Chapter 17: XIII

Red Lion

Sex: Female

DOB: 08.15.03

POB: Russia

CO: Student

Strengths: Unknown

Weaknesses: Unknown

Other Information: CCTV footage secured

— RORI —

"Uvaldo?" i say, not bothering to look away from my phone screen.

"Hm?"

"Do you have some sort of title on your email?" i ask him, warily. "Like...like a name of some sort?"

It's currently Saturday morning and i am seated in the passenger side of Wyatt's Jeep, reading the email he sent me last night: it's contents a document he found in the basement of Aunt Tosca's cafe.

I have not seen many of my brothers in the past two days, including Zephaniah. I am surprisingly not bothered by this at all and enjoyed having less bodies in the house.

More so, less boys in the house.

I am amazed at the speed in which my mindset has changed, because, only a few hours after my chat with Quentin, i have forgotten about most of my woes.

"Because mine says Red Lion," i continue, "and i don't know what it means."

"Rori," he answers, further confusing me.

"Huh?"

"Your name, Rori, it means Red King. The lion is considered to be king, hence why it replaces the word," he replies, nonchalantly. "In other words, you are the lion in this situation. The king."

"But what is it used for? What's wrong with writing Rori?"

"It's kinda like a code name, i suppose. People tend to use those in the underworld. It sets you apart from everyone else, protects your identity. For example, the initials of your code name also substitute for your real name. R.L. Rori Łabanowski. Clever, huh?"

Rori. Red Lion. Rori Łabanowski.

Hmm.

"Wow..." i murmur, awe-struck. "Impressive."

Uvaldo laughs, exiting the car and making his way towards The Clubhouse. I follow behind, hot on his trail.

"You forgot the stupid box!" i holler, said box held in my arms.

"No, trust me, i didn't," he sings.

I angrily huff before attempting to catch up with him, but, as soon as i speed up, he bolts to the entrance, thus leaving me trailing behind once more.

"Uvaldo, you're injured!" i yell, not for the first time this week.

"Uvaldo, you're injured!" he mimics me in a girly, high-pitched tone of voice: one that sounds nothing like my own.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" i screech, only for him to mimic me once more.

I swear to God, this boy will act so tough, and big, and important around the adults and then, as soon as he is in a room with one of his younger siblings, he suddenly regresses to a toddler.

"Me? Difficult? Never." he theatrically places a hand against his heart, shaking his head in mock offence.

I use all of my might to shove him out of the way and then immediately pick up my pace once he pretends to pounce at me. Reaching the door handle, he grabs the box from my hands and pushes me to the side. I ungraciously stumble, holding onto the nearest wall in order to keep my footing.

"All you little siblings are so annoying, yet so easy to mess with." he flashes me a cheeky grin.

"I know, right?"

The sound of Xavi's voice causes his grin to vanish; a wide-eyed, fearful expression taking its place. I laugh at how his face completely drains itself of color, ignoring the dangerous glare he is currently sending my way.

"If i wasn't already so deep in trouble, i'd impale you with a stick, you good for nothing piece of shit, you...Rori?"

"You good?"

"And here i thought you were talking to the darling Teddy. Why on earth did you bring her with you?" Xavi asks Uvaldo, who nonchalantly shrugs, already back to being his amused self. "I was this close to being killed by our brother, you stronzo. This close." he holds up his index finger and thumb to measure. "You are seriously lucky that you brought back up with you this time because, i swear to God, the ice your walking on right now is really fucking thin. Be smart, Uvaldo," he snarls, less than impressed.

We stand as still as wax figures while watching our brother's formidable figure disappear into The Clubhouse. After a few more seconds of processing what just happened, i scoff and pin Uvaldo with a look of disbelief. His jaw ticks and he tilts his head a little, forcing a grim smile to appear on his face when his eyes meet mine.

"Cursing at you in English? Well, he can't be that pissed off," i mutter, causing Uvaldo to release a humourless laugh.

"Trust me, you have no idea."

We begin to walk through the corridors of The Clubhouse, presumably heading to meet Xavi in his office. It is very clear that i am not wanted here right now, but Uvaldo doesn't seem to mind one bit as he frantically ushers me to lead the way.

The poor kid must be fearing for his life right now, considering he's literally using my five-foot-six self as a human shield.

I mean, i would be scared too if i was in his position. Not that i know what is going on right now, but, for Xavi to have such an outburst like that, our brother must be in deep water.

Xavi's choice of words, although colorful, does not phase me in the slightest. Of course, if his anger was directed towards me, i would feel differently. But growing up, i got used to his snappy side and learned to take it like a slice of cake...

Well, i try my best to anyway but being sensitive means it is not always easy.

Another thing i had to accept is that Xavi does not appreciate affection very much and so he will rarely ever display his more down to earth persona. Most of the time, he remains hostile and assertive towards his younger siblings.

Usually, this is due to his overprotective personality, but, more often than not, it is our stupidity or failure to comply that gets on his nerves.

He obviously has his sweet moments (when he is in a good mood, that is) and, in that case, he and i get along very well, which may come as a surprise.

We actually do have a lot in common, and used to have a laugh together. However, with stress levels rising, our personalities frequently clash.

"And what is it you did this time, might i ask?" i continue, only half mocking him.

"He was tardy, which is odd considering this is the first time," Xavi interrupts from his desk, glaring at our brother. "I dunno." he shrugs, a small smirk creeping onto his lips. "It's like you purposely set me up or something."

I find it oddly satisfying to witness Uvaldo, my 'practically perfect' brother, being admonished for once. That is considering that he is the one to all but pull out the popcorn when i am commonly met with the wrath of our older brothers.

He is all too sneaky to get caught out most of the time, but, on the odd occasion that he does, i wouldn't miss it for the world.

Does that make me a bad sister?

Meh, i don't really care.

"Ria?" Xavi calls my name, an unreadable expression on his face as he continues his idle staring match with our brother.

"Yes?" i reply, carefully.

"Come on over here," he commands.

Unsure, i spare one last pitiful glance at Uvaldo before heading over to Xavi's desk, both sets of eyes following my every movement.

For some reason, a nervous and apprehensive feeling begins to blossom in the pit of my stomach...Well, second-hand nerves for my brother's sake.

Xavi generously produces one of his cool, leather, spinny chairs for me to sit on, leaving Uvaldo to stand before us, and observes me as i look around at the items on his desk.

It is not home to your everyday office necessities. For example, instead of there being a staple gun, the shelves underneath it handily occupy a space for his precious G-19.

As if sensing that i am going to make a grab for it, Xavi casually pockets the gun, not before clicking his tongue at me in disapproval.

"You may look at it from a distance, admire, but you do not touch. Understand?" he reminds me, for the first time in a while.

"Yes," i say, with a begrudging sigh.

"Just making sure. That's all." he offers me a knowing smile. "And now, i'm going to have you learn from your brother's mistakes," he decides. "I trust you will not make the same in future."

"How much time have you been spending with Zephaniah, exactly?" i ask, looking him up and down, a critical expression on my face. "Because he's most definitely rubbing off on you," i sass.

"Funny you should make that observation, Ria." he tilts his head to the side, nodding. "In fact, why don't we give him a quick call right now?" he glances at Uvaldo, a mean smirk on his face. "Let him know that the post man has delivered the mail."

As he dials our brother's number, i furrow my eyebrows at Uvaldo, feeling intrigued as to where this is going. I don't have much time to question it though, because the line rings only a couple of times before we are met with the coarse sound of Zephaniah's voice.

"Speak."

"I'm just calling to let you know that your package has finally arrived, curtesy of Uvaldo," Xavi answers.

There is a pause, and, because the phone is on loud-speaker, we are able to hear the beep of a car horn as well as Zephaniah yelling profanities at someone.

"In that case, i'll be with you in a moment," he states, though he still seems displeased.

"Good call," Xavi says. "I'll sing your praises to him." he then winks at Uvaldo.

"Don't bother. He's not dead yet," comes Zephaniah's loving response.

"Oh, but he will be. Real soon," Xavi mutters, after Zephaniah hangs up the phone.

"Please, Xavi," Uvaldo pleads, as soon as the call ends. "I'll do anything. Just don't blow this."

"Don't blow this?" Xavi repeats him, in sheer disbelief. "It seems that you already handled that yourself, Val. And you don't have to beg for forgiveness. It's too late for that. You'll get yours," he threatens.

"Sometimes it's best to just move on, Xavi," i defend my brother. "He knows he made a mistake but he fixed it...right?"

"No, Ria. He did not fix it. Not only was he late, but, when he did eventually show up, he brought with him the wrong amount." Xavi leans closer to me, his eyes narrowing. "Mistakes are paid for in this world, you know that, and now i'm gonna make sure he doesn't get off lightly."

The vengeful tone that he uses sends a cold chill down my spine, but as i glance at Uvaldo, a sorry look on my face, he doesn't seem phased in the slightest.

I wonder if Xavi always treats him this rottenly, or if it is just me who views it as that. But before i can dwell on it, our eldest brother unceremoniously bursts through the door, thus startling everyone on the other side of it.

"Package." he raises a hand in Uvaldo's direction. "As is in singular?"

"Unfortunately," Uvaldo answers, nervously shuffling his feet. "Look, i could only retrieve this one. I'm sorry."

Both Zephaniah and Xavi smirk at his evident discomfort, and i feel left out, as if i am missing the apparent joke.

"Hand it over," he orders, in his demanding, business tone. "And tell me, why on earth is there a petrified looking child behind your desk?" he finally acknowledges me, and i avert my gaze to a space on the wall.

"To watch this...riveting scene play out, of course," Xavi states, clearly proud of himself.

The former blinks a couple of times, before slowly nodding his head in acceptance.

In all honesty, my eldest brother looks more bewildered than i am right now and i can't work out if it is a comical thing or if i should be more concerned about it.

"Would you care to explain why the other three shipments are missing, Uvaldo, or are you incapable of doing that also?" Zephaniah snarls, snatching the lone package from Uvaldo's grip.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you, Zeph. I can go back another day and—"

"Are you dumb?" Zephaniah interjects, causing both Xavi and i to snicker. "Uvaldo, you have requested to work for me on many occasions and i said i would allow you to do so one day. I am not a biased person and i cannot be fooled, so, just because we happen to have been birthed from the same womb, it does not give you the right to take advantage of me," he speaks in a dangerously low voice. "You can't even be trusted as an errand boy, so how the hell am i expected to be so lenient with you?" he scoffs, shaking his head. "And i'll tell you this, until you get your act together, you can kiss that precious promotion goodbye."

As Zephaniah continues to lecture Uvaldo, i take note of the disheartened expression on the latter's face. I can't bare seeing his spirit get crushed like this but i do not speak out, aware of the consequences of doing so.

It isn't fair. He doesn't deserve this.

And all because of one little mistake?

I know my family is corrupt. They always have been. All i can do is sit back and watch their little power plays, waiting until i am of an age where i can finally act on my thoughts.

"... standards are extremely high and i have no room for those who will not fulfil the duties i give to them. When i ask you to complete a task, you complete it. This—"

As Zephaniah forcefully opens the box, a loud popping sound resonates throughout the office. Each one of us flinch, startled by the noise, and my hand flies to my mouth, preventing me from gasping and/or bursting into laughter at what i see.

My eldest brother stands there in his elegant suit and tie, only, now, his upper half is covered in a white, powdery substance.

A few seconds go by, the three of us still staring at him with the same gobsmacked expression.

"T—tissue..." Uvaldo squeaks, barely containing his laughter at the sight of our brother. "Do you want one?"

Zephaniah snatches the tissue from his hand, as he did with the package, and begins to wipe his face.

I can practically feel the rage oozing from his pores, as he aims a deadly glare at the item which literally exploded in his hands.

He then reaches into the box, producing a small, black card. I observe Xavi, whose eyes have widened in realisation, a look of unease forming on his face.

Zephaniah reads the contents of the card, delicately places it onto the surface in front of him, and faces Xavi with a sinister glare, nostrils flaring like a bull to a red rag.

"Zeph." Xavi releases a nervous laugh. "I can explain."

— SUCKER PUNCH —

I arrive at Aunt Tosca's cafe on the basis that i am meeting Annalise and Mikey, but, to my surprise, i find Yakov here instead.

He is sitting at a two-seater table, glaring at his computer screen, all by his lonesome.

Being the considerate sister i am, i decide to join him. Whether he appreciates my company or not, that is to be determined.

"Did you hear about what happened?" i ask him, in reference to this morning's predicament.

"Of course i heard," Yakov answers, not bothering to look up from his computer screen. "Word spreads like wildfire in that house."

And he sure isn't wrong. Uvaldo and i had a field day telling every last soul about it. And boy, their reactions almost topped ours. I mean, it's not every day that Zephaniah gets a prank pulled on him.

And such a God awful prank it was too.

"Oh my god, you should have seen it" i exclaim, excitedly. "Zeph's face right after it exploded, i'd never seen him so humiliated before. It was priceless, and he totally deserved it. Best day of my life, you have no idea," i gush, only for the millionth time since it happened.

I have to say, past Xavi was very innovative when carrying out said prank.

He had replaced Zephaniah's cocaine shipment with a balloon filled with flour and inserted a pin in the box, hence why it blew up in the latter's face.

Apparently Xavi organised it last year to be delivered in time for Zephaniah's twenty-seventh birthday, but the shipment ended up going missing alongside the real ones, hence why he appeared so shocked earlier.

"Mhm. I'm sure you found it very amusing," Yakov responds in his usual, bleak tone.

"I cannot believe Xav forgot about that." i laugh.

"He certainly isn't the brightest," Yakov reasons, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Surely he's going to be in so much trouble now. Won't he have to compensate for the shipments that went missing?"

"Precisely."

Well shit.

The cocaine we deal with isn't exactly a street corner drug...He's done for.

"How much, roughly, are we talking?" i nosily ask.

Yakov sighs, glancing at the ceiling for a short moment as he calculates in his head.

"No less than twenty thousand dollars, plus a little interest," he says, before adding, "Per missing shipment, that is."

If there was a drink in my mouth right now, i surely would have spat it out.

The way he announces it so casually is typical of his character, but i fail to wrap my head around what he says.

No less than twenty thousand dollars.

Per. Shipment.

Of course, i, too, have been indebted to my siblings before, though never by much.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I do not kid, Rori,"  he assures me. "Four shipments, with over fifty grams in each one, at a cost of around one hundred dollars per gram," he lists. "I would tell you to do the math yourself but i understand it isn't your strong suit," he adds, shamelessly teasing me.

Like i said, Xavi is done for.

"B—but what would happen if he couldn't afford to pay for it?" i ask.

"In any case, as such, he would pay in a series of instalments. But as far as i am aware, Xavi has a fair amount of money to spare. I'm sure he'll cope just fine," he insists, offering me a small smile. "In fact, he should think himself lucky that we decided to merge. If not, the consequences would have been much different..." he trails off. "Xavi is well aware of the consequences that occur when one messes with our older brother, yet he still took his chance." he frowns, his face contorting into one of disapproval.

"I get the impression that you aren't his biggest fan," i say.

"He and Zephaniah are quite alike these days. Xavi is merely the younger one, whose senseless personality tends to get the better of him," he says. "Most of our brothers are on the same spectrum, in that sense."

"Zeph was awfully reckless as a child, no?" i reason.

"Still is."

"So what difference does it make?" i frown.

"Zephaniah is reckless because he can afford to be. That's not to say i support all of his decisions, however. Xavi cannot be the same. He simply can't," he answers, rather vaguely.

I audibly sigh, prop my elbows onto the table, and rest my head in between my hands.

Yakov casts me a sidelong glance, pointedly raising his eyebrows.

I huff, after a mere second of being scrutinised by his majesty, clasp my hands, and place them in the centre of my lap instead.

With an air of righteousness, he returns his attention to his computer screen.

"Can i ask you a question, Yakov?"

"Of course."

"Why is Zephaniah your favourite? Out of all ten of us, he's in no way the most similar to yourself," i point out, knowing fully well the others would agree with me.

He looks up at me once more, taken aback by the question.

"Well..." he begins, "Why would you say Wyatt is your favourite?"

"He has never abandoned me," i answer, somewhat snidely. "And he makes me feel...appreciated."

Yakov nods, not looking the slightest bit offended.

"Me, personally, i do not play 'favourites'...but it's different with Zephaniah. I grew up with only one older brother and we were each other's first best friend. We did everything together. Of course, we had more in common as children. We were closer as children, also. But the bond still remains."

"You'll always care for him more than he does you," i tell him, not meaning to sound so insincere.

"Oh, i know that." he nods, unaffected by my remark. "And i'm okay with knowing that."

As my brother resumes his work, i am left staring at him with an awe-filled expression.

I always viewed Yakov as the most adult like, and the most responsible, but not necessarily the most parental. When i was really young, he took great care of me and the the younger boys, but, after a while, his closeness to Zephaniah caused him drift from the rest of us.

And then, for the majority of my childhood, i was invisible to him.

I guess that's why, when my brothers left, i spent more time grieving the elder. Because he didn't ignore me in the same way.

Yakov had treated me and most of my brothers as if we were ghosts.

He had never been in a relationship, as far as i'm aware, and didn't have many friends either. Instead, all of his focus went towards school and studying. As well as that, he took part in many extra curricular activities.

It was his only escape from life at home, after all.

I can't imagine it would have been easy having triplet toddlers to deal with, as well as the rest of his younger brothers.

I believe he often felt as if he did not belong with us.

As if he should have been born an only child instead; not have to worry about providing for us. Not have to deal with the stress of working multiple jobs at a time and joining the crime scene at such a ripe age.

Don't get me wrong, i am sure that deep down he loved us all, but i think, because of his own traumatic experiences, he would have preferred to leave his so-called childhood behind as soon as possible. And so, now that i think about it, i am not so surprised he did end up leaving when he found the chance.

"You're a good brother, Yakov," i say, causing him to pause. "Even if you haven't always been," i admit. "And i want to believe that you are a good person too. Because, even though you broke my trust before, i know you are loyal and i know that you wouldn't deliberately put me in harms way," i continue. "But it'll still take me some time to get used to you being back and...being more involved in my life now," i tell him. "I'm not ten anymore and sometimes i think people forget that. You don't know me. You know the little girl i was five years ago."

In many ways, i see characteristics of Yakov in my other brothers. Like Quentin, for example.

It's the same with Zephaniah and Seamus.

The pairs are polar opposites, bounded by the blood they share. God knows they'd probably loathe each other as mere strangers.

"I appreciate that, Rori. Thank you. I am extremely grateful that you're willing to give me a second chance at being your brother." he softly smiles at me. "And you, too, are a good sister who doesn't take credit when it's due."

I don't think i have ever before been given such compliments by one of my brothers, whose pride is a priority over their humbleness.

"I understand that being in your shoes must be very tough...I feel sorry for you," he admits. "But please know that i am here for you and if you ever need anything, whatever it may be, just let me know," he insists. "I know i don't seem like the most tolerant of people to be around, but that doesn't mean i don't care."

He has no idea how much his words have affected me. He is showing me that things will be different this time around and that he really is going to make an effort, which i appreciate greatly.

I ask for he and Zephaniah's cell phone numbers, feeling slightly awkward, though my brother does not make a fuss.

Afterwards, he peers at something behind me and i realise i have forgotten why i initially came here.

"Your twins are about to enter the cafe, alongside another boy and girl," he nonchalantly informs me.

"What?" i whisper-shout. "Seamus and Quentin are here?"

"That's what i said." he nods, amused by alarmed state.

"Oh no, they can't be here." i shake my head. "You can't be here!"

Glancing over my shoulder, i see that he isn't lying. And as the door-bell sounds, i begin to panic.

"Why ever not?" he innocently questions. "This is public domain."

"I didn't invite them. I don't know who did, it was just supposed to be the three of us. My friends and i," i explain, disappointed. "And, well...no offence but...you guys are my family."

"Oh, really?" he gasps, feigning shock. "What a shocking revelation! We must alert the press."

I take back anything i previously said.

Yakov is just as annoying as the rest of them.

"Look, we'll just pretend we don't know each other, okay?" i try to reason with him.

"I'm afraid to say it's a bit too late for that, Rori." he smirks, "We've been spotted...Oh, and would you look at that? They seem to have brought Alfonso's little brother with them."

I release a disdainful groan after hearing the latter part of his sentence.

This is supposed to be my day off, where i can relax and be with my friends. Not spend it with my brothers.

Especially not Seamus.

"We meet again, Mr Łabanowski."

"Christian Taylor, how have you been?" my brother asks, a welcoming smile on his face.

I awkwardly slump into my seat, listening to their polite exchange, Annalise and Mikey introducing themselves also.

My twins stand somewhere behind me but i don't have the guts to turn around.

I mean, it's not as if i'm embarrassed to be seen in public with Yakov or anything, but i'm kind of caught off guard with the other three showing up unannounced.

"...Actually, i was just leaving," i hear Yakov say.

"You were?" i meet his eyes with a look of desperation.

I can't possibly put into words how anxious i feel right now, and i'm not entirely sure why i feel such way.

Seamus's lingering presence probably has something to do with it.

"I am indeed," he confirms, standing up from his seat and beginning to gather all of his neatly stacked paperwork. "Duty calls...or rather, Zephaniah does."

He says his goodbyes, casting my brothers and friends a sidelong glance as they head towards the queue, and then turns back to face me with a cheque book in hand.

I watch him, curiously, as he uses his expensive looking fountain pen to write on it.

He then rips the page out of the cheque book and places it onto the table in front of me.

I glance at the number, look up at him with a shell-shocked expression, and then glance at the number again.

"Yakov..." i release a breath, eyes glued to the number before me. "You just gave me a cheque for five thousand dollars."

"Will that be enough?" he asks, deadly serious.

"No...no, that's more than enough, i mean. Like, way more than enough," i tell him. "Listen, i really appreciate it but i don't think Xavi would. I have a set allowance—"

"Last time i checked, Xavi isn't here." he shrugs, a knowing look in his eyes. "Besides, i'm sure he'll understand that i want to treat my little sister. I missed out on so many birthdays and Christmases, after all. Really, i owe you more than this but the last thing i  want to do is overwhelm you," he says, not at all boastful.

How do i politely tell him that i'm far past the stage of being overwhelmed?

I open my mouth, but, before i can protest, Yakov raises an eyebrow as if daring me to do so.

"Th—thank you, Yakov," i say instead. "Really."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sorellina," he says, as he affectionately (irritatingly) ruffles my hair. "I'll see you tomorrow, and you better have deposited that cheque," he warns, and i gingerly smile.

"I will."

"Good to hear."

I scowl at the back of his head, observing as he exits the cafe in his tailor made suit and immediately steps into the black limousine parked directly outside of the unflattering building, ignoring the many burning stares that his enticing aura has attracted.

There really is such a stark contrast between my eldest brothers, i realise.

While Xavi may have less money than Zephaniah and Yakov, he still has a lot. He never flaunts it, however, nor is he as materialistic as them.

I am glad that he is that way though...normal, i mean. Down to earth.

I can't imagine what a spoiled brat i would be if i were to have been raised by my second eldest brother.

"Anna, Mikey, i'll find us a table," i say, reluctantly approaching my friends as i turn a blind eye to the other three boys.

"Wow. Such lack of manners, Ria. Are we invisible to you?" Christian teases, and i grind my teeth together while giving him my meanest glare.

"Actually, Ria, we'll need a table for six," Annalise corrects me. "You see, Mikey invited Quentin, and then Seamus invited himself and Christian," she explains.

"Quentin can stay. For all i care, the other two can go play in traffic," i say, defiantly, my arms folded in front of me.

I see Mikey snicker under his breath, sending a bemused look to Quentin, who shakes his head at our mutual friend in an attempt to dismiss my childish behaviour.

I don't care if Christian has it in his head that he is going to befriend me all of a sudden.

If i'm mad at Seamus, best believe i will be mad at him too.

Some may argue he is undeserving of such treatment, but to be best friends with my twin brother is a crime in itself.

"Uh, just a lil' hunch..." Christian breaks the awkward silence, "but i think Rori has officially demoted you in her rank of favourite brothers, Seamus."

The latter rolls his eyes, uncaring.

"I'm not sure he's even on the list anymore," Annalise agrees, sending him a smug smile.

I lock eyes with Quentin, who silently reassures me with the nod of his head.

It's not as if i have to talk to Seamus.

"Me and Ri 'ill go find a seat while you guys order."

— SUCKER PUNCH —

Tonight at Aunt Tosca's cafe, business is running smoother than ever.

It's a Saturday night, which means the club around the corner is opening its doors for the first time.

'Club Lumina', as they call it, is the name of a well established chain originally founded in Las Vegas.

It's an exclusive club where young adults go to waste both their time and money. And, with people queued all around the block, it's certainly becoming quite the attraction, which probably has something to do with their successful marketing schemes. Not to mention their passionate objective of bringing back a certain nightlife that Vegas has created for us and still upholds to this date.

"I see you have Yakov wrapped around your finger already," Christian muses, nudging my foot to gain my attention.

I roll my eyes.

He sits across from me in one of the arm chairs; one hand clutching his glass of soda, his right leg resting on his left one, reclined back into his seat.

I look into his blue eyes that bore into mine, admiring the way they dazzle under the light. A lopsided grin compliments them.

"What is he worth now, a couple hundred?" he jokes.

"Something like that," i say, smiling despite myself.

Seamus appears, thus cutting our interaction short as he plonks himself on the chair in between me and Christian.

Oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, he proceeds to down his soda in a total of seven seconds, repulsively belching in my direction afterwards, which causes me to a pull a grossed-out expression.

"Seamus!" i exclaim, shoving him towards Christian, who laughs at my reaction and does some sort of bro-handshake with my brother. "You guys are seriously disgusting."

"You guys are seriously disgusting," he mimics me, this time leaning even closer than before and burping in my face.

"I hate you," i whine. "Get him away from me, Chris!"

"You are so dramatic, Rori, my God," Seamus moans in complaint.

I bite back a remark when i see my friends approaching the table, settling for another of my infamous glares instead.

Seamus smirks, knowing he successfully managed to get under my skin, and snatches a fresh drink from the tray.

"That club across the road looks insane," Mikey says, sitting down beside me.

"We should go!" Annalise chirps.

"She's so fucking stupid," Seamus groans, tipping his head back in irritation while the other boys laugh.

"Who?" Annalise scowls. "Me?"

"No, Whoopi Goldberg. Yes, you!" Seamus snaps.

"Leave her alone," i mutter at the same time as Quentin says, "Anna, we're underage."

She scoffs.

"When has that ever—"

"Can we move on now?" Christian interjects, like a parent trying to prevent an argument from breaking out amongst their children.

"Done. Got it," she rolls her eyes, turning to face me. "So, Ria, what do you think of Fluffy and Jimi?"

"I think i want them put down," i grumble, ignoring my twins offended glares.

"I—i'm sorry, who is it we're talking about?" Mikey asks.

"Oh, you have to meet them one day!" Quentin gushes. "Fluffy's mine. He's so cute, and cuddly, and...fluffy."

"Tarantulas." Seamus rolls his eyes at our brother's excitement. "He's talking about our pet tarantulas."

Mikey turns to face me, as if seeking confirmation, and i give him a nod and a look that says 'Yup, you heard right.'

"I have to say, i was expecting a bunny rabbit or something...What, with that description?" Mikey says, seeming extremely out of place.

"But why would i name a bunny rabbit Fluffy? That is so cliché of you."

— SUCKER PUNCH —

It's around eleven pm now and all six of us are still sitting in Aunt Tosca's cafe.

The only reason i am allowed to stay out this late is because my brothers are here with me. However, i have never understood why Xavi is so overprotective when it comes to my curfew.

Sure, there are creeps lurking around every corner, but i didn't learn self defence for no reason. And i certainly didn't spend twenty dollars on pepper spray for no reason.

Still, my guardian insists that, after dark, i must be in the company of at least one of my brothers. If not, he expects me to come home straight away.

He did admit it's not me who he distrusts, rather that it's society. And that, unfortunately, i could be viewed as 'valuable' to certain members of the public. To certain people that do not like him or our family. People who will happily take advantage of me.

He never actually said those words to my face. I was simply passing by when i overheard his conversation with Wyatt one night.

Wyatt agreed with him — an unusual occurrence nowadays — so i know he's not exaggerating.

"What is it that your brothers do for a living?" i hear Mikey ask.

"If we told you, we'd have to kill you." Seamus nonchalantly shrugs, earning a scolding glare from both me and Quentin.

"He's only kidding. Don't worry," Quentin reassures him. "Our brothers take care of the family business, which is nothing exciting really."

He flashes Mikey one of his charming smiles and the latter nods his head, though his brows furrow as if he doesn't quite believe him.

𝙰𝙿𝙿𝚁𝙾𝚇𝙸𝙼𝙰𝚃𝙴𝙻𝚈 𝚃𝙴𝙽 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂 𝙰𝙶𝙾...

"If they ask where Mama and Papa are, what do you tell them?" eighteen year old Zephaniah asks his youngest siblings.

"We tell them: Mama and Papa are on a business trip right now but our brother will take good care of us, because he's a big boy," Quentin answers him, robotically.

"And if they ask what Big Brother's job is, what do you tell them?" he narrows his eyes at them, as if daring one to mess up.

"We tell them that he works for Papa," says Seamus.

"And just in case—"

"We say that he's a tradesman," Rori cuts him off, answering correctly, though it still earns her an imprudent glare and scoff.

Looking at the children with disdain coating his expression, Zephaniah begrudgingly bends down to meet their small height.

"And one more time, why do we always stick to the script?" he glances between the three of them, his stern demeanour unmoving.

"So that the bad men don't take us away from you," Rori says in a barely audible whisper, causing Zephaniah's face to soften ever so slightly.

Zephaniah doesn't fear that the truth will be revealed, for he has already gone through this process many times before with the rest of his siblings.

Zephaniah simply hates the fact he is the oldest of ten, virtually having to raise them by himself, and despises his mother and father for allowing them to be born in the first place.

Zephaniah hates all things to do with children, yet Zephaniah is merely a teenager himself.

"Correct." he looks into his sister's large doe eyes, full of worry, his own eyes lacking any type of emotion. "Now get the hell outta my sight, you stupid, little, brats."

— SUCKER PUNCH —

"Rori, are you deaf or what?" Seamus's usual friendly tone — note the sarcasm — grabs my attention.

From across the table, Quentin pins him with a scolding glare and our brother raises his hands in mock surrender.

I glance down at my phone, which is buzzing in my hand, surprised to see an unknown number is calling me.

"Who is it?" my younger brother nosily asks at the same time as Annalise says, "Aren't you going to take the call?"

"Oh, will you all just shut up for once!" i groan, ignoring Christian's concerned glare.

"It's an unknown number," Mikey points out. "Most likely just a prank call, or something."

"Prank call...from who exactly? Her only two friends are—" Seamus pauses and sighs mid-sentence when he notices another pointed look from Quentin. "Why can't i just say what's on my mind?" he childishly whines.

"Perhaps to avoid complications," Quentin forces a smile onto his face," you should think before you speak."

I groan at the sound of their pointless arguing and leave the table, my phone still buzzing away.

My twins, still talking over one another, fail to notice i have walked away, and our friends appear mildly confused.

Thankfully, i make it into the bathroom before the caller hangs up, the place conveniently empty.

"Hello," i say with confidence. "How may i help you?"

"Hello there, Rori Łabanowski...or should i call you Red Lion? I just have one very important question to ask...Do you care much for your brother?"

The second i hear the person on the other line speak, a man by the sounds of it, my breathing hitches, immediately followed by a cold shiver running down my lower spine.

The man's gruff sounding voice does nothing to prevent the ominous affect his words have on me.

"Who is this?" i ask in a low voice. "I don't like playing games, nor do i appreciate others wasting my time."

I hear a deep chuckle escape his throat.

"If you answer my question, this will not be a waste of time. That i can assure you."

My heart races during the suspenseful silence which follows.

I review every single possibility in my head as to who this unknown caller could be and why they are calling me at such a late hour, but nothing presents itself.

Rori. Red Lion. Rori Łabanowski.

I still amn't sure what it means, but he clearly is.

He knows when i was born, where i was born, and possibly much more.

This, however, is not of any use to me.

Lots of people will know such stupid facts, such as my middle name, my star sign, my favourite book from childhood...

People tend to keep tabs on my family, but, at the end of the day, it is up to us to decide what we share with them.

...Czesława, Leo, A Little Princess.

It is extremely unsettling to hear this man converse with me as if he has known me for as long as i've been alive.

As if i am an old friend of his.

I just hope that it is one of my brother's friends playing a trick on me or something. Though the idea seems illogical, it wouldn't be the first time it has happened.

A cruel trick it would be, of course, but, still, i would much prefer that in comparison to the former.

"How the hell did you get a hold of this number?" i say instead, in a panicked tone of voice, my eyes fleeting around the empty bathroom.

"I have my sources," comes his vague response. "And now, to answer my question..."

"I have more than one brother, Sherlock, you're going to have to be a little more specific." i roll my eyes at his incompetence and hear him scoff.

Did he seriously expect me to engage in a polite conversation with him?

"Zephaniah," he finally answers me. "Do you care for him much?"

Okay, this is already weird, i know, but now i'm even more creeped out.

What kind of a question is that and how am i supposed to answer it?

"It's a simple yes or no i'm looking for...I thought you didn't have time to waste," he mocks, and i can practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"What's it to you?"

"Just ans—"

"Yes! Okay! Fine! I care about my brother."

"There we go. That wasn't so hard, was it?" he mockingly coos, and i refrain from throwing my phone at the nearest wall, embarrassed by my own revelation. "Anyway, you might want to check up on him, Sweetheart. Before it's too late, that is," he advises. "I'm only calling because no one else will...and i wouldn't wish for your beloved brother to tragically die tonight..."

"Who. the hell. are you?" i seethe through gritted teeth, my nostrils flaring and my breathing beginning to quicken.

"You'll know soon enough, Little Red, but you must be patient," he tells me."Bye-bye for now."

(Edited)

A/N: I did promise you more drama was coming, didn't i?