing about three feet away with a somewhat unreadable expression.
"Here, this is for you." Nathan held a small box to me, wrapped in a dark blue paper tightly, no unnecessary creases or folds around it as the box fit perfectly in my hand as he handed it to me and my eyes flicked up to meet his, my eyebrows scrunching together.
"I thought you guys didn't do presents?"
"It's not a present, it's a gift." He argued indignantly, a small smirk on his lips when I frowned even more.
"What's the difference?" I enquired, ignoring the buzzing of our friends in the living room from over the island.
"A gift has a meaning and purpose behind it; a present is just something you buy to give someone. A gift is more sentimental," with that, Nathan left me in the kitchen holding his little box in my palm, rather baffled at the nineteen-year-old now clapping Matt's back as he settled in the centre of the sofa. Turning around to finish the cake, I pulled the single oven glove off my hand and began to slowly unwrap the paper to reveal a jewellery box of some kind so flipping open the lid, my eyes found a small golden rectangle sitting in the centre of a plush black cushion, gleaming back at me in the kitchen light. Tucked behind the rectangle was a small piece of card and once freeing it, my eyes ran over confident blocked handwriting saying: The job description's changed. You're offered a promotion. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion- why was he using that joke?
The rectangle was engraved with the picture of an arrow crossed over an old hunter's bow along the right side with a dagger lying vertically up the left but a deer skull between them; entangled within these was the symbol of The Knuckle Crew, the knuckle-duster smoothing beneath my finger as I slowly took it out- a thin chain dropped from within the cushions. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of the pendant that somehow reminded me of Nathan's except this one had something on the back- the Bennett Beta emblem. Water filled my eyes at the notion, but I didn't understand what Nathan was meaning- promotion? What did he mean by gifts having a purpose?
Staring at the pendant, I thought of everything Nathan could mean: our joke started when I told him about getting a new job as a nurse for gang members, the first time we went to McDonalds. At the time, I'd made it my job to cook, clean and nurse them but what else would it be?
Why both our gangs?
Unwilling to turn around, I rubbed the pendant between my fingers while my other hand impulsively grabbed the rings around my throat- to wear the pendant, I would need to take them off; replacing my parents and Wolf Claw with The Knuckle Crew.
Replacing them with Nathan.
Instead of the reminder of my parents, I would have the reminder of him; always telling me he was there- like Dad's proposal to Mum but Nathan couldn't be proposing to me, could he? I racked my brain for rules on betrothals: you were ordained to marry someone, and nothing could change that- unless the replacement was worthy and approved. Would Julius let me take Jade's place? Would my brothers? Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, but it was excitement, I realised, not just nervousness as I slowly reached up, unclasped my necklace and drew the chain from my chest. Replacing it with the pendant, I realised how much heavier it was compared to the rings; the solid slab cold between my collar bones as it pressed against my skin when I inhaled, feeling it always around my neck. Surprised, I smiled when it felt right rather than odd; it already seemed as though I'd always worn it but there seemed to be an expectant weight with the chain, pulling down on it as it dangled along with the pendant: the meaning behind the gift.
I didn't mind being tied with the boys. I didn't mind staying here with them for the rest of my life. I didn't mind tying my life to theirs, guaranteeing myself a future of guns, money and danger but it was already full of that. I didn't mind tying myself to the gang my parents tried to save, the gang my parents really died for in the end. I didn't mind promising myself to Nathan, even at the tender age of sixteen.
I actually looked forward to it.
Tidying away my old necklace in the box, I placed it by the wall on the island, partially opened just in case any of them wanted to see what my answer was when my back was turned; my suspicion of them all knowing was confirmed when they quietened marginally. I ignored the sound of someone coming near the kitchen, I ignored the shuffling of the box being picked up and investigated, I ignored the sharp gasp and I even ignored their chattering afterwards.
I didn't ignore the sound of the doorbell and my muscles froze mid-step to the oven, my eyes snapping over to the excited ones of Brooke; she actually came here, and my grin was perfectly mirrored as Justin lifted to get it. "No!" I yelped loudly, gaining a roomful of surprised looks. "I'll get the door."
"But I'm already half-way there," Justin argued with a soft frown as Brooke stood and slid past him.
"Now so am I. We'll get it." Opening and closing his mouth in confusion, Justin let me slip past him before I gently pushed him back into the living room before closing the door as Brooke opened the other, revealing a small and nervous girl. "Merry Christmas!"
Scarlett chuckled at Brooke's excitement, eagerly accepting the sisterly hug she received from her before turning to me and repeating the action a little calmer. "Are you definitely staying the night?" I questioned, eyeing up the small bag she currently had draped over her shoulder and she nodded enthusiastically.
"And two nights after. Mum thinks I'm at Callum's, but he promises he won't tell her that I'm actually here." She answered, wringing her hands around the straps of her bag anxiously and I smiled reassuringly at her, taking her small hand in mine as I brought my face level with hers.
"Are you ready to meet your big brother?"
"I think so." Her breathless response came with her shoulders lifting and falling heavily, head nodding very slightly as she regarded the closed door almost frighteningly before tightening her hold on my fingers as a signal to go. Brooke chuckled, putting a hand on her shoulder to guide her forward until the voices of the boys were muffled behind the door and she reached forward to open it, stepping in before either Scarlett or me; I winked down at her as I followed, hiding her a little.
"Alright, I promise this is the last surprise of the day," I started, gaining all their questioning attention, "it didn't cost me anything apart from lying to someone just to make sure it got here today."
"Oh God, what did you do?" Cal murmured with worry and I shared an amused look with Brooke; my cheeks hurt with how big my grin was.
"Nothing bad, just encouraged a lie. Harry, this is half of your Christmas present from both Brooke and I." He frowned at us as he straightened, and I looked over my shoulder to where Scarlett was shrunk against the door frame; my hand moved out to offer her it and hers slipped into mine as she stepped forward, into the view of the boys.
"Scarlett?" Harry breathed in disbelief as the fourteen-year-old came into full view now, standing pressed against my side at the thick silence in the room and I could feel her limbs trembling.
"Hey, Harry." His grey-ringed eyes flicked to mine quickly, his expression full of various emotions before he stood to his feet and Scarlett gasped. "Iris said you were tall, but I didn't think it was that tall." I laughed at her words, seeing Harry smile brightly at her too and I let her hand go, lightly pressing it into her back encouragingly; her scared eyes glanced back at me and I nodded at her.
"He's tall but..."
"Like big fluffy teddy bear." She finished my sentence in a whisper so only I heard, remembering from our phone call last night when making sure she had her story set and her mind ready to meet him. Without another word, she ran across the room and wrapped her arms around his waist, making the boy stiffen in shock as he looked down at her, holding his breath. Meeting my eyes across the room, I smiled at him reassuringly; he was scared Scarlett would be afraid of him and she'd caught him completely unprepared with this visit and it was entirely my doing. Harry eventually relaxed before kneeling and holding her face in his hands, wiping away a single tear rolling down her cheek and offered her a small smile.
"You look just like Dad." He whispered, and I looked away to the side, feeling fulfilled and jubilant at the sight before me as I met Brooke's eyes only to find the same emotions plastered on her grinning face. "Does Mum know you're here?"
"That's where that small lie comes in and Callum," I answered when Scarlett glanced back at me, uncertain and Harry scoffed in amusement. "Believe it or not, he was totally up for me abducting his niece while her mother thinks she was with him."
"Talking from experience there, China Doll?" Dan quipped cheekily, and I rolled my eyes with a grin, relieved none of them were taking this too bad.
"You were abducted?" Scarlett asked innocently but no one actually answered her as we all laughed; Harry ruffled her hair affectionately and she looked up at him with adoration that I couldn't help almost crying at the sight.
"We agreed with Callum that she'd stay until the 28th then go back to her mother's- the day she's meant to be leaving his anyway," Brooke explained, "of course, none of you mind Scarlett staying that long, right?"
"Absolutely not," Shane, Justin and Matt replied instantly to her venomous look, a warning they should say what she wanted to hear otherwise there'd be consequence; Harry shook his head vigorously from side to side while Ace gave a thumb's up in acceptance with Cal.
"Where will she be sleeping?" There was a slight challenge in Nathan's voice as he spoke, moving his eyes between the two of us.
"In my room; I said she could take my bed."
"And where are you planning on sleeping?" Dan questioned.
"Either in Brooke's room or my room...I'll figure it out tonight," I offered with a helpless shrug before moving once more into the kitchen, stroking the back of Scarlett's head affectionately on the way passed. "Want a drink?" Fixing her up with a hot chocolate, she settled on the sofa next to Harry while Dan took the other side still sipping contently on the third coffee I'd made him. By the time dinner was ready, Scarlett seemed more at ease than before, slouching on the sofa and laughing at something Justin was telling her as her empty mug sat on the floor at her feet. Sticking my fingers in my mouth, my whistle cut over all the noise they were making until it was just the music playing in the background; I pointed to the plates lining the island where the meat had already been placed on and they got the hint instantly.
"I'm starving!" Matt exclaimed, being the first to his feet and helping himself to a plate, reaching over to peck my cheek before disappearing to the table. "Thanks, China Doll."
Let's just say it was the messiest, funniest and loudest dinner we'd had in this house.
***
Groaning woke me up from my admittedly blissful slumber, my neck aching as I lifted my head from my arm as my eyes ran over the sight surrounding me: Brooke was lying with her head on my stomach, curled into a slight ball as she slept contently while Scarlett was on the other end of the bed, cocooned around one of my pillows. Brooke moaned again, moving slightly and digging her head into my stomach as she lifted her hips to rotate onto her other side; I grimaced as it dug into my almost completely healed side- almost healed. We were all still wearing our clothes from yesterday, reminding me that we were sitting up talking last night and must have fallen asleep like this; the boys must have thought we were too peaceful to move.
Satisfied that neither of them were close to falling off the bed, I took a shower before going to the living room, stifling my laugh when I saw them: they were draped all over the place, Ace was even lying on the dining room table while Justin lay curled on the island. Matt was sprawled on the living room floor between the sofa and table while Nathan seemed the most comfortable on the arm chair, his whole body elongated as his head tilted back to face the ceiling. Beer cans and bottles littered the floor around them, making my eyes roll at their typical teenage boy ways; they better not get into this habit when school starts again because I'm not going to be making hangover cures for the rest of my life.
Snores lightly sounded from them as they slept peacefully in their various positions, my lips spreading with laughter as I regarded them, my hands just moving around mindlessly to make them a normal breakfast: pancakes seemed normal enough. I'd made a couple of batches when Brooke and Scarlett came down, rubbing away the sleep from their eyes but looked rather well-rested despite our positions on the bed. "Animals," Brooke observed as she regarded the seven boys in front of us, but we left them sleeping for another hour before we finally decided to wake them- Scarlett coming up with the perfect idea.
'American Beauty/American Psycho' blared from the speakers right where the base dropped, vibrating the walls slightly as the song started abruptly and all the boys jumped from their places: Justin fell off the island while Ace rolled onto a chair and Matt hit his head on the coffee table. The others merely leapt to their feet, stumbling from the head rush and grogginess meanwhile the three of us laughed like evil hyenas as we watched the result of our prank.
"Iris, I'm so going to make you regret that," Cal threatened, holding a hand to his no doubt pounding headache and I scoffed sharply.
"It's almost noon and you didn't look like you were waking up any time soon, so we thought we'd wake you up ourselves," Brooke replied smugly, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched them get their wits about them before disappearing to freshen themselves up. Expecting nothing exciting to come out of the day, everything seemed to go a lot slower than it did yesterday as we took Scarlett out to Little Sunshine- something that seemed to have become a group place of solace since we arrived. Surprisingly, Scarlett barely blinked an eye when she found Nathan, Dan and Harry outside in the garden smoking but instead occupied herself with the PlayStation with Ace and Matt; for a girl of fourteen years, she certainly knew how to race a car.
"We'll make a racer out of you yet," Matt encouraged, ruffling her hair affectionately from her position on the floor by his and Dan's feet; she beamed up at him while Harry made a disgruntled noise at the back of his throat. No one commented that the racer he meant was an illegal one. Taking a break from winning, Scarlett joined me in the kitchen with the shy request of helping me which I happily accepted and taught her how to use the electric whisk for the cake batter, standing behind her as she held it with both hands, determined not to make a mess. Two joints of pork roasted in the oven, each sitting in a metal tray of carrots, potatoes and parsnips while a pot of potatoes boiled for the mash I was going to make, and I'd had two cakes requested so instead of choosing, I decided to make both. Slamming the oven door closed, Scarlett grinned at me behind the flour that covered her face and I laughed at the mess she'd made of herself just as I heard the doorbell go, instantly quietening the commotion in the living room.
"Don't look at me; I haven't invited anyone else around." I held my hands up in mocking surrender as Brooke answered the door, my eyes watching her from the kitchen where I could only see her from the side and I frowned when I saw her frown, spine straightening at whoever it was on the doorstep.
"Nathan." Her voice was sharp, filled with warning as she turned from the door and met my eyes; they instantly filled with fear and when I saw who she'd let in, my own eyes widened in panic: five police officers trailed behind Brooke, the last one being considerate enough to close the front door and the one at the front was no doubt the one in charge despite being the smaller of the five. His ash coloured eyes were dangerously sharp, instantly locking onto the nineteen-year-old boy slowly standing to his feet with the familiar expressionless mask I admittedly hadn't seen in a while although I was almost glad it was present now. There was no hair on the officer's head, no facial hair on his chin or jawline but he was broad in the shoulders and a little wide on the belly but that didn't lessen the brooding feeling he caused me as I slowly moved Scarlett behind me.
"Officer Clayton, I would say it's a pleasure to see you, but I wouldn't want to lie," Nathan greeted tensely, and it didn't surprise me they knew each other but Clayton didn't make any acknowledgement of Nathan's words.
"Where are Calvin and Shane Bennett?" My muscles froze as my brothers slowly stood to their feet but nonetheless looked confident as Officer Clayton narrowed his eyes on them for a moment before flicking his wrist. "Get them." He ordered, and the four men moved forward, each grabbing Nathan, Dan and my brothers while protest lifted at their actions. "Nathaniel McCoy, Daniel Jones, Calvin and Shane Bennett, you are under arrest for suspected kidnapping."
"Kidnapping? Who the hell told you that bullshit?" Dan squawked, jerking his shoulders as the man gripped them tightly after putting on his handcuffs; my heart was beginning to thud very loudly in my ears and Scarlett gripped my wrist tightly.
"The kidnapping of Iris Bennett." What?
"Iris?" Brooke echoed with somewhat disbelief.
"You know her?" Clayton asked in a tone suggesting he didn't believe she did.
"She happens to be standing in my kitchen, so yes, I know her, Clayton." An exaggerated hand waved at me from within the kitchen and my head tilted higher when all eyes turned to me; the officers froze in shock as they quite clearly didn't know what was happening.
"You're Iris Bennett?" He took a step towards me and when Scarlett whimpered, I took one backwards just to keep my distance and so she wouldn't be as scared.
"Some detective you are, Clayton. You don't even know what Iris looks like, yet you're supposed to be looking for her." Dark amusement coated Nathan's words and I shuddered at the reminder that he was indeed next in line for Dark Hunters; he was bristling at someone being on his turf unpermitted. Clayton didn't remove his eyes from me as he visibly scanned me over- was he looking for injuries? Signs of a struggle? Whatever he was doing, I didn't like it and Scarlett's scared shuffling only made him irritating rather than intimidating.
"Why don't you go upstairs and clean yourself up, Scarlett?" I encouraged, looking down at her and while she seemed terrified, she didn't argue as she nodded her head slowly but couldn't seem to bring herself to move towards Officer Clayton.
"Who is she?" He requested rudely, and my muscles twitched.
"My sister- she's staying for the holiday," answered Harry with gritted teeth and Scarlett's nails dug into my skin when Clayton eyeballed her in the same way he'd done to me.
"Officer Clayton, whatever is happening with the boys and me has nothing to do with Scarlett so can you please stop glaring at her and let her get changed in her room?" My tone sharpened at the end, earning a blink of surprise from the officer before he nodded and moved to let her pass and as her footsteps sounded over my head, he turned back to me.
"Bring him in; he'll want to see she's alright." In his hand was a walkie-talkie type of thing and I suddenly dreaded who he could possibly be bringing in from outside; please don't be either of them.
"Bring who in?" Cal requested, wriggling when the officer heaved him back for quiet, but he didn't oblige. "Who are you bringing in?"
"Your uncle, Tobias. He reported her missing and claims he saw you four..." His voice faded out gradually as my ears only seemed to pick up my own heart beat; it gradually became hard to breathe and my hand moved to grab the counter for balance when my knees threatened to drop me.
"He's here?" My voice didn't sound like my own but whatever answer he gave, I didn't hear it as black spots began to cloud my vision and I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. "He can't...he's going to...he knows I'm here."
"Miss Bennett?" I saw blurrily as Clayton approached me, but I moved purely out of instinct: I ducked quickly, my knees dropping at the sudden movement while my arms crossed over the front of my face and I crumbled to the ground in a heap of panicked breaths.
Tobias had found me.
He was going to kill my brothers.
Derek was going to-
They were-
I couldn't catch my breath anymore and I knew I was about to faint as I heard arguing, yelled voices and thundering footsteps as my ears tingled slightly and my tears soaked my clothing and hands as my thoughts scattered like scurrying mice and I knew I was shaking violently, yelping when solid hands held either side of my face, but I couldn't hear or see them. Warmth fanned over my face, hitting my collar bones and cheeks but it didn't register in my mind that I wasn't getting hit, I wasn't being yanked from my attack; I was being eased out of it. The heat wrapped around me like a blanket, something stroked over my cheek bone and a strong, steady heartbeat seemed louder than my own as it broke through the haze clouded around me. It took a while but soon my breathing matched theirs, my heart no longer raced, and the adrenaline had eased slightly as I slumped heavily onto the ground except something wouldn't let me fall. Arms encased around me, a chin rested on my head and a hand cupped my jaw carefully while a thumb brushed away the spilling tears as my head lay on their shoulder; Shane pecked my head affectionately when I sighed.
"Atta girl." He praised, shifting slightly so he was no longer kneeling on one knee but rather sitting with one leg bent up to his chest while I sat leaning heavily on his chest, eyes closed and facing towards him, so my face was hidden from anyone else around us.
"Please don't let him take me, Shane. I can't-" Sobs broke my sentence and Shane shushed me softly, muscles tight with anger yet his hold careful as he held me to him; his fingers moved up to hold the back of my head, effectively mashing my face into his shirt but I didn't care.
"I won't let him, I promise. He's not getting near you again." Eventually I calmed down enough to pull away from him and while he looked genuinely concerned, there was no denying the raw fury in his eyes as he pulled up to his feet and offered to help me to mine. No one had moved from their previous positions as Shane was allowed to stay beside me; he was the only thing keeping me standing right now and Officer Clayton seemed to realise that. "Where is he?"
"Outside the house with two of my officers."
"Send him away and we'll do everything you want but he's not to be anywhere near Iris," Shane demanded strongly as I shivered; he was still here; he could still get to me right now and all he had to do was get through the front door. Clayton ordered for them to leave but my eyes were gazing rather dazed at the ground by the table, my thoughts slowly ordering themselves once more, but my emotions were still haywire with only panic and fear being prominent. "Tulip?"
"He's not gone yet," I stammered, not convinced he was gone just through the cracking of Clayton's walkie-talkie; I needed to know he was gone and I saw Matt lift to his feet through my peripheral vision to look through the living room window. Everyone watched his back as he remained there, eyes glued onto something in the drive until his shoulders relaxed and he turned to look at me; I saw it in his eyes that Tobias was gone.
"Alright, Miss Bennett. It seems I'm clearly missing a few things so why don't you lot fill me in on the gaps." His thick arms crossed over his large chest and I shivered at the intense stare he was giving me, but my eyes moved to where Nathan, Dan and Calvin were still standing with their arms locked behind their backs.
"I'll tell you, but I want them released- they've done nothing but save me."
"I sent your uncle away which is what you wanted, now tell what I want to know," Clayton spoke through gritted teeth and something told me he was not a patient person, so I shuddered again, shrinking against Shane's side slightly. Cursing under his breath, Clayton jerked his head to the three other men and Calvin moved quicker than I expected as I yelped when he picked me up into a hug; crushing the air from my already struggling lungs. Nathan rubbed his wrists begrudgingly as the officer restraining him stepped aside, actually avoiding looking him in the eye as the boy glared but said nothing; hazel flashed to meet my eyes but there was nothing in them. "Alright, Miss Bennett. Now you have everything you want now you'll answer all my questions." It wasn't a question, it was an instruction.
"Okay." He withdrew a chair from the end of the table and sat on it, bending over himself until he put all his weight on his elbows and looked directly at me.
"I'm guessing it'll be a waste of breath and effort to try and convince you to come to the station for a statement given your reaction to your uncle being in the same vicinity, so we'll do this here despite protocol." I nodded slowly and took my place opposite him by the table where he gestured, forcing myself not to look over my shoulder to the boys; I could already sense the bad blood between The Knuckle Crew and Officer Clayton. "Miss Bennett, your uncle filed a missing person report two weeks ago claiming that he witnessed you being dragged from your room and pushed into a car matching the description of the one outside this house. He also gave a description of those who took you, also matching your brothers, Nathaniel and Daniel- as you can see, evidence shows they kidnapped you."
"You're accusing my own brothers of kidnapping me?" I questioned lightly, tilting my head to the side; Tobias had clearly wound his way into the police department after they lost me again- a Bennett way of thinking. "Do I look kidnapped to you?"
"Well, considering their reputation with the department, it didn't strike us as out of their capacity despite it being the first kidnapping these boys have been accused of- there's been heavier accusations." I didn't miss the glare he sent over my shoulder, but I frowned at him, my brows scrunching together in feigned confusion; I knew what he was hinting at and I knew that if they were found to be gang members then they would all be going to prison. Impulsively, my hand moved to my throat out of habit but instead of the rings, I found the pendant but that only steeled my resolve; they risked their lives getting me out that house so now I had to return the favour to save them from their own tormentors.
"Officer Clayton, it sounds like your saying they're gang members." He looked back at me sharply, but I kept my expression neutral. "I've been living here for four months and not once have they given the impression of being part of a gang. Surely if I was kidnapped by a gang, I wouldn't be so free of bruises and allowed to wonder so freely as well as being given my own room, bathroom and allowed to come and go as I please?"
"You're clearly are only seeing what they want you to see, Miss Bennett. Evidence shows they kidnapped you," argued Clayton, clearly getting annoyed with me now but I didn't drop the innocent act; I needed him to believe I was being sincere in my lies. "Wait- did you say four months?"
"If they'd dragged me from my room, Officer Clayton, they would have had to be in the house and I can assure you, they didn't step foot in my room and I would have had to be unwilling to follow them and again, I can assure you I was very willing to leave with them." I stared right into his eyes as I spoke, keeping my face clear of any emotion. "Tobias is the gang member, not the boys. He's the one that kept me locked away, not the boys. He's the one that beat me every day, encouraging Derek to do that same so I could be the perfect gang wife."
"I don't-"
"I don't know what feud you have with the boys, but it seems that you only took this case because they were mentioned by your so-called eye-witness. They saved me from my own uncle when he threatened to kill me and have kept me safe since then but now, you've given a murderer, rapist and the entire cohort of Wolf Claw members the exact location I've been hiding from them."
No one said anything to my words for a second, their gazes burning into my back but I refused to turn around to them; my eyes remained solely locked onto Clayton's and he must have seen how serious I was being because now I was telling the truth. Snatching up his walkie-talkie, he tried contacting the two men with Tobias, but no one responded; it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened.
"Tobias won't make it to the station and neither will your officers- they'll be lying in a ditch somewhere with a bullet in their skulls." Emotionless and empty; that's how I sounded when I spoke, and it scared me just how different I sounded as Clayton looked to me with something other than exasperation. "Does that fill the gaps?" My whisper was left unanswered as Clayton stood up quickly, no doubt lifting a hand to run through his hair, but he didn't have any so instead seemed to stroke his bare scalp instead in distress.
"If he's part of Wolf Claw¸ why would he get the police involved?" My bottom lip got stuck between my teeth and I looked down in shame and hurt; he got the police involved because he knew if he came himself the boys would kill him after what Derek did to me.
"They've been looking for four months, Officer Clayton. They found me twice and lost me twice- once at work and once when I went out for lunch with Dan. They didn't know where I was hiding and didn't have the resources to do it, so they used you to get to me." I turned slowly to where he was now stood behind me and slowly lifted to my feet, but silence ensued as Clayton racked his brain for solutions.
"In that case, if what you've said is true, we need to ensure he doesn't get hold of you. The easiest way to do that for now is to relocate you and give you a false identity- it'll be harder to track that way." He wanted me to move away?! My eyes shot to Calvin in panic, but he was already shaking his head in argument.
"Iris isn't leaving; she's safer with us." He argued but Clayton sneered at him almost without meaning to and my distaste for the police officer only increased.
"And why is that? Because of the guns you carry?" Cal's jaw tensed, and I knew things were beginning to spiral out of control; I needed to do something quickly before they forced me to move away from the only place I would ever feel safe in.
"I don't want to leave without them," I interjected quietly, plastering on the act once more but Clayton either wasn't affected or didn't care how I might have felt.
"We can't relocate all of you and we don't have anywhere to put you into protective custody, so this is the only option." He countered pointedly, knowing I had nothing to argue back with.
"I have a house we can use- no one knows about it." It had seemed like the past half an hour had been just me and Clayton as everyone else were silent statues, watching our conversation in the background although I was glad I actually wasn't alone.
"Where is it?" Clayton asked cautiously, looking to the blue-haired boy still standing by the window against the wall but he suddenly looked as though he regretted speaking at all when all the attention went to him.
"About five hours in a secluded area, completely isolated from anywhere else and the closest town is about forty minutes away from it; I suppose it can be easily guarded- it's on a beach though." He supplied helpfully, and Clayton looked thoughtful for a moment, almost mentally weighing his options but I could tell he wasn't going to allow it; the tick in his neck gave it away.
"Why should we trust you after your history?" One of the other officers finally spoke out, his eyebrow lifted as he moved his eyes between them all boldly. I saw the scowl Nathan had, even if it only lasted a second and I knew he was mentally cursing at the fact they were so adamant about them being part of Dark Hunters.
"Wolf Claw knows about this house, they're accusing them of kidnapping me and you're prepared just to leave them in the crosshairs of the gang? You're really going to risk their lives over a spite you have with them?" My words hit a nerve; I could see it when they all looked to the ground with a grimace and I knew the punch had landed exactly where I'd hoped it would.
"Alright, Miss Bennett, you win. All of you will be relocated to Matthew's beach house but don't think this is some kind of a holiday. When does the girl go home?" It shocked me that Clayton knew his name, but I'd almost forgotten Scarlett was still here; she must have gone for a shower just to stay away for as long as possible.
"She goes back home in two days- on the 28th."
"Then that's when we'll leave to go to the house- I need the address to check it out first before making any permanent arrangements." Matt nodded in acceptance but nonetheless looked remorseful at the fact Clayton was going to his once-secret house. "And my officers and I will be staying until then so don't get any ideas about sneaking out during the night."
No one said anything to his remark but as I turned to the kitchen, I was suddenly glad to have bought two pork joints; there were a lot of mouths to feed. "Looks like there's going to be a few more than expected for dinner." Footsteps dropped down the stairs and I looked up to see Scarlett stepping through the doorway cautiously, eyeing up the officers in fear before looking to Harry for comfort; she got it when he beckoned her forward with a grin- no matter how forced it was. Tension filled the air as Clayton left his four companions in the living room with us, clearly feeling as uncomfortable as the boys were but I didn't have the energy to rid of it; I slid down the wall at the end of the counter until I could hold my head in my hands as my elbows rested on my knees.
They always ruin everything.
***
Clayton wasn't lying when he said they were all staying because after the initial shock of me preparing dinner for everyone had worn away, the shock of having five police officers patrolling hit us like a freight train and Nathan looked like a dog pacing a cage as he paced in the living room. There was one on the street by the driveway, two in the back garden and two out in the front but I was thankful none of them remained indoors because otherwise Nathan might have completely lost his composure which was scary to even contemplate. Watching him, I couldn't help feeling as though it was my fault he was feeling this way; I was the one that suggested we all get moved and now he had to worry about going out of town- we didn't know how long we would be kept away. He'd already called Sawyer and Johnny- the fact he had his number was a surprise, and he told them the situation and that they couldn't come to the house as they were planning to; explaining their residence in this house would be difficult especially with how suspicious Clayton already was.
Scarlett fell asleep with her head on my lap, my fingers idly playing with her long brown hair as she finally drifted into a blissful sleep and I smiled down at her affectionately when she sighed in content; wriggling around a little to get more comfortable on the sofa. Nathan, Harry and Dan were outside having their last cigarette of the night while Brooke and Shane were upstairs somewhere, and Cal was with Matt and Ace talking in one of their rooms about something gang related- I knew the basement was a concern. Harry smirked when he saw his sister sleeping soundly, picking her up delicately in his arms so as not to wake her and she moaned a little, tucking her head beneath his chin as he put one arm beneath her knees and another under her back. "Put it her my room; all of her things are already there." Nodding at me, I turned away as he carried her to my room and I sank deeper into the plush leather of the sofa; feeling a bone in my back crack when I arched it a little only to moan at the pleasure it gave me as Nathan dropped down heavily next to me, bringing the smell of cigarettes with him but I made no comment.
"Have you called Julius?" I queried, noticing his phone being slipped onto the coffee table as he leaned back and grabbed the remote instead to get rid of War Horse from the TV screen and Dan grimaced at my question when he eased down into the armchair.
"Not yet; I wanted to be able to sleep tonight rather than nursing an ear ache," replied Nathan and while he made a rare joke, I could hear the tension in his voice and I knew it was my fault he was like this. I winced at his words, the noise making him look down at me almost in concern; I was being selfish when I said I wanted the boys to come with me because I didn't consider how much hassle it would be for someone like Nathan to just leave. "If you say what I think you're about to say, I'll gag you."
"That would almost definitely prove that we kidnapped her," Dan pointed out playfully and I giggled, lifting my legs to drape them over the side of Nathan's so my feet dangled between his knees as his hand guided them there.
"They might think I've developed Stockholm Syndrome."
"Oh, but you have, China Doll." I didn't get the chance to have Dan elaborate on his breathy comment although I couldn't help feeling it had something to do with the pendant currently looped around my throat. I wasn't sure when it happened, but I fell asleep on the sofa after the others came down, squished between Cal and Nathan while they put on one of the Bond DVDs I got Dan for Christmas but part of me couldn't help feeling like this whole thing was an act, a pretence of how normal teenagers acted. I jostled slightly when I felt someone slip their arms beneath me, curling around my knees and shoulders until I was lifted from my warm patch on the sofa; groaning in complaint and I opened my eyes to slits only to find a strong neck supporting my forehead.
"Cal, you know I don't like being carried," I muttered under my breath, but my limbs refused to follow the simple commands my brain gave them.
"That's why I'm carrying you." Startled, I lifted my head up to find it wasn't Cal carrying me but rather Nathan and while I remembered him carrying me once before, the energy I had left was used up to lift my head, so I sighed and let it drop once more. Even in this state, I noticed the absence of going down stairs but rather the addition of another flight going up; my brows scrunched together even with my eyes still closed.
"This isn't the way to my room," I muttered, and Nathan chuckled, the vibrations shooting straight into my cheek and side.
"Nothing gets by you, does it?"
"You can thank my father."
"I have more than that to thank him for but perhaps it escaped your attention that your room is occupied." Nathan stopped walking, the hand by my back leaving for a second and gentle cold breeze flowed over me and I curled into Nathan a little more as he moved again.
"Right, Harry's brother is sleeping there."
"If Scarlett's now a boy then yes." He manoeuvred me slightly so that he could hold me with one arm while his other did something else and I mentally grumbled that I could stand but admitted to myself that I really didn't want to in the end; he seemed to manage well enough and I gasped when my bare arms found the cold touch of a bed.
"It's really cold," I complained under my breath as he withdrew his arms from around me and he chuckled as I cracked open my eyelid to see his outline in the natural light pouring from his open curtains.
"You'll warm up relatively quick; you're not as cold as last time." I watched him move to close the curtains, cutting off the only light source within the room but I could hear him moving still as I reached to flick on the lamp by my head.
"It'll warm up quicker with another body."
"That doesn't sound as innocent as you think, Goldilocks." My cheeks flamed at his words and the realisation of how my words actually sounded but I was too tired to even try and get myself out of it; his mattress wasn't as soft as mine, but I adjusted easily as I curled up ever so slightly. Nathan shuffled around a little, probably getting ready for bed and I was almost asleep again when he woke me up gently with a hand to the head and whispering my name; "Wear this, you'll warm up quicker." Without argument, I groggily sat up and pulled whatever he was handing to me over my head- it was the shirt he'd been wearing all day and almost instantly, the traces of his body heat soaked into the bare skin it touched and I sighed with content. Nathan settled himself down behind me, making my back tingle when he leaned around me to whisper in my ear: "You're still wearing your socks."
"Trust me, I feel like I've got frost bite there, so you should be grateful I'm putting a barrier between them and you." I wasn't sure if my sentences were making sense anymore, but his chuckle travelled through my spine when I settled back against him.
"You know, after tonight, I might not let you sleep downstairs anymore- not when Clayton's here."
"Well, if this pendant means what I think it does then sleeping together isn't exactly out of the question."
"Does this mean you accept?"
"I wouldn't have put it on if I didn't- the promotion's great so far." I leaned back a little more and felt his hand slip around my waist, splaying across my flat stomach to hold me there a little.
"I thought you said you weren't into cuddling." He pointed out and I chuckled.
"I thought the same about you, yet you got in the bed."
"Trickster." He accused before reaching over me and turning off the lamp, suspending us both into darkness but I didn't feel cold for the rest of the night.