𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 - kiara carrera¹

𝒙𝒙𝒙𝒊. 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN, 'DAD'S GOT A KILL ORDER OUT ON YOU'?"

Not once in her sixteen years of life had Tatum ever seen her twin brother so distraught. He seriously looked like he was hanging on by one thread. "He found out I was gay," he said, choking on a sob. Tatum's eyes widened. "He shot Ian."

The girl looked at her brother, her face softned, and she pulled him into a warm hug. She knew the only stable thing that had ever been in his life was his three year relationship with that boy. He managed to keep it a secret for so long. But now it was ruined. They were so in love...Thomas was destroyed.

"Leroy's been chasing me with a gun for three hours," he cried into her shoulder, his voice croaky. She shook his head. "He's going to kill me, like he killed Joe."

Tatum squeezed her twin brother tighter. "He's not going to lay a hand on you," she assured him softly, but she wasn't so sure if she believed the words coming out of her mouth. The only was to escape Leroy was to run to Alaska, but even then, he'd probably find a way to catch you with a baseball bat.

"I have nothing left," Thomas sobbed quietly. "I have nothing without Ian."

A single tear rolled out Tatum's cheek. She didn't know why she was crying. Maybe the realisation had finally hit her - so long as she was her father's daughter, neither she nor anybody she loved would ever be safe. Or maybe it was because she was watching one of the strongest people she had ever met break in her arms. Either way, both the twins came to the same ending - they needed each other. After all the years of stabbing and shooting, they finally figured out that the best way to get through it all, was together. They didn't need their dad's praise anymore. They didn't want to be his favourite. They just wanted to escape the lives he'd built for them. And the only way to do that was together. They'd already lost Joseph, they couldn't lose each other.

"We're gonna get gold," she told him confidently, pulling away and looking him in the eye. He was so damaged; they both were. "We're gonna get so much of it, Thomas. And we're going to run away, and never look back, okay? And one day, when we're older and have our own families, we're gonna come home and kill Dad and Leroy, once and for all."

He nodded. He had no idea what she was talking about, but he nodded. He was desperate. He needed the hope. Hope was the only thing that could keep him alive anymore. It used to be Ian, but now it was the need to have his family murded. Except Tatum. Never Tatum. He would protect his twin sister, always.

"It's okay, everybody! Do not panic! Leave it to the men and women in uniform." The sound of JJ being pushed around by a security guard distracted the damaged pair. Tatum furrowed her brows. Thomas crossed his arms.

"To get the gold, does that mean I have to hang around these jokers?" he asked, clearly referring to the group of friends he couldn't stand.

Tatum smiled. "John B's the boss, Pope's the brains, JJ's the loyalty, Kie's the mom, and me and you can be their sharpshooters," she said.

"Like Jesper Fahey?"

She nudged him in the shoulder playfully. "I didn't know you could read."

Her face turned into anger as she watched JJ get pushed around for nothing. They were treating him like shit just because they could. Thomas pulled back his sister before she went for the security guard. Everyone was murmuring and talking shit about JJ - she was outraged.

The blonde boy was unfazed, and a little tipsy. He clapped his hands together. "Let's hear it for them. Rose!" He pointed at the blonde step-mama Cameron. "You look like Lady Liberty. It's good to see you again." The security guard grabbed him tighter as he pointed to a man's drink. "Hey, can I have one of those?"

"Let go off him!"

For the first time that night, Tatum looked at Kiara Carrera. She was exactly as she expected - breathtakingly beautiful and unbelievably gorgeous. Their eyes locked, and Kie gave her a little wave and a relieved smile. She'd been searching for Tatum all day - her parents went mad at her for taking the blame for her crime. But she didn't care. Tatum was safe and free, and that was all that mattered.

Tatum nodded to her in encouragement to go on. She was proud. She loved how fearless the girl was, and how she didn't hesitate before speaking her mind. That was what made Tate fall in love with her in the first place - she was the only person in the world brave enough to tell her when she was in the wrong. And Tatum would continue to do anything to make her happy. She missed those days. Before everything went fucked. But they could get through it - all of them could (JJ, Pope, John B, Kie, Tatum, even Thomas) - and go back to those times, but it'd be even better, because they'd be rich and finally happy. Tatum was confident that they would get the gold. She had to be.

"You can't just boot him!" Kie shouted at the guard, turning back to the crowd with anger and fierceness. Tatum gave her all the confidence she needed to finally stand up to these people. She ignored her parents when they tried stopping her, and ignored everyone else as they tried interrupting. They shat on her friends because they were poor - they did it all the time - but now, she was finally putting her foot down. "I invited him here!" she went on.

"Kiara."

"Come on, stop it."

She ignored them again.

Tatum grinned. It was her girn. Back again.

Kie pointed at herself. "I'm a member of this club!"

Tatum looked beside her, but Thomas was gone. There was a crash. Ahead of them, with JJ and the security guard, her twin brother flipped over a table and threw the man off it, setting his sister's friend free.

"Thanks, dude," said the blonde boy, standing up straight. He pointed at the two not-so-straight girls. "Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixen's, Tiara!"

They shared a look of confusion at the name but ran towards him and Thomas anyway.

"Pope, you aswell, all right?" he added, turning around to point at the boy. He looked beside him at Thomas, who he never in a million years would've expected to be speaking to on a civil note. "Rixen's Cove. Let's roll. All right, girls, come on! Workers of the world unite! Throw off your chains!"

Tatum and Kiara shared a look of astonishment. They choked on laughter and began to get closer to the boys. Kie's arm was grabbed, pulling her back. The girls turned to face her parents, who instantly glared at Tatum, silently reminding her of their deal.

"You can't hang around these kids," her dad told her.

"I'm sorry -"

Tatum rolled her eyes and ran away, pulling Kiara along with her.

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry!"

"We're calling the lawyers off! Have a nice life behind bars!"

Tatum turned around and began running backwards so she could stick her middle fingers up at Kiara's snobby parents. Then, she proceeded to disrespectfully flick her tongue between two of her fingers, reffering to her giving their daughter oral - which she had never done before, but it was funny to scare her mom and dad.

The group of teenagers ran away from the field. John B and Pope joined them. Everything was a mess, but excitement and thrill spread through the air for the six of them. They all whooped and cheered.

Then it happened. Tatum felt the adrenaline again. She giggled. She really giggled. John B clapped his hands, Pope laughed, JJ picked her up and spun her around, Thomas furrowed his eyebrows because he had no idea what the big deal was, and Kiara smiled. And that made all the difference. They missed that bubbly sound that came out of Tate's mouth. They really fucking missed it. They officially had her back. Their girl.

But once the giggles started, Tatum soon found out that they refused to stop. All the laughs that had been pushed away for too long burst out of her lungs and she loved it.

They continued running. Spirits were high. Kiara and Tatum's hands connected.