Who Are You

1

CHAPTER ONE:
Leather Jacket and Pretty Blue Eyes

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"We can't just leave and knock on Dad's doors as if welcoming the family who left him is the most normal thing to do after being literally abandoned," Lauren argued as she followed her mother to her room, hastily opening her wardrobe and putting everything she could in her suitcase.

"We did not abandon him," Clara said, not meeting Lauren's pleading eyes. "He's with your brother, Chris, remember?"

"It was his choice to stay."

Clara paused to look at Lauren before heading to the adjacent bathroom to take the necessary items she needed there. However, Lauren wasn't done speaking yet and she could've possibly said the worst thing she could say to her own mother just above her breath, which didn't keep her from hearing it.

"It could've been our choice too," Lauren muttered just as Taylor, Lauren's younger sister, arrived.

"So you're saying that you should've stayed with your father instead of going with me?" Clara's tone was different now, and seeing the youngest Jauregui in the same room didn't stop her rage.

"No, Mom," Lauren quickly interrupted, her voice starting to tremble as she felt where this was going. "What I'm trying to say is that all of us didn't have to leave Dad in Iowa and we could've had the family that we should've been."

"He didn't want getting involved in the business I was starting to build, the business that would provide us of what we need, and that's his choice."

"Isn't it ironic that we're coming back to him now?" Taylor asked out of curiosity, causing Clara to roll her eyes at her. "What? Isn't that what we're doing?"

"The only reason that we're living with them again is because we need your father's protection," Clara explained, her voice dropping. "He's working as a sheriff now in Arlington and he'd be in great use."

Lauren crossed her arms, watching as Taylor sat beside the suitcase on the bed. "And he's okay with that? That we're using him?"

"I talked to him about this and yes, he's okay with us living with them again so, unless you want to miss our flight, go and hurry packing up."

Without further discussion, Lauren turned to look at her sister and cocked her head to the door's direction. Once they were in their shared bedroom, the green-eyed girl couldn't bite her tongue.

"That wasn't what I said, was it?" She narrowed her eyes Taylor suspiciously. "I asked her if Dad was okay of us using him and she said that they talked to each other and according to Dad, it was okay for us to live with him again . . . but about literally using him as our shield?"

Taylor pulled her suitcase open and looked uninterestedly at Lauren. "You got your answer. He doesn't know why we're back."

None of them was aware that that was only the starting line to the chaos. They had to leave because of the death threats Clara had been receiving after a war has erupted within the walls of the business industry and she wouldn't have been worried, seeing as it was a part of the business, but her daughters got involved and putting them in danger because of her wasn't something she'd forgive herself for. In Michael Jauregui's defense, the only reason why he didn't want to support this business Clara was having was because things could get messy at some point—which it already had—and he didn't want to be forced to go against people for power and wealth. If he was about to put up a fight, it better be for good so he chose to work as a sheriff in Arlington.

Arlington wasn't such a bad place—far from what Lauren was expecting anyway. She grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, where businesses is best made, and living in the place gave her a perception that everything outside of it would be nothing like home. It was true, but Lauren was only looking forward to the negative things that could happen.