There were police cars surrounding Amina's house. They lined up the driveway, and trailed down the street.
The flashing lights lit up the dark, and I noticed her neighbors coming out to stand on their porches and watch what was happening. There was also an ambulance, and officers were running in and out of the house.
Elijah's car pulled to a stop on the street, and Kaiden was the first to get out. He slammed the door shut behind him, and didn't wait for us before he was walking up to the house.
Elijah's gaze trailed after Kaiden as he came to a stop in front of the police officers. Even from here, I could hear the arguing starting when they wouldn't let him through.
Elijah ran a rough hand through his hair, and I shut the back door closed behind me. My throat had closed up, and I didn't think I would be able to get a word out.
Elijah looked over his shoulder at me, and he must have noticed how I was trembling as I watched the scene in front of us, because he reached out and grabbed one of my hands.
Caleb and Ethan hadn't been home, so they weren't coming. I wasn't sure if they even knew what happened.
"You sure you wanna go in?" Elijah asked, his eyes scanning my face with concern. I looked up at him.
My gaze trailed back to the front of the house where they'd finally let Kaiden inside. He disappeared inside of the house to wherever Amina was.
Radio chatter snapped me out of my silent trance, and I took a deep breath. Elijah squeezed my hand in comfort, still waiting for me to respond.
"She doesn't have anyone else," I said quietly. "We have to be here."
I felt him studying me for a few more seconds before we began walking.
I followed Elijah as we walked up the driveway, swiftly walking around the police cars parked there. None of the officers stopped us, and I noticed how every time someone met Elijah's gaze, they'd look away immediately. Some even looked nervous, but I wasn't sure if I was projecting my feelings onto everyone else or if I knew what I was seeing.
Elijah led me inside the house and I swallowed hard at the sight. Everything was chaotic, and we made our way around the officers inside to the living room where we found Amina and Kaiden.
The news had shaken me.
It had been close to nine in the evening when I saw it on the TV, and I had to switch channels to make sure it was true. The other local news stations covered the same story. Kaiden and Elijah had been in the garage, and I didn't even have to go get them because Kaiden had come back inside the house while talking on the phone.
Amina had called him when she found out because she had no one else to call.
She had no one else left here besides us, even if her true connection to us had been my sister. She was still like family, and she had been for so long.
To say I was surprised at the sight of her would be an understatement. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't what I saw.
It was almost haunting to see. Amina was sitting on the couch, her hands folded in her lap. Her empty gaze was centered on a spot on the hardwood floor, and her face was blank, expressionless. She was so still, it was almost like she wasn't breathing. To a stranger, the only sign that would have proved something was wrong was how sunken in her face looked. She looked fragile and drained, as if one touch would unravel her.
Kaiden was sitting next to her, not touching her, but close. He was talking to an officer and he seemed irritated.
Elijah came to a stop next to the couch, and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer so I was tucked against his side. He didn't offer Amina any words or condolences, and instead, focused all his attention on what the cops were saying.
I watched Amina for a few moments, my heart in my throat, before letting my attention divert to what everyone was saying.
"Try harder then," Kaiden growled and I blinked in surprise. The female officer stared him down, her eyes hard.
"I assure you, we're doing everything possible to find out what happened. We can't tell you more than that unless Ms. Keller permits us to do so – " Kaiden cut her off.
"Look at her," he snapped, and everyone's attention turned to Amina. "She called us for a reason."
The lady briefly closed her eyes, and I was the only one who noticed the exasperation that crossed her features before it was gone. Elijah and I remained quiet.
I risked a glance at Elijah and almost did a double take when I saw how hard his eyes were as he studied the officer. He seemed to be thinking of something.
"Someone cut the fucking brakes on their car, and instead of looking where you should be, you're questioning her," Kaiden continued, his voice calm, but I knew there was silent rage behind his words.
"We have detectives on the – "
Kaiden interrupted her again with a bitter laugh and Amina remained immobile. The only sign that she was alive was her shallow breathing.
"Then what the fuck are you doing here?" He asked, raising his eyebrows tauntingly.
Before the officer could answer, Elijah intervened.
"Kaiden, that's enough," he began smoothly. "You heard her. It's an ongoing investigation, they have to be here."
Kaiden's eyes hardened as he snapped them towards Elijah. Elijah remained impassive as he stared him down, silently communicating something before he redirected his attention to the police officer.
"I'm sorry about my brother," Elijah told her, his tone gentle.
I didn't fail to notice how the lady seemed surprised at the calm smile he shot her, before she seemed to relax a bit.
"We're all sure you're doing everything possible to find out whoever was responsible," he continued quietly, and I found my throat closing up.
I couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but he sounded like – he sounded almost too calm.
It was unsettling and I tried backing a step away, but Elijah kept his hand tight around mine.
I realized that Kaiden was watching him too, his eyebrows furrowed as he studied our brother.
The officer straightened. "Yes, of course."
Elijah nodded, the smile falling away. "There you have it, Kai," he said to Kaiden without looking back at him. "They're doing everything they can."
Kaiden's jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything else.
After a few more words, the officers left the four of us by ourselves.
"Why the fuck are you so calm?" Kaiden growled at Elijah as soon as they were out of sight. I could distantly hear their chatter, meaning they were still in the house.
"Not being calm isn't getting you anywhere," Elijah replied unfazed.
Kaiden opened his mouth to speak again, but Amina put a hand on his arm. It was the first movement I'd seen from her since we got here.
"It's okay," she whispered, her voice hoarse. She slowly lifted her eyes up to meet Elijah's. I couldn't read what was written in them; they were blank. "Elijah's right. There's nothing – nothing we can do right now."
I wanted to reach out, to say something, but there was nothing I could say. No one had offered any condolences or sympathy, and she didn't look like she wanted any of that. The shock was still settling in, and I had a feeling that the rest of it would come later.
"Izzy," Amina startled me out of my thoughts. Everyone looked towards me. "Can I talk to you?"
My lips parted in disbelief as I stared back at her. She wanted to talk to me? Kaiden and Elijah were staring at her warily.
"Oh, um, sure," I replied hesitantly.
Amina stood up from the couch, and she began moving around me, probably assuming I'd follow.
I made to follow, but Elijah's hand tugged me back and I looked up at him in question.
"You can talk here," he said flatly, while his gaze bore into Amina's back.
I watched her shoulders straighten and she turned back around, her eyes hard as she glared at Elijah. I noticed how they were beginning to glisten, like she was holding back tears.
"I want to talk to her in private," she barely whispered back.
"That's not happening."
My forehead creased in confusion as I tried to meet his eye. Why was he making this such a big deal? Why couldn't I just go talk to her alone?
"Elijah, it's fine, it'll probably be quick – " his attention turned towards me with a silent warning clear and I scowled. I tried again to tug my hand out of his.
I caught Kaiden's eye and he was staring at Elijah with narrowed eyes. The tension in the room was palpable.
"Elijah," Kaiden began hesitantly. "Just let them talk. I don't see what the big deal is."
Elijah's fingers tightened around mine and I almost winced at the pressure he was using. I tried slipping my hand away, but he didn't let go or loosen his grip. Instead, he kept his focus on Amina.
"It's my decision," Elijah warned, his eyes hard. "Talk here or don't talk at all."
Amina kept her glare fixed on him for a few more seconds, before she gave in with a single nod.
"Fine." She swallowed hard, and she glanced between the three of us.
Kaiden stood up. "Do you want me to stay?"
She tried to smile at him, but she failed miserably. Under the light, she looked more exhausted than ever, but she hadn't cried once. "I'll be okay."
Kaiden didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, and took another step back. I was the only one who caught the slight sway in her step.
Kaiden briefly talked to a few other officers, and we were just about to head out when Amina's voice stopped us.
"Kaiden?" She called out. She looked hesitant to ask. Her eyes momentarily lingered on Elijah before she looked away. "Actually, can you – do you mind staying? I need to talk-" she cut herself off abruptly. "Just for tonight?"
I could tell Kaiden was about to agree, but Elijah interrupted.
"He's working tonight," Elijah said flatly.
Kaiden's head snapped around to Elijah. "What?"
Elijah met his gaze head on. "You're working tonight. There's something I need you to do."
"Can it wait?" Kaiden asked impatiently.
"No." Elijah's voice was firm. He glanced towards Amina. "I'm sure you'll be fine alone. This is your house now, after all."
Amina didn't say anything, and I didn't get a chance to say anything to her either because Elijah was already leading me out of the house. Kaiden said he'd follow in a moment.
I struggled to keep up with his pace as we headed to his car that was parked on the street. He seemed like he was in a rush, but I didn't know why.
"Get inside," he ordered, and I'd barely gotten into the back seat of the car before he slammed the door shut after me.
Surprisingly, he didn't get into the driver's seat. Instead, I watched through the tinted windows as he walked up to one of the police officers standing near the front of the house. Even from here, I could see the surprise cross their features as Elijah came up to them.
He seemed to be explaining something to them, and they were listening intently, which confused me.
Something just looked off. Anyone could see it if they were paying attention.
Usually, the officers would be the ones in control in a situation like this. But now...
It looked like they were being given orders.
That wouldn't make any sense because Elijah had nothing to do with the police, but it was all I could see at that moment.
I observed their posture, the way they listened to Elijah speak, the way they nodded every other moment, and the way he spoke. He seemed cool and collected, yet it looked like he was talking about something important. It seemed like he had some sort of authority over them.
I realized it almost looked like my brother was the one in control.
***
The rest of the week passed by in a blur.
There was no funeral for Amina's parents. Kaiden told us she didn't give him a reason as to why there wasn't going to be one, but she had decided and it was final.
I didn't see her after that night at her house, but Kaiden went to see her a lot. I occasionally overheard him talking to Elijah about how she was doing.
He said that one of her friends from college had moved in with her temporarily, so he could back off a bit since she wasn't all by herself anymore.
I had no idea what was happening with the investigation. I knew nothing else besides what I'd heard on the news the first night and at her house.
Someone would think that news related to a case like this would continue to be updated daily, but that was not the case.
The media had gone silent.
Her parents weren't brought up again, and I searched through every channel, every article, every website I could find.
It was like they were putting an end to the case. As if it was being forgotten. As if it never had happened.
I was sitting on the couch in the living room with a show playing when I heard the crash. It sounded like someone had been thrown against a wall.
I shot up out of my seat, and flew towards the kitchen where the noise came from.
I made it just in time to see Elijah's hand wrap around Kaiden's throat as he slammed him against the wall.
"Do I need to remind you of your place again?" Elijah said quietly, and Kaiden chuckled, not bothering to fight back.
"Elijah!" I launched forward and I wrapped my hands around his spare arm, trying to make him let go. My efforts were useless.
"Go ahead," Kaiden replied, his voice strained from the force Elijah was using around his throat. "You'll do whatever you want anyways."
Elijah slammed him against the wall again, this time, with more force and I began pulling harder. "Let him go!" I yelled, but it was like I wasn't even here. "Elijah!"
"You're lucky I even let you in this family anymore, Kaiden," Elijah continued calmly, a smile tugging at his lips. "Or are you forgetting what happened?"
Kaiden raised his eyebrows, his expression mocking and I wondered why he wasn't trying to fight back. I knew he could. I yanked on Elijah's wrist, but he ignored me.
"This family, huh? I'm your brother, am I not family?" Kaiden asked, but it didn't seem like a question.
"Elijah," I pressed, digging my nails in his skin, but it was like he couldn't feel anything. They didn't look at me once. "Stop!"
Elijah's eyes glinted with amusement, and I knew I wasn't going to like what he said next.
"Ever since Soph died, you haven't been much of a brother to anyone here though, have you, Kai?"
I barely heard the shocked gasp slip from my lips at his words, before everything happened faster than I could blink.
I screamed as Kaiden's fist flew into the side of Elijah's face, releasing him from his hold, and sending Elijah stumbling back a few steps. Kaiden's fist connected again with Elijah's jaw quicker than he could recover from the first and I flinched.
I held my breath because I thought Elijah would retaliate but all he did was chuckle. As if this wasn't worth his time.
I figured my scream was finally loud enough because I heard footsteps barreling towards us. Caleb and Ethan came into sight and jumped into action immediately.
"What the fuck!" Ethan yelled, pushing himself between them with his hands up to separate them. When Kaiden tried to move towards Elijah again, Ethan shoved him back against the wall.
Caleb moved in front of Elijah, keeping him back. His wild eyes shifted from each of them, and no one moved until everything was calm again.
"If I find out that you're responsible for what happened, I'm done," Kaiden said quietly.
Elijah remained impassive, his gaze drilling into Kaiden's. "You're done when I say you are."
Kaiden launched forward again, but Ethan moved before he could and pushed him back.
"You've gone too far," Kaiden said lowly, falling back another step, but his glare remained on Elijah.
I looked at Caleb and realized he looked just as confused as I did. But Ethan didn't, so I wondered if he knew what was going on, if he was let in.
Elijah was silent for moments, and his eyes were blank as he kept them locked with Kaiden's. I straightened at the rage surrounding his next words.
"Remember what you owe me, Kaiden," Elijah said quietly, "I took everything from you once, I can do it again."
I didn't fail to notice the way Ethan's face fell like he knew what he was talking about.
Elijah turned his attention to me. He took a few steps towards me and I startled as he cupped my face. I stared at him warily, but he didn't let go. "I love you," he murmured, and I didn't fail to notice the quick glance he gave Kaiden after he said the words.
It was almost like he was trying to prove something to him, but I didn't know what.
Before I could respond or react, he brushed a kiss against my forehead and walked off.
I looked back at Kaiden who was glaring at Elijah as he left the room, but he stopped when he realized I was watching him. The smile be shot me was supposed to be reassuring, but it didn't work.
Kaiden sighed, running a tattooed hand through his hair. He squeezed my shoulder once in comfort, before he disappeared out of the room too.
"What was that about?" Caleb beat me to the question as he frowned, glancing between us.
Ethan blinked as he realized we were still here. He'd been watching Elijah and Kaiden walk off, lost in thought.
"It was nothing," Ethan told us quietly, and he didn't waste a second either before he was leaving the room, leaving Caleb and I alone.
That was when I realized that Ethan knew something that the rest of us didn't because he couldn't look Kaiden in the eye for the rest of the night.
Now that I thought about, he never really could anyways.
***