Cassie stood quietly observing the man while he runs his fingers through his brunette hair that was tossed due to him having done the act over and over countless times. He was frustrated and sick of it all quite like she and her family did, maybe even more. She sympathized with him for having the entire world on his shoulders the way Raye did when she held his position but she also hated them both.
They were the ones to be blamed for her brother's death and her sister's abduction. Most people would call her unreasonable for her contempt but she didn't have a fuck to give any more. Cassie was done playing nice and pretending like everything was perfect having the most dangerous people she ever met closer than arm's length. She was entirely terrified at this point.
Luca faces her eventually, scratching his chin while his other hand opened wide in sort of questioning gesture.
"I was hoping, that if there was anyone beside Brienna who could talk Raye out of anything impulsive it might be you. I tried but she refused to heed to my words,"
"If she has her mind made up there isn't much that I could do," Cassie responds, not even up to arguing or in the position to be persuaded.
"No, no you don't understand. It's suicide what she intends to do. She's walking headfirst into some fucked up things and I cannot let her, and neither can you. She is not only going to risk her life but your sister's as well. The Irish don't play fair, no one plays fair, Cassie."
"And what am I supposed to do?" The girl's voice was laced with exhaustion, almost hoarse. She'd cried every single day for the last four days and she felt like the fountain of tears in her body had dried up. Now it showed, it was visible that she was defeated, listless.
"You want me to chase her down and force her not to do it? She wouldn't listen to me either. The only person who has that power over her is Brie but she isn't here so. I'm sorry."
"Fucking hell!" Cassie heard the man as he whispered, and she felt a pang of guilt in her chest for not being entirely helpful towards him. She wasn't going to lie but she probably had the capability to speak Raye out of taking the money to Quinn but she was afraid. She didn't think she had the strength to get deep and philosophical with her sister in law.
Of course, she knew the girl on a personal level but sometimes she still felt fear in her heart. No matter how good they tried to paint it over, especially her sister, Raye was a criminal and still probably held those tendencies and it scared Cassie knowing that the girl could be impulsive. But she was indebted to her much to her dismay. She basically saved her some weeks ago from having a similar fate her sister faced. Trying to talk her out of something irrational was the least she could do.
"Fine. I'll talk to her, just take me to their apartment." Were her words after a moment's reflection.
"She's not there. She refused to go home, she's at the apartment where your brother was staying. She's probably there with Charlie."
"Okay."
The girl had slipped away to the room in her parent's house that was hers during highschool to put on a sweater because it was still a little chilly out. It was now the beginning of spring and she could've sworn her time would've been spent gradually planning a wedding with her family but the universe had other plans. They were now planning her brother's funeral and how to get her sister back without losing another valued life among them and what a shit show all of it was.
. . .
The car ride to the apartment complex was silent. Cassie was lost in a reverie where she felt grief and anger mixing like two deadly elements. She was so tied up in her mind that she didn't even realize when the car had stopped and Luca was gazing at her. He was empathetic and it showed. The girl wondered if he was always like that or just because she was basically family now.
