Page 27 of Our Blood, Our Pain

I’ve already pressed send by the time I reread the text and realize how it sounds.

Jules

What do you mean, out? Does Lev know? Why aren’t you at the house?

Chill out. Lev knows. I’ve brought Aaron to his place to get his things.

Jules

You armed? Be careful, Jake’s crew are a risk.

I’m torn between hitting my head against the window or screaming until I lose my voice. The need to be sarcastic wants to win this tug of war, but I take the high road.

All safe. Talk later.

As soon as the message reads ‘read’ my phone rings, Jules’s name written across the screen. I can’t do this right now, so I decline the call. The guy is taking up too much of my life as it is. Plus, I know it’ll piss him off to be ignored.

A chime alerts me of another text and I look down and can’t help the laugh that bubbles up out of my mouth. He is so damn easy to piss off.

Jules

Answer the phone, Kai!

I’m working and this conversation is unprofessional. I’ll talk to you back at the house.

This is such a mic drop moment that I want to high five myself. Thinking that somewhere nearby, Jules is losing his ever-loving shit not knowing how to deal with me. Such a gratifying moment.

Jules

I’ll show you unprofessional.

I really hope he does, because this anger flirting is turning me on so much I’m questioning if my morals require medical intervention.

My phone starts to ring again and as I look down at the screen I'm jarred to see Lev’s name. I answer straight away, only to hear his booming voice on the other end.

“Where the fuck are you?” Lev says.

“What do you mean? You told me to take him home,” I say, confused by this conversation.

“Yes, an hour ago. It shouldn't take this long for him to get his shit.”

“Sorry, Lev. He hasn't come back down yet. Do you want me to go check?”

“What a fucking good idea. Keep me on the phone.”

Shit. Sounds like I'm in trouble. Time has flown by and I hadn't even noticed. I get out of the car where I’m hit by the cold air of winter. Muttering to myself about how fucking cold it is, I head upstairs towards Aaron's apartment. I stand outside the closed apartment door and shout through.

“Aaron, you ready to go?” No answer.

Lev again shouts orders down the phone at me to just go in, which I do while yelling Aaron's name.

Checking all the rooms, I get to a bedroom and notice blood on the floor. All of my insides shrivel up at the sight. Not only for wondering what the hell has happened to Aaron, but that it happened on my watch.

“Oh shit, Lev, there's blood on the floor in what I think is his room, it looks like his bag of stuff has been left.”

Loud cursing ensues before he orders me to come back to the house. I’m dreading the response I'm going to get. Nerves overtake my entire body, nausea hits the pit of my stomach. How did I not notice that Aaron had been taken? This is all my fault. Again, a failure, letting everybody down. I deserve everything I get. Arriving back to the main house thirty minutes later, I open the door to find the brothers and Seb congregated in the entrance hall. Before I get a chance to say anything, a hard punch to the face by Lev has me collapsing backward into the wall.

“Do your job properly next time, Kai, or you won't be alive to tell the story, I don't give a shit if you’re Jules’s nephew. Do we understand each other?”

---