Welcome to the Family

22

"I don't know any of these people," I said, shaking my head. "Who are they?"

Jaime and I had been sitting on the ripped leather couch downstairs for at least half an hour, flicking through dozens of photographs.

My brother raked a hand through his curly hair, and I studied him. Dark circles under his eyes and growing whiskers told me he probably hadn't been sleeping well. He placed the tablet on the coffee table, leaning back into the cushions. "I don't know. Anyone that might be working with dad, most of them from New York or Chicago. I had someone watch the the bus terminals and border crossings, anyone who flew or crossed the state line into California, specifically Los Angeles."

"Isn't that a bit...extreme?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Extreme is my thing," my brothers said, shrugging. I laughed, reaching for the tablet again. "Have you noticed anyone following you?"

"No, I think they'll wait a bit before sending someone else."

"But you do think someone else will come?"

"They're angry -"

"Angry is not how I would describe them," Jaime muttered. "Eden is angry when I tell her I've forgotten to pick up her dry cleaning. Ash is angry if the Lakers lose a game. They don't try to kill people."

"Alright, alright," I mumbled. "Dad and Giovanni are enraged and furious. Better?"

He flinched at my words and peered closer at my phone screen. "Are you seriously playing Candy Crush right now?" He took a deep breath as I continued to jab away at the screen.

"Hey-" I snapped when the tablet was snatched from my grip. He stared down at me as footsteps clambered down the stairs, Cameron joining us. He wore a plain black shirt and swimming shorts, his smile fading when he felt the tension between Jaime and me.

"Do I want to ask what you two are arguing about?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Jaime stood, walked over to the desk and flopped down in the computer chair. "Hello? Don't ignore me."

"I don't know what is wrong with him," I mumbled.

"I'm not upset, just stressed, okay?" Jaime said, trying on the keyboard. What exactly did you do, Maisie, to make them come after you like this? No bullshit, tell it to us straight."

I stood, pacing the room, aware of my brother's burning stares. Cameron stepped closer, searching my face. "You only fought in the fights, right? That's not enough to have Giovanni come after you, wanting to spill blood."

"You're not telling us all of it," Jaime said, crossing his arms. "You're hiding something."

Cameron crouched down in front of me. "Maisie, if you're not telling us something, it could do more harm than good."

"They forced me to train some of the other fighters, Calliope and Autumn."

I hesitated but crumbled under their stares.

"I stole $150,000 and burned another $60,000 worth of their cocaine. I used that money to help get IDs and passports for both Calliope and Autumn," I admitted, watching their expressions change from annoyance to dread. I didn't explain who or how I got the IDs and passports. That was another story for another time.

Cameron stretched his arms over his head, cursing under his breath. "You burnt $60,000 worth of drugs?"

"I burned it the night I ran with the girls," I explained, taking a deep breath with a half-shrug. "We stayed in the same warehouse as their precious drugs, I needed a distraction. While everyone raced around trying to save the fucking cocaine and put out the fire, the girls and I ran away. I used the money I stole and put them on a bus, with contacts waiting for them on the other end."