[1] A War of Blood and Hearts | ✔️

CHAPTER ONE

CRYSTAL

"Are you sure?" Crystal asks Nicholas for the twentieth time. She just tricked her parents into flying from America
–where she had been hiding from them for the past four years- to Brazil –the place where she was born- then she ran away from them in the airport.
Knowing her parents, they will not succumb until they get what they want. Moreover, Nichols's house is the first stop they will make attempting to find her. After all, Crystal always goes crawling to her big brother whenever she is facing an ordeal; her childishness does not allow her to fight her own battles.
"Yes, Crystal, mother and father will not come to my house, not if they know what is good for them." Nicholas replies without looking up from the papers on his desk. Crystal looks around the huge office she is in before looking back at the 'busy' man before her.
She is not surprised by his reaction to that particular subject. His relationship with their parents is even worse than the one she shares with them. He loathes the ones who have brought him to life with passion. The fact that he is risking seeing them once again after almost eight years makes Crystal all more grateful to him.
Nicholas has been the one who looks out for her ever since he took their father place as the Brazilian Mafia leader. Of course, no one knows of Crystal's awareness of where her family gets their income. Furthermore, she watches the news; no matter how careful her brother is, she occasionally sees him on the news.
"Why don't you go and find Lucas and annoy him rather than sit across my desk watching me as if I am some statue in a museum?" This time he does look up, but only to deliver a fake smile. Crystal can feel the tense atmosphere from the conversation they just had. Thus, she has a desire to see her brother smile. She starts picking small subjects off his desk and throws it at him one by one.
"Mujer loca, what are you doing?"
"Me? Oh, I am just drawing a smile on your face."
"Are you puto blind? I am not smiling! If anything, I am getting angry!"
His words do nothing to vanquish Crystal's twisted joy as she keeps tossing different kinds of pens and pencils in his face. In immaturity, she finds her utter felicity.
"Can you please stop?" Nicholas puts his hands up in surrender.
"Nope" She throws a stapler without looking where it landed. The abrupt silence and the sense of having eyes glaring at her make her look up to face her brother.
"It hit you in the face, didn't it?" When her question is answered with a quite 'Aha' She bursts out laughing.
"You will never grow up, will you?"
"Nope" She simply replies before jumping off her chair, running over to Nicholas, jumping on him, thanking him for his help, kissing him on the cheek, and then heading out of the door intending to find Lucas.
Lucas has been best friends with both Crystal and Nicholas ever since they were in diapers. The trio went to kinder garden, primary school, middle school, and high school together. That is of course until the boys graduated leaving Crystal to face Carey Mitchell on her own for three years.
Crystal cringes at the thought of Carey who was the devil that haunted her dreams in her teen years. All these thoughts get pushed back once she sees Lucas in the kitchen cooking. She takes a moment while leaning on the doorframe to save the image of Lucas playing around with things he does not even know the names of in her mind.
"What are you cooking big momma?" Crystal smirks roguishly at her best friend. Seeing him brings warmth to her heart. They have not seen each other in almost a year, and Lucas is the only friend she has. Hence, she has been feeling lonely lately. Sure, they have video called each other, but it will never compare to seeing him in person.
"Huh! Very funny! You know I haven't missed you at all." He teases Crystal as he moves away from the counter to hug her.
"I missed you too, jerk." She pulls away and takes a quick glance at what is inside the many cookers.
"What the bloody hell are you making?" the disgust on her face is evident. She cannot decide whether Lucas is making green soup or puke. Either way, it looks, and smells disgusting.
"Hey! Do not make that face. This is a very famous Chinese soup. I cannot remember its name though." He makes a face trying to remember the piece of information.
"Well, maybe that is for the best. I mean, maybe that is a sign that you should throw this... thing away. Oh, God, who would even put this in their mouth?"
"What the fuck are you talking about? This is the best food anyone can ever make!" Lucas exclaims dramatically.
"Oh yeah?" a mischievous smirk finds its way into Crystal's lips. She pulls out a cup, fills it with the green stuff, and then tackles the brunet man into the ground.
"Crystal What the fuck!" he tries to push her away, and Crystal knowing that he will not find any difficulty in doing so she puts the cup aside on the floor and starts tackling the hell out of the poor man that is under her.
"Stop it!" She takes this time to study Lucas's face. He has light brown hair that is cut off on the sides and is long in the middle, peanut butter brown eyes, long eyelashes, full pink lips, and has small piercing on each ear. No, she does not like her best friend like that; she loves him like a brother. She also knows that she is like a sister to him. The idea of falling in love with Lucas is in the same category with falling in love with Nicholas.
"Get off me you ferret!" the assaulted man yells to no avail. Crystal exploits the chance and grabs the cup pouring its contents into Lucas's mouth. She laughs evilly as she empties the cup, gets off him, and makes a run for it. She; however, is stopped by a huge figure at the doorframe, also known as Nicholas.
Crystal is about to say something when both her and her brother hear a huge scream-ish. Thus, they snap their necks to the sink where Lucas is vomiting his guts out. Witnessing the scene that is before her, Crystal burst out laughing.
"What happened to him?" Nicholas tries his hardest not to chuckle but fails miserably as a small chuckle escapes his lip sat the end of his question. Crystal gives herself a mental pat on the shoulder; her sibling knows that this is her doing. She loves how he can distinguish her wickedness/ puerility.
"What? He did not tell you? Lucas how could you not tell the one who you consider your family about this?" She attempts to be as theatrical as she can.
"Qué diablos are you talking about?"
"Lucas is pregnant"
"What the fuck!" Both men yell at the same time.
"Nicholas, it is the truth Te lo juro, and Lucas honey, it is nothing to be ashamed of." Crystal fakes a concerned smile before running out of the house her laugh echoing through the air.