Welcome to the Family

42

TW: mentions of death, violence, and flashbacks that reference violence.

***

"Take my hand."

Whipping my head up, I felt my heart flip flop in relief. Noel peered down from one of the shipping containers. He held his hand out and flames reflected in his blue eyes.

"Take my fucking hand, Maisie!" He yelled and I reached up, tears streaming down my cheeks.

His fingers gripped my wrists , pulling me up the wall and into the window ledge. I leaned into his chest, coughing. He didn't let go of my hand and refused to let me rest.

He jumped down, off the window, and I hesitated. Jaime and Noel were at the bottom. "Jump, Maisie."

When we made it to the ground, I fell into his side, exhausted. "Thank you," I said, coughing. Smoke swirled around us, flames flicking out the window we just climbed out. Jaime appeared at my side, taking my arm and ushered me forward.

Arms grabbed ahold of me, Cameron's worried eyes searching for any injuries. "Don't ever fucking scare me like that again. You likely have smoke inhalation. Ashton go get an oxygen mask for Maisie and Noel."

I batted his hands away, on the verge of coughing up a lung. "I'm good, I'm good. Where's Evie, is she okay?"

Cameron caught my wrist, narrowing his eyes in warning. His fingers moved over my pulse, checking it, while Jaime checked me over for wounds.

"We've got to go, fire department will be here soon," Eden called and my twin brought Cameron a black bag. "Chance will stay behind, sort everything out. He's the one that called it in, anyway."

"Evie is with Isobel, Milo, and Sebastian. She's pretty ... beaten and yeah," Ashton said, taking long strides to keep up with Cameron and I as our older brother ushered us up to the black van and inside.

"Why couldn't you get out?" Ashton asked as Cameron ushered Noel and I into the seats. "There was time."

"Cameron," I hissed, pushing his hands away, but coughed. "Calm down. I'm okay-" my attempts to reassure him was cut off my a coughing fit.

"Do not tell me to calm down," Cameron hissed, shoving a mask over my nose and mouth. "Keep it on, Maisie." Denver and Eden slid into the front, pulling away from the warehouse.

We were speeding, way over the speed limit.

I took the mask off again. "Slow down, I'm going to be sick."

"Keep that on," he said quietly. He wrapped his fingers around my wrist and put the mask back over my mouth and nose himself, firmly holding it in place.

I glared at him, but he just smirked. He leaned in, his breath hot on my neck. "I just saved your life, y'know," he whispered, eyes dancing with amusement. Dark red caught my eye when he shifted, his left hand bleeding profusely.

With my other hand, I ripped off the mask much to his annoyance.  "Noel, your hand," Blood seeped down his palm, trickling down over his fingers. He glanced down, shrugging.

"It's a small cut, no big deal," he said,

"Cameron-"

"Maisie, don't," Noel muttered.

"Noel cut his hand a piece of glass. Can you look?" Cameron's eyes shifted to Noel, easing his hold on me.

"Maisie, keep this mask on. Please." His eyes held a sternness that dared me to challenge him. He grabbed ahold of the handle above me, maneuvering to sit on the other side of Noel. "Jesus, why didn't you say something?"