Kai and Piper were standing in the middle of the road. Kai’s men were all scattered around, but none of them were looking for Jeremy/Dario. Kai has ordered them not to. “So, we are just going to let him escape?” Piper asked Kai, who look worn down. Kai sighed and nodded his head. Piper clicked her tongue and added, “What if he doesn’t stop after this, Kai? What if he escapes now but tries to do something else later? Are you really going to risk it?” Kai sharply looked at her, “He is my brother, Piper. You don’t understand.” “I understand, Kai. I would have stood by your side if he wasn’t casting danger over us. You heard him, he is not going to change his mind.” She pointed out.Kai clenched his jaws and glared at her, “So, what am I supposed to do, Piper? Kill me, brother? He is my family.”Piper glared back at him, “Your family is trying to kill you, Kai. Don’t be an idiot and think that he is going to spare our lives only because you will tell him to. Yes, he will spare you, but
Piper was angrily striding out in the dark, but her anger couldn’t hold the impact because Faith was following her. Piper was already furious with Kai and Faith following her wordlessly wasn’t making it any easy for her. Piper halted and jerked her head around to see Faith stopping as well, a few feet away from her. She glared at Faith, “I don’t need anyone to follow me, Faith. Leave me alone. I don’t want you or anyone else coming after me.” She hotly said and resumed her walk towards nowhere. “Piper, come on, please – listen to me. You have every right to be mad at Kai, but what did I do? Why are you so mad at me?” Faith didn’t stop following her. Piper stopped walking, almost making Faith bump into her. She didn’t turn around, so Faith walked around to face her. Piper had a deep scowl on her face, “Seriously, I am as mad at Kai as you are. I would love to kick his ass with you, but at the same time, I know he didn’t mean it, Piper. He is just in a very difficult state. I am tellin
Benji ran. He ran as fast as he could. He ran to the point where all he could hear was his own heartbeat and labored breath. He turned around while running to see his sister, but Piper wasn’t following him. His eyes filled with tears. Piper wasn’t there, but nobody else was there either. It was too silent. Everything was too still. “Piper,” he muttered under his breath and turn his head once more to see if maybe she appears in his line of vision, but he was left disappointed and dejected when he didn’t see her. He was shaking again. His vision was blurry due to the tears in his eyes. He squeezed his eyes tightly to get rid of them, and that was when he collided with someone. He gasped and with his eyes still closed he tried to pull away, but whoever it was held his arm and shook him. “No! No! Piper!!” He called for her sister whom he wasn’t sure if he will ever be able to see again. The person didn’t let him go even though he was screaming, instead, they shook him up, making Benji op
“You have completely lost your mind, Jeremy! What the fuck do you want?!” Levi yelled at him while pointing his gun at Jeremy. Jeremy and his men had their guns pointed at Levi and Kai. Kai was completely stunned and broken. His eyes were fixed on Piper, who was on the floor, back facing him. She wasn’t moving. At one point, his mind stopped working. He couldn’t comprehend why was she not moving. He slowly blinked. He wanted to call her name, but words would form in his mind. Even if they did, he know they will not escape his mouth. Jeremy grunted, “I want you all dead!” Jeremy replied. “How hard is it to understand that the longer you people are around the innocents will keep dropping dead? You all are the reason why my wife died. She was innocent. You all killed her! I am going to kill you all!” Jeremy loaded his gun and jabbed it at Levi’s head but still, Kai was not moving. He was completely deadened. His eyes were on Piper. Her hair was covering her face, he couldn’t see if her
Faith gasped as soon as Jeremy fell down. She dropped her gun and tried to run towards him, but Mateo held her. She didn’t think Kai would do it. She didn’t think he would pull the trigger. She didn’t think that Jeremy would die. She didn’t know Jeremy as her brother. She didn’t get the time to bond with him at that level, but she still felt a dull ache in her chest. Her blurry vision made Kai fall to his knees, his head lowered. Faith and Mateo were standing behind him, so they couldn’t see his face. Levi and Mateo rushed towards Piper, who was still unconscious. Faith gulped as she couldn’t tear her eyes off Jeremy, who was bleeding through his head. She blinked and looked at Mateo, who was saying something to her, but she couldn’t understand the word he was saying. His voice was muffled to her ear. She rapidly blinked and pulled herself out of the muddle, “…he needs you,” was all she was able to understand. She connected the dots and realized that he was talking about Kai. Kai nee
“You will be okay, right?” Faith asked Kai while they stood on the deck. Kai, Piper, Benji, Levi. Ethan and Noel were about to get on the boat to get back to the city. Kai was yet to get on the boat, while they have already taken Piper and Benji in there. Piper was still unconscious and Benji was sleeping. Faith hoped that Benji doesn’t wake up until they reach the city. Ethan walked past them, offering Faith a soft smile where Levi was in deep conversation with Mateo behind them. Kai heaved a sigh and nodded his head. The sky was getting brighter as they talked. Kai had bags under his eyes. His eyes were red from crying. “I will be okay as long as she will is okay.” He bobbed his head towards the boat. Faith smiled and put her hand on Kai’s shoulder. He was still letting her touch him, which was a wonder. Kai had his shoulders sink, “You will be returning back home, right?” He asked.The way Kai asked her made her heart squeeze in her chest. She knew that she was the only family lef
It took them a little over two hours to reach the city. When their boat arrived, there were already two ambulances waiting for them. Mateo had made sure that the ambulances were there before the rest of the arrived. As soon as they get off the boat, Noel was put in one hospital and Piper and Benji were put in another one. Benji was just put to sleep, but since he has been having panic attacks whenever he wakes up, so he needed treatment as well. This entire trip has been extremely traumatic for him. Kai wasn’t allowed to ride to the hospital with them, so he followed it to the hospital. Levi asked Kai to get back home and rest while he and Ethan will update him on Piper’s condition, but Kai didn’t agree to it and insisted on going along with them. “Levi, don’t bother. Can’t you see his face? He is very worried for her. Let him come with us,” Ethan said to Levi. Lev sighed and agreed. The three of them ride to the hospital in a separate car. When they reached, Piper was immediately ta
Faith and Mateo met the elders of the village that included Faith’s grandmother. They all called her Mila and she didn’t mind it. She didn’t think that she would like being called by her real name, but now that the kind and sweet villagers were calling her by that name, it was growing on her. She didn’t correct them once and always responded to that name. They were very welcoming toward her. Some children gathered around to see who was Karina’s daughter. Turns out, Karina was a very well-loved person in the village that the kids who were born after her death knew about. Faith met a lot of people. It was a very overwhelming experience for her. Since most of the villagers didn’t speak or understand English, Kami, his sister, and a few more translators were brought into the meeting. Mateo was discussing something with the elders. It was probably about security and everything that happened in a few days, while Faith was sitting outside with a few young villagers, one of them was Kami. “I
A good day came months after. The people of the village finally got their freedom. When that happened, week-long celebrations were held at the village, and all of them were invited, especially, Faith, Mateo, and Kai. It was a joyous occasion. Even when everyone was dreading back where they all spend the worst days of their lives, of course, they went anyway. Hesitant at first, everyone had a great time. Faith had never seen the people of the village have such a festive spirit. It was truly a beautiful week. Faith spends most of her time with her grandmother, Kami, and his family. Benji didn’t want to go with them, but when Kami asked – he couldn’t say no. Lora (Kami’s sister) was there to welcome everyone. Everyone could see how excited Benji got when he saw her. Piper and Kai exchanged a knowing glance. Benji has a crush on Lora. He had it since he came here for the first time. After he returned to the city, he kept in contact with her in one way or another. Faith was happy to see
(One Year Later)Even today when Faith closes her eyes and thinks about her recent past, she can’t truly process it. She can’t believe that so much changed in the past couple of years. From losing her entire family to almost getting killed to find a new family – a new purpose – everything in her life was nothing less than a lesson – a brutal and painful lesson. Currently, she was sitting in a meeting along with Kai and Mateo – but they weren’t the only ones there. The three of them were hosts, while the other distant members of the Ricci and Bianchi clan, a few mafia leaders, and a couple of correspondents from the village were in the room. The debate was on – whether the village/island should be given its independence or not.Faith was sitting in between Kai and Mateo. She averted her gaze to the other side of the room where Kami sat along with a few young faces representing the village. Faith could tell that the young boy was nervous. She shoots him an assuring smile. Kami smiled ba
Kai didn’t say anything in return. He just impassively stared at Mateo before they were interrupted by Faith and Piper’s loud laughter. Both looked at the girls to find that Ethan had managed to pull Levi into the pool. He grabbed Levi’s ankle and pulled him in, making the water splash around and the girls laugh. Mateo heaved a sigh and shook his head as he watched his friend emerge from under the water, not looking much impressed. Noel was standing behind Levi when Ethan pulled him in, he was now watching them two. Ethan laughed and splashed some water towards him with his hand, “What are you doing up there loser? Get in!” Noel shook his head, “No, and you need to come out too.” He looks at all of them, “You all do. It is chilly and the water is cold,” he added. “It is not that cold,” Piper replied. It was because Kai switch on the heater to warm up the water, but that’s mean it was okay to be in a pool on a chilly night under the sky. Just at that moment, Piper sneezed. That was i
Faith and Piper were wasted. If having one drink after another wasn’t enough, they were now drinking straight out of the bottle. “We should go swimming,” Faith slurred a suggestion to which Piper enthusiastically nodded her head, agreeing to it. Before anyone could stop them, an equally drunk Ethan got on his feet and threw his fist in the air, “Hell yeah! Let’s go!!” he yelled out and hooted. Everyone else was so concerned about Faith and Piper that they didn’t even notice just how much Ethan was drinking. These three were completely wasted. Noel was slightly tipsy. Where else, Levi, Mateo, and Kai only had a single drink so they weren’t drunk at all. They decided to stay sober to keep an eye on girls, and well – now Ethan as well. “Excellent,” Levi muttered under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He moved to Ethan, who was swinging from one side to another with a bottle of one of the most expensive whiskeys in his hand. Kai glanced at the bottle in his hand. He didn’t
Faith was in her room, changing with there was a knock on her door. Her room was now filled with done and undone boxes. She will be moving out tomorrow and there is so much left to do. But currently, she wasn’t focused on it. She is certain that she will be able to pack before the movers arrive. She was concerned about the dinner party they were having tonight. Faith had already invited everyone and now she was changing for the night. By the knock on the door, she was certain that Mateo has arrived. She quickly picked up the clothes she threw on the floor and put them on the bed before she spoke, “Yes?” The door opened and indeed it was Mateo. He looked good. Fresh and well-rested. It took everyone over a month to get over what happened on the island. The exhaustion and trauma (for some) didn’t leave for days. Mateo was looking like he did when Faith first met him. The difference between then and now is that then he had a hard scowl on his face, and now he was smiling. Then he threw
“Are you all packed up?” Piper asked Faith who came to her room to visit. Faith looked at Piper and smiled. “Yes, almost. Just a few things are remaining to be packed,” she replied. In two days, Faith is moving in with Mateo. For the past week, she has been very busy. She didn’t realize how comfortable she has gotten at Kai’s place, that now that she was winding everything up here, she feels sad to be leaving. When she started packing, she was excited. For her, moving in with Mateo is like a new chapter of her life, but as she proceeded, she realized how uncomfortable yet relieving it is to end this brief, daunting, and challenging chapter of her life. Piper was sitting on the bed, reading, when Faith knocked on her door. She exhaled and smiled broadly at her, “So, are you excited?” She asked. Faith chuckled and sat on the bed beside her, “I am.” She nodded her head, “But I am also nervous. There are so many ifs and buts in my head that I can hardly sleep at night,” she replied hon
“Thank you,” Piper hugged and thanked Faith, before she looked at Mateo, “Thank you both of you. I don’t know what would have happened if it wasn’t for you two. I would have been living on the streets,” she added. “Hey!” “What the hell?” Levi and Kai spoke at the same time. Piper pulled her eyebrows together and looked at both of them. Kai was frowning while Levi stepped forward, “What do you mean you would have been on the streets? Are you kidding me? I would have never let you be on street. Damn, I thought you thought of me as a friend, but boy was I wrong.” Levi scoffed. Where Kai just watched her dumbfounded. She softly chuckled at Levi. “Oh, I would have never bothered you. You already got your hands full,” she told him bobbing her head towards Benji’s room. The door of Benji’s room was open and inside everyone can see Benji and Ethan playing video games. They were so engrossed by what they were playing that they didn’t even notice the people outside looking at them. Ethan and
Kai squinted his eyes. When he was coming out of Piper’s room, he did not expect Faith, Mateo, and Benji right outside – watching him walk out of the room. Their curious gazes made him feel like he was sneaking out of her room after a one-night stand. Mateo was shamelessly smirking at him. Faith was curiously watching him, and Benji had his eyes narrowed at him. Kai cleared his throat and ignored Mateo’s comment and Faith’s question. He was about to tell them that they shouldn’t be so nosy when the doorbell rang. Faith and Mateo pulled their eyebrows together and looked at each other, “Who is here so early in the morning?” She muttered and watched as one of the helpers opened the door. It was Levi and Ethan. “What are you two doing here so early?” Mateo asked with his eyebrows knitted together. Levi didn’t look good. He looked like he didn’t sleep all night. Ethan looked tired as well, but not as exhausted as Levi. Levi glared at Ethan at Mateo’s question. Levi heaved a sigh. His sh
Kai has been inside Piper’s room for an hour. He was now sitting on the floor while she was sitting on the floor as well but she sat by the window. She was watching outside the window while her knees pressed to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. While her eyes were fixed outside, Kai’s eyes were fixed on her. They have been talking for the last hour. No yelling or name was calling. There were no accusations, nor did they completely patch up – they were just talking, which was due for some time now. They fight. They have had sex. They have done everything, but they never get the chance to sit and just talk about themselves. About their insecurities, about their feelings, about everything they bring to each other. Piper last put forward a very interesting point, “Aren’t we toxic for each other? There is just too much we don’t agree on.” She had muttered. Her point was quite simple. She told him that even if Jeremy hadn’t attacked her or anyone else, and even if he was just try