I walk into the house and I see Johnny laying on the lounge. He has the girls wrapped up in his arms and they are all asleep. I lose the door quietly and I pull my phone out. I take a few picture of them. I walk into the kitchen and I put the oven on for a baked dinner.

When the oven beeps I put the leg of lamb in. I set the timer and place it next to the oven. I walk over to the cupboard and pull out some potatoes. I peel and cut the potatoes and place it in a pot with cold water. I hear the patter of feet and I turn around to see Gracie looking up at me.

Gracie moves quickly to me and she falls down. "It's alright, Gracie. Get up and do it again." She stands up and moves towards me again.

I get down to her level and she throws her arms around me. "Mommy." I kiss her head. "I'm here, princess. How was with Uncle Johnny?"

"Fun," she points to the TV.

Johnny sits up. "Gracie?" he looks around. "Gracie?" when she doesn't reply. He stand up and runs around. When he enters the kitchen I am on the floor laughing at my brother's reaction to thinking that something happened to her." He pouts. "I hate you."

I rise with Gracie in my arms. I walk over to my big brother. "No, you don't. You love me Johnny and there's nothing you can do about that." I stick my tongue out at him.

He pretends to snip off my tongue.

Sophie enters the kitchen and Johnny lifts her up.

The home phone rings and I walk over to it. I answer on the third ring.

Me: Hello, this is Laken.

Voice: Laken, I'm glad you picked up the phone. I left you a present at the front door. If you don't go to the door yourself I will blow the house.

My hands start to shake and I look at my brother. I cover the phone. "Can you take, Gracie?" I pass her to him. I make my way to the front door. I open the door and see a huge box sitting next to the door.

Me: What are you playing at?

Voice: Open the box.

I put the phone on my shoulder and I move my fingers across the box and I begin to pull the sticky tape off the box.

You shouldn't have opened the box.

Me: What do you want me to do now?

Voice: Look inside, Laken.

Don't open the lid. Don't open the lid. Don't open the lid.

I pull back the top of the box and I look inside. I see a red cake with worms in it. There's also a skeleton head inside and stuck to the head it says 'You will be mine.' I start to scream. I shut the lid and move back to the door. I hear laughter coming through the phone.

Voice: I'll talk to you soon, Baby.

The line goes dead.

I can't stay at this house while this guy is out there.

Johnny exits the house. He looks at me. "Laken, you're not going to stay at this house while I'm gone." He gives me a pair of keys. "The girls and you will be staying at mine. I will have the place fully furnished for the twin's room and I will hire someone to safe proof the place for the twins. You should give the twin's Social Worker a call. Tell them that the house is being fumigated or something and that you thought you should give them a call about the girls moving houses."

I hug my brother. "Thank you, Johnny. What would I do without you?"

Johnny shrugs. "I don't know." He looks at the box. "What was inside that thing?" he opens the box and looks inside. "That guy is demented. How did Dad let that guy become a client of his? I don't get how he became obsessed with you?"

I rub my arms and the air turns a bit nippy. I enter the house and close the door. I look at Johnny. "Where are the twins?"

Johnny looks down the hall. "I put them in their bedroom. I didn't want them to see you like this." He leads me over to the lounge and I sit.

I pull out my phone and give the social worker a call. She tells me that it's alright to change places and she's happy that I called her about the change of place. She also said that she wanted to see the place.

When I hang up the phone Johnny says. "We're going to my place tomorrow. I don't want you to spend another night in this place. I want you to be safe and I'll be getting you a new mobile and number. That way he won't be able to contact you again. Those girls and you mean the world to me, Laken."

I hug my brother. "Thank you." I look at him. "Can you teach me how to shoot?"

Johnny shakes his head. "I don't want you to have a gun near those girls. Take a self-defence class."

I pull away from my brother. "I know how to shoot. That's where I was today. The guy that trains me knows Mixed Martial Arts and he's also teaching me to shoot. He said that I'm the best student he's ever had. Next month he and I are going to have competition."

Johnny walks away from me and he starts pacing back and forth. He stops and looks at me. "I'm not going to let you fire a weapon. But, I will show you how to stand and to set yourself in position to fire your gun. I have a question for you, sis." I wait for him. "How much are you putting in for the competition?"

I shake my head. "It's a thousand dollars."

Johnny laughs. "Alright, I'll teach you everything I know. But, I have to be there when you go head to head with this guy. If he can teach you what he knows and you can kick his arse you're one step closer to getting a job with me."

I exit the house with Johnny. "I don't want to join the FBI. I am happy with working in the office. I've worked hard for where I'm at in my career. It would be stupid to have a career change." I look at the twin's bedroom window. "I've got two beautiful Foster kids inside that I want to see grow up."

Johnny pulls his gun out of his jacket pocket. He pulls the bullets out of the chamber and then he gives me the gun. "Spread your legs apart." I do as he says. "Now, hold the gun." I hold the gun in the position I've been taught." Johnny walks behind me. "I want to know the name of the guy that has been teaching you?"

I look at my brother "I can't tell you who it is. He's asked me to be discreet with his identity. I'm sorry."

He shrugs. "I'll find out who it is next month. Then I'll kick his arse for teaching my little sister how to fight and fire a weapon without my knowledge."

I frown. "Johnny, you can't be around me for everything. You're leaving for a couple weeks and I'll have to look after the twin's and myself. I told you that you could place a couple of people around. That's all I'm willing to let you do."

Johnny walks around me again. He taps his chin a couple of times. "An ex-military person is teaching you. I know this stance as I used to have a partner that did this. But, he retired a couple months ago as he wanted to start a family with his girlfriend. But, what he didn't know was that he could never be fully out. He learnt that the hard way when his family were killed in a boating accident. He was supposed to be on the boat with his family."

I hope he's not talking about my trainer.

After an hour standing outside with my brother we decide to go inside. He has taught me enough.

I think I might be able to defeat Mason.

Johnny and I enter the house.

I walk over to the oven and see the meats slightly black. I pull the baked dinner out of the oven and I put a thermometer into it. The juice runs clears from the meat.

Johnny looks at the meat. "That looks cooked." He licks his lips. "I'm looking forward to eating this tonight."

I shake my head. "You've always liked my cooking."

He laughs. "Do you remember the time Mom burnt the lasagne?"

I nod. "Yeah, I do. She spent hours on the computer playing Candy Crush and she didn't notice that dinner was burning until you walked into the kitchen yelling. 'Mom, the lasagne's burnt.' She got out of her seat pretty quickly and got it out."

He shakes his head. "She tried to get us to eat that garbage."

I smile. "It was a good thing that we were heading to a party and decided to get pizza on the way."

***

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