Jaxtyn's POV

After my brother started fighting me, more people start to get involved and my parents are ushered out of the room by the guards.

They know it's not safe for my parents to be around this. But, it's going to be hard for them when it's they're sons fighting over something stupid.

I've never done anything to my brother. For some reason I think this has to be a cover for Nicole.

When I look around the room I don't see Skye anywhere. I fight my way through groups of people until I reach the door that leads outside.

Pushing the door open I see Skye's Grandma and Aunt fighting against people. "Where's Darius?"

Mariana looks over at me. "He's in the study. I locked him up with Dad. Mom and I are protecting them from this stuff."

Hannah walks out at that moment. "Thanks for telling me where I can find my darling husband. I'm going to teach him a lesson for leaving me." She closes the door behind her and then heads inside.

I follow closely behind her as she walks through the house.

How does she know her way through here? It's not like she's spent a lot of time in this house.

My parents never were a fan of Nicole or Hannah. They just put up with her because she was with my brother. Mom didn't want to have a confrontation with Josh about who he dated. If she did none of this would be happening.

On the way to the study I slip into the gun room and grab a pistol from the shelf. I check the chamber and make sure there's bullets inside.

If it's part of her mission to kill Darius it's going to be throttled by me. I'm going to protect my soon to be in law.

For a long time Darius knew how I felt about his daughter and he gave me permission to marry her when the time was right.

I think the time will be right soon.

Before I can make it any further to the study my brother steps out of the gun room. "Jaxtyn, don't move."

Spinning around I face my brother. "Josh, you don't need to do this."

His face pales and he looks defeated. Running his hand through his dark hair he looks at me. "Bro, I'm not going to survive if I go to jail. Please, do me a favour and kill me."

I click the safety on and move over to my brother. "It's okay, little brother I'll do everything to keep you out."

He hugs me and then a smirk appears on his face. "You know I'm the distraction to keep you from reaching Darius and his father. We've had this planned from the beginning."

Bang, bang, bang.

Pushing my brother off me I run up the stairs towards the study. When I reach it, the door has been kicked down.

Joey and Darius better be safe or I'm going to be in trouble when Skye finds out about this.

"Joey, Darius." I whisper.

"We're fine, Jaxtyn. You can come in."

Walking into the room I see Darius with a gun and it's pointed at the door. He moves his hand and puts the gun away. "I can't believe I shot her."

Joey pulls his son into his arms. "It had to be done, Darius. She was going to kill you. It was self-defence and no one is going to be able to say otherwise."

Darius looks at the door. "Where's Skye?"

"She's gone after, Nicole. Mariana sent me up here to check on you, but I got stopped by my brother. He was to distract me while Hannah..." I cut myself off because I don't know what her real plan was.

"She was going to kill me." Darius says. "That was her and Nicole's plan for me. At least my daughter was smart and found a way for me to get out of they're grip."

I better look for Skye. I don't want her out there for too long with Nicole.

Josh rounds the corner and his gun is aimed at me. "Goodbye, bro..." before he could finish the sentence I shoot him in the chest. He falls to the ground dead.

There's just one person that we need to get rid of now and she's in the hands of my girl.

Without looking back at my brother I rush through the house and outside. When I get there I see people lying on the ground after being beaten.

Mariana wipes her hands on her pants as she walks over to me. "She went through the woods. Do you know where she went?"

The treehouse. That's the only thing in the woods.

"She went to the treehouse. Go onto Darius's property and meet me on that side. The treehouse is located closer to his property. You'll find a hole in the fence. I'll meet them in my side."

"Okay," she clicks the chamber and then crosses the yard to her brothers.

When we were twelve our parents cut a hole in the fence to allow access for us. So, we didn't have to use the main gate to get to each other's property.

I run through the woods and jump over the fallen trees from the storm we had a couple weeks ago.

Hearing voices I stop and watch the scene unfold in front of me. "See you in hell, Nicole."

Nicole throws her head back and laughs. "It's not the first time I've heard someone say that to me." Her finger rests in the trigger.

Skye grabs her gun and aims it at her.

Bang,

Running out of the woods I see Nicole on the ground and she has a wound in her chest. She's still conscious.  Pulling Skye into my arms I hug her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired. I want to go home, but I have to get this looked at." She shows me her arm and there's a bullet in it.

"Skye," Nicole rasps. "I have a son in hiding."

Skye moves over to him. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I want you to raise him as your own."

No, no fucking way are we going to raise this kid? It could be as psychotic as its parents.

Skye looks get stepsister over and says. "Your kid is better off where he is. You hid him for a reason and whatever it is, it will die with you."

A single tear falls down her face. "Where's Josh and Mom?"

"Waiting for you on the other side, Nicole."

She starts coughing up blood and it doesn't take long before she passes away.

Skye stands up and brushes the leaves off herself. "I'm sorry about your brother."

Lifting her up I begin to make my way to the house. "He made his own decisions and at the end of the day, it got him killed. I don't think Mom and Dad will want us at the house for lunch tomorrow."

In front of the house at police and an ambulance. "I need help here." I yell.

She touches my face and says. "I love you, Jaxtyn." Then she passes out.