Page 4 of The Rise

“You’re not wrong there. Fine. When is this shit?” I ask him, seeing the smile cross his face.

“You have a few months to prepare. Get your killing out of the way,” he smirks.

“Fuck, man. I didn’t realize it would be so annoying having a little brother,” I tease him before he flips me off.

“You fucking love it and you know it.”

“In all seriousness, thanks for asking me, Ry. Some days, I feel like I’m drowning here.”

“Why? You want out?”

“No. It’s not that. It’s just being here at Chaos all the fucking time can get overwhelming.”

“Then why stay? Move out, get a house. Come here when you need to,” he suggests.

“I’ve thought about it. I don’t know. This place just feels like home, though.”

“You’re weird as fuck, Hunter,” Ry says with a sigh causing me to laugh.

“No shit. How’s the girls?”

“They’re all good. Becky is in Levi’s house. We’re doing what we can for her. She’s a little lost, though, without him there,” he tells me.

“Yeah, I bet so. Watch her; I think Hoax has his eye on that girl,” I tell him.

“What? Are you shitting me?” I shake my head.

“Nope. I’ve heard the fucker jerking off to her name in the shower,” I tell him. Rylan scrubs his hand over his face, looking like he’s about to snap.

“He wouldn’t do anything, right?”

“Hoax? Why the fuck would you think Hoax wouldn’t do anything? It’s … Hoax!”

“Fuck. She’s pregnant. Does he know that?”

“Yeah, he knows that. Maybe he has a thing for pregnant girls. I don’t fucking know.”

“How are we going to stop this shit?” Rylan asks. I shrug my shoulders. It’s Hoax. If he wants the girl, he’s going to get her.

“We’re not.”

“The fuck you mean we’re not? She’s pregnant, Hunter!”

“No shit. Hoax wouldn’t hurt that baby.”

“I know he wouldn’t, but shit, Hunter. None of us are normal, if you know what I mean,” he adds, causing me to laugh.

“No shit, Rylan. We’re all fucked in the head, brother.”

“Beyond fucked.”

“Just let it ride out. I’m sure Hoax will find someone else to obsess over soon,” I reassure him. He nods his head before leaning back in his chair.

“Why the wall?” Ry asks now. I run my hand through my hair and lean back in my chair.

“Privacy. I know we’re out in the middle of nowhere and have cameras and shit up, but the more kids we take in, the more I want to know they’re safe.” I’m having an eight-foot concrete wall built around the property Chaos sits on. When I took over Chaos years ago, I vowed to make it as safe as possible, but the more kids we bring through here, the higher the threat is from any asshole who knows we took them. They could retaliate at any time, and we’re all too aware of that fact. This just adds another layer of security.

“Makes sense.”

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