My heart beat wildly at the sight of him standing outside the door with a very impatient look. Seb looked alarmed while Pete stood as if he was expecting this.

I don't know if I should be alarmed, sad or be happy.

My life and my mind couldn't get any more confusing and revolting than this. Stephen at the door outside my hideout; few miles away from Parker mansion and if I thought I was safe- I was a fool than I thought I am.

Suddenly, I felt like sinking down into the ground; roll into a ball and just disappear.

Why I tried to act like I am a brave bitch is beyond me since here I am a nervous and sad wreck at the sight of seeing my own brother or should I say, half-brother. All those nights ago in the tree top, I heard Stephen saying she is gone and I have no idea whose side is he.

I have no idea whose side is Seb and Pete at this point.

It's not like I haven't thought about it all because I knew... I knew that something was wrong. And my gut is never wrong. My intuition signaled that something is very off and everything is too quiet for my liking. I could even feel it in my bones that, Tom is laying low as if he is sure of his insight that I will fall into his hands. 

Will I?

Being this stupid in believing that I am safe from their hands in Pete's apartment was a stupid mistake.

I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have stayed here. I should've run away. I should...

Someone tapped my shoulders and it was none other than Stephen. A slow tear fell down from my eyes but I was intact. I stood still sporting a very brave bitch poker face and I didn't look scared. At least I tried to... however, my own tears betrayed me.

I wanted to plead, don't hurt me. I wanted to beg him not to fish me out to the monsters. I wanted to just vanish from the face of the earth because of the way my heart was beating in my chest. But I stood- poised, head held high, straight shoulders, poker face. No matter how hard I pretended; my tears never stopped falling thinking about the inevitable.

But on contrast to the image in my mind, I was suddenly coddled by my baby brother in a fierce hug.

"I was so scared that our plan will go wrong." He murmured and I was awe-struck.

In such a short while again, I am flabbergasted. I don't even know what I should believe. Tears just continued rolling down and after so long; I inhaled not realizing that I was choking myself without breathing.

Stephen thought he was hurting me and he let go of the tight hug but with tears in his eyes, he still looked at me, then softly hugged me and kissed my forehead.

"I am sorry for it all lily. It shouldn't have happened. Eva was a bit*h."

That single sentence shattered all shock and iceberg from me and I pushed Stephen away from me. He looked at me dejectedly; not shocked. I looked at Seb for an answer, but he looked at me impassively.

It was Pete who surprised me.

He was standing near to the French window and was looking down with his hands looped behind his back. He totally looked like someone on a mission and someone who was hiding something big.

"Lily, you have to hear me out." Stephen started.

I paused him by raising my hand, tightly stitching my lips into a thin line and walked towards Pete.

"You are hiding something. What is this game to you?" I said to Pete.

He looked at me with those wonderful eyes, no trace of the funny quirky stupid Pete in there, only a serious version that I have never seen before.

But then, he smiled and looked at me in such a fatherly affection that I mistook it for a malicious smile.

"You should hear what Stephen has to say first."

Something in his voice makes me comply with it and I sat down, looking at the tense atmosphere, on the sofa with my head in my hands; loving the way my hair curtained around me. See, I am always weird. I exhaled harshly and scowled when I no longer could control the tears.

"Lily, there are lots of things I need to tell you. But, first... don't you dare believe that Tom is not behind your back? He is like a hawk, waiting for a chance to ambush you. Once you are in..."

"Don't you think I don't know that?" I snapped.

"Lily..."

"Hush, tell me... are you all setting a trap for me? If that is the case, I fuc*ing don't know anything. I have no single clue what my mom's wretched map says or where it is. There! Now kill me."

Seb was the one who came to me and sat next to me. I had no energy to push him away from me. But he insisted on holding my hands, but I swatted away. I don't need another heartbeat to tell me it's going to be alright. I could feel his hurt radiating through me. But if he is the one, he should learn to accept me as it is.

Pete surprised me of them all. "Lily, you are a very crucial victim in this fierce calculated plan. Also a fragile opponent; I had my eye on you since I came in term with this case. I am sorry I deceived your friendship to get closer to you but it was for your own protection and... company. Why do you think that your uncle is still not here searching for you? Seb's boss was a middleman and stupid as that. Tom is very... very cunning and dangerous."

"Hold on..." my voice cracked. "Case..." my hoarse voice filled with teary surprise. He smiled at me.

"I am special agent PeterForman," Pete said proudly.

I sat shocked. "FBI, two-year-old" someone said in the haze and I couldn't take it anymore. So much for being tough skin; I fainted.

I was dreaming.

In my dream, I was laughing with a woman and I am no big two-year-old golden retriever. Wow, who gave me a dog? But, wait... why I am so small? Anyway, the woman was so beautiful that I mistook her for some actress. She was smiling and laughing with me and... Sam! A weird and peculiar dream, indeed! Suddenly, she took me in her slender hands and kissed my forehead after giving me a twirl. The beautiful dog was barking madly around her.

"Always remember my princess you are loved. My love surpasses all known preciousness and my dear, I will always look out for you like a lighthouse that saves those ships from the wreckage."

And my dream ended there. Since I was looking at my brother's face or in fact, he looks at me concernedly; I slapped on his face and he hollered, 'ow'. Somehow that gesture made me giggle. What did that message mean? Dammit!

"What was that for?" he asked rubbing his tomato cheeks.

I got up lightly and Pete was by my side, handing me a glass of water.

I looked at him curiously and my inner gut screamed at me for not listening to her because she always said there was something off beam about Pete. And now, it looks like he is some sort of special agent. Now am I really a novel character?

"I am undercover to bring down the biggest circle of mafia around here. Apparently, they are on the lookout for the map that will bring them to the point of overtaking the world. For the treasure is... let's say, is enough to be destructible if reached in the wrong hands."

He paused for my reaction and he only smiled again when he saw my signature stare.

Was it all an act that he did to get close to me?

"No. you know how hard it is for me to act professionally, gurl. Damn you girl, but I ain't pretending in front of you. I am your special agent goof."

I smiled at his goofiness and somehow that relaxed me a bit. The Pete I know is somewhere here.

"Lily... Tom has not only destroyed your life, but he destroyed all of us. He... why do you think I was always away? He couldn't play pretend in the public for his image will be shattered. Why do you think I was never home? I hate that man and I hate Sam for not having spine enough to defend himself and his damned family."

"Stephen you are wrong. You don't know what Tom is capable of. He is the single main ring leader with five branches spreading to Italy and Russia. Italy and Russia are well known for their own mafia clan and to have him rooted there with a family with an alarming rate of men is quite powerful. He being the silly old man in front of you is not the Tom you know about. I just need one evidence from himself to arrest him but that man is cunning than thousand foxes; if that is even possible because no business of his has any inch of evidence in the history of underworld business. Everyone tends to do one mistake to get themselves pinned but he is... he is as if a computer. Making no mistakes! Pfft!"

Pete ended that with his trademark rolling his eyes out of the socket and wide gestures. I shook my head and felt warmth filling my body. And that was when I realized that Seb was holding my hand. Because I felt happy that someone was holding me, I let him.

But everything was suffocating me on the inside. Even the warmth did no good to save me from the heat wave. Nothing felt right and everything was really confusing. In short; a mess!

"From a very young age, I realized something was not right in the house. You remember me sneaking into your room when you were four years old, right. I only had fun when I was with you. But then he said you had some sort of disease and I shouldn't come near you. Fuc* I was just close to six; I believed him. Later on, he really threatened everyone to stay away from you. I lost all marbles then. I only rebelled once; I hadn't had the guts to do then. That bitch of a son, beat me shi*less and threatened to kill you. I ran away. I was only ten, Lily. He brought me back and I was ever since under house arrest; however, once I turned sixteen, I practically stayed away with my friends. He couldn't practice his dominance in all stages since I could always report to the police. But I was tied down dreadfully; his threat was clear in my lungs. He even showed me, he meant business."

I shivered hearing his voice being so serious. He paused only to help me take a breath.

"Remember the accident when you were fifteen. It was not Sam who was driving, it was one of his men who deliberately hit the other vehicle and blamed Sam for it. Sam didn't even defend himself. Somehow, Tom removed Sam from the case otherwise Sam would have been behind bars for attempted murder of his own child."

I was shivering badly by the time, he stopped talking. Pete switched off the AC. He and I knew it was not the air conditioning that was helping me shiver boneless. Everything was suffocating me. In between, I never realized Seb was so close to me because of the next thing, I removed all my masks and insecurities and cried to his shoulders feeling his warmth and inhaling him. This oddly soothed me but not completely.

After a while, Stephen came next to me and held me in his arms. And that soothed me completely but my sobs increased since I realized he was holding me the way he did whenever he sneaked into my room all those years ago. He even murmured the way he did then and I started to control my sobs.

"Sweetie, I am not pushing you but did you find the second clue?" Stephen asked after several hours. When I didn't reply, Seb replied on my behalf and I felt him nod.

Then it was an awkward silence.

"Step, tell me, on the night I ran away, you came to the oak tree and said, 'she is gone,' to whom did you say that?"

I felt Pete smiling like a giant Chesire cat.

I goofily smiled back since I got the answer I wanted. I and Seb were the only ones on the tree that night and Pete was in the car back then, as far as I can remember. So with his smile, one thing is clear... Stephen must have called Pete. Anyway, Stephen answered for me that it was indeed to Pete he called.

I remembered Simon's phone call and when inquired the answer was another shock to me so I asked them not to say anything more to it. Pete doubts that Simon has joined forces with Tom.

I can't blame him. He must be tempted because if Tom got hold of the map, he is going to be a filthy God in this world.

Oh Lord, save me and my people from this torment. I prayed, in contrast to my usual spiritual self.

Well, there have been too many changes here, let this be a turning point for me too.

"I hate the second clue."

I said and all of them looked at me puzzlingly. They didn't have time to inquire more of it, or discuss the clue with them; because just then, the French windows exploded sending all on four crouching away from the bullets.

_____________

How are you liking it? Please be a doll and comment away and shoot for the star too. Unlike the media head, the arrow will only mend my broken heart :D