Cole's POV

A smile spreads across my face. "I can't wait to meet the girl that made him fall for her."

Eliana and I walk into the house with Bo behind us.

Looking around the room I see pictures of Riker with a girl and pictures of the family. "Is that Riker's girlfriend?"

"Yeah," she cups her hand and whispers in my ear. "He's going to change that soon. He pulled me aside the other day and asked if it was alright if he asks her to marry him."

"What did you say?"

"I told him if that's what he wants to do then it was fine with me. Who am I to say that my brother can't have stay with the one woman that makes him happy? I'm still waiting for the moment he tells Riley of his plans. She's the one that everyone will need to keep an eye on."

I hear footsteps approach us and then two girl's voices.

Riley stops close to the stairs and a smile spreads across her face. "Irina, I want you to meet my cousin, Cole Mason."

Irina looks me up and down and then says. "Isn't he the one that should be leading the family not Riker?"

Riley covers her mouth. "Yes, but we're not supposed to talk about it with other people on the house. Do you remember how I told you these walls have ears?"

"Yeah,"

Riley points around the place and says. "It's true and if the wrong people in the family gets his information again there's going to be a longer fight then the one we had four years ago."

Irina looks at me. "Did you help with that?"

"Yes, I had to make sure that Riker was noticed as the one with the authority. My family and I left the mafia for a reason. I only come around to make sure everything is running smoothly and if I have a problem that Riker can fix."

My phone starts to ring and I see Julia flash across the screen.

Finally, she's out of the Correctional Facility. Riker's friend pulled through for us.

Swiping my finger across the screen I say. "Hey, Julia. Are you okay?"

Julia: I'm fine. Can you tell your cousin that I appreciate his help and that Nero got me out safely?

Me: I'll let him know. Who are you with now?

Julia: I'm with Amalia and Jesse is following us.

Me: What do you think of her?

Julia: She's cool.

I hear muffled voices followed by her changing the phone to loudspeaker.

Julia: Amalia wants to talk to you.

Me: Okay,

Amalia: I'm going to take your girl to my cousin's place. She'll be safe there until Monday.

Me: I'm coming home tonight.

Julia: Cole, you don't need to do that. Stay with your cousin. I'll be fine with Amalia until you come home.

Me: Okay, don't forget you have plans with Braelynn tomorrow.

Amalia: She won't forget. I'd love to meet Bo's wife. I've heard great stuff about her.

Me: I'm not sure that Bo would like that, Amalia, but I'll find out. Hang on.

I pull the phone away as Bo says. "Can I talk to the girls for a second?"

"Sure." I put the phone on loudspeaker and says. "Bo, wants to talk to you, Amalia."

Amalia: Okay,

Bo: You can meet my wife. Please don't tell her who you are.

Amalia: I won't.

Bo: Good, can you tell my wife that I'll be home late tonight when you call her, Julia.

Julia: I can do that.

Riker walks down the stairs and he looks at me while I'm on the phone. I mouth. "Julia." To him.

He walks over to Irina who's standing next to his sister and kisses her. "Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

A smile spreads across her face. "Sure, Riker. Maybe, you can tell me what's making you feel nervous whenever you're around me. I don't like seeing you all jumpy and stuff."

"I will." Riker points to his watch. "We need to talk."

Me: I have to go, Julia. My cousin needs to talk to me.

Julia: Can you call me before you go to bed tonight. I want to talk to you.

Me: I will.

I hang up the phone and follow Riker to his office.

When we get to his office I take a seat behind the desk. "Have you heard of midnight express?" I ask Riker.

"Yes, I have. They've been dirtying up my city with the shit they have. The overdoses in this city has risen by 30% since they brought the crap to my city. I need to find the face of the company and kill them. This city needs to have the clean stuff not the toxic shit that Midnight Express is pushing."

"The company is located in Los Angeles. I've got one of my best men looking into it and I hope that he can give me something soon."

My phone starts ringing and I see 'Julia' flash across the screen. Waving my phone I say. "It's Julia again. Do you mind if I answer it?"

"Sure,"

Swiping my finger across the screen I say. "Is everything okay, Julia?"

Julia: No, I need to tell you about my brothers.

Me: Can't this wait?

Julia: Not, if you want to catch the people behind midnight express.

Me: How do you know about that?

Julia: That doesn't matter. My brothers are the ones behind the drugs being pushed through major cities in the country.

Me: Are you sure?

Julia: Yes, Uncle Kevin told me.

Me: Do you believe you're uncle?

Julia: Kevin's never lied to me before, but I have a feeling that my brothers are puppets in some sick person's game. What if ruining my family is part of a bigger picture? Like making you suffer while watching people you care about lose everything that's important to them.

Me: I hope your wrong about this, but what would someone get out of hurting me?

Julia: The satisfaction that you lost at a game you weren't supposed to play.

Me: Have you told Knox what you know?

Julia: No, I'm afraid that he'll go after my brothers without a second thought. I need to make sure that the information I have is true before I turn my family in to people that want to kill them. They're still my family.

Me: I wish there was something that I can do for you.

Julia: Keep what I told you between us until I have the proof we need.

Me: I promise.

She hangs up on me and I turn towards Riker. "Julia's going to kill me for telling you this, but it might be her brothers behind this. I would feel safer if you had someone outside my place to see if it's true."

"I'll send Amalia over there. She's going to need a little break after attending to Julia all afternoon."

Julia's not bad to be around.

"What do you mean by that?"

Riker stands up. "What I mean is that Amalia isn't the type of person that can be around the same people for a long time. The only exception to that is her husband."

"I bet it isn't easy for her husband to be around the boss and being told what to do."

Riker throws his head back and laughs. "You don't know the story of how they met. She wasn't and still isn't his boss."

"How's that?"

"Some dickhead thought it was a good idea to send a hitman to her place. What the hitman didn't know was Amalia had the place wired up pretty well and she saw him coming before he saw her. She smashed his face in with her fists before telling him that he has two choices. One was to die or two he worked for her. He didn't want to die so he stayed. Eventually, they fell in love and started a family. Every year for two weeks she head to Los Angeles to train with some of the best fighters in Knox's family. She wants to make sure she stays on top of things even if she continues to expand her family."