“Where are you?” I’m on the phone waiting at the door for my ‘girlfriend’ to arrive, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I’ve learned in the past week not to expect anything rational from Aria, cause she will surprise you.
“Eh, in the limo, duh!” This girl will drive me through the madhouse straight to hell.
“Aria! Stop doing that!”
“Then don’t ask me questions I don’t have the answers for! For the last time, get it into that robotic skull of yours – I don’t know San Francisco, Sport!” I open my mouth to comment, but she hangs up the phone. I take the phone from my ear and look at the screen as if I need some proof that she just did that.
I take a deep breath and count to 20 – ten just won’t cut it this time. It’s the second time she’s done this hanging-up-on-me shit and it is extremely annoying. Deep inside I know she’s right … she doesn’t know the city yet … but it doesn’t matter. For some reason, I need to know where she is at all times. I scroll to her number to dial her back but the limo turns around the corner. I couldn’t meet her at home, so I organized a car to pick her up instead.
The paparazzi are already swarming around like bees, waiting to capture the best moments, and Aria’s airport debacle made them hungry for more blood. So even before I can make a move, they’ve circled around the limo fighting to get the best spots.
Still verging on the edge of anger, I open the door and pray again softly in my head, hoping for everything to be okay. It doesn’t need to be perfect, I’ll be happy with just non-disastrous.
I hold out my hand and she steps out of the car showing lots of leg skin. She straightens herself, and I do a very, very slow top-to-bottom and back inspection of her image.
My anger dematerializes, as my mind drops to my junk. She looks absofuckinglutely stunning! I can’t tell you much of the little black number except that it’s short and black and the sexiest thing I’ve laid eyes upon.
She’s displaying just enough cleavage to pique your interest, wanting to see more. And the only problem I have now with those ‘short’ legs in the high heels, is that they’re not wrapped around my hips … or my neck – I’m not picky. Her hair is partly tied up, loose curls framing her face and running down her back. The small touch of makeup on her face enhances her fairy-like features, her green orbs popping with a mysterious, smokey effect.
Stuck in each other’s eyes, we just stand there for hell knows how long. Then my gaze drops to her plump, pink lips and it’s as if I know I have to move, but for the life of me, I can’t budge.
Then she pulls my head down into a totally unexpected kiss, leaving me paralyzed for a mere second, but instinct takes over and my arms shift to pull her into my heated body. Her wild-flower scent suffocates me with heavenly ecstasy, but before I can deepen the kiss, she pulls back, quickly looking into my eyes before shying away.
Only then do I register exactly where we are and I look awkwardly at the now huge crowd of photographers around us, cameras flashing like crazy. Aria tries to hide her face shyly in the dip of my shoulder. Fuck! I’ve never kissed a girl in public before. You won’t find a single photo of me locking lips with anyone … before now that is.
Worse, I’m now in a difficult situation, with a full-on mountie, and a slew of cameras aimed directly at me – another unfamiliar experience might I add. I scratch the hair behind my neck, feeling rather uncomfortable in front of the cameras for the first time in my life. Pulling my shirt from my pants as unnoticeable as possible, I let it hang over to try and hide the unwelcome bulge before taking her hand to walk into the building.
The room is filled with the high, rich, and famous, each one trying to overshadow the rest. This is my world, one that everybody dreams of until they realize the truth – it’s a sham. Everybody here is pretending, hiding reality behind masks of happiness and riches. Maybe that’s why I chose this job … blending in here for me is easy, an imposter hiding between artificial poster children.
“What the fuck was that?” I’m seriously wigged out right now. My whole body is still slightly shaking from shock and my dick is only semi-deflated - on top of it all, it feels as if I’m going to puke. And the worst is that I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. I mean, I’ve kissed plenty of girls before, and this never happened to me, like in never ever. Must be because of the cameras or the fact that she caught me by surprise.
“I panicked when I saw all the cameras. It was the only thing that came into my head at the time,” she says sounding annoyed.
“Stay here!” My head is a mess and I just need to get away from her for a minute.
I leave Aria at a corner table and head for the bar. I fucking need a drink, a strong one.
“One Cosmopolitan and one Johnnie Walker Blue on the rocks, please,” I put in my order at the bar. I lean with my arms on the counter, desperately trying to get back my composure. I take a deep breath.
I can’t look at Aria right now, but I know she’s by far the prettiest girl in the room. And with a room filled with models and actresses, it’s saying something. Against her, the rest looks like phony-washed-out ghosts. For the first time, I feel irritated, as if my eyes suddenly opened and I’m looking at my life from the outside. Is this who I became?
Somebody grabs me hardhandedly from behind, one arm tight around my neck and I stiffen my body and pull in my breath.
“Hey, bro!” I breathe out and relax – Damion. He lets me go and leans onto the bar next to me. I turn to face him and his eyes scan over my untucked shirt.
“See we’ve got the same problem.” His shirt is also hanging over, “What are you drinking?”
“Johnnie Blue,” I say, and Damion, knowing too well, whistles softly and gives me a stern look. We only drink JWB when we’re in a foul mood. He turns towards me, now leaning with his hip against the bar.
The barman returns with my order, and Damion asks for a whiskey and some ginger ale.
“Okay, who blew up your bubble?” he asks.
My eyes involuntarily find our table. Mel joined Aria and they are laughing about something. Damion follows my gaze and a big smile spreads over his face.
“Let me guess, little miss Aria Thompson is driving you insane?” He hits it on the head and I look into my glass, hoping to maybe find an answer there.
“Dude, if she can screw with you like this, just know you’ve officially fallen flat on your face.” He pats me on the back as if to embolden me and we pick up our drinks to go join the girls.
“I hate this fucking feeling. It feels as if my coo-coo divebombed straight into the asylum.”
“Pretty vivid description, but rather accurate. Your sister drives me crazy almost every minute of every day, especially if she pulls one of her little stunts! Mostly I don’t know if I want to fuck or strangle her.” His eyes are on the girls.
“And the worst part is being scared shitless that something will happen to her again.” He turned serious all of a sudden, and I can see the flicker of fear lingering in his eyes for a second. Then he shakes his head and the playfulness is back in those green irises.
I look at my best friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law, a little disgusted since it’s my sister he’s talking about, but relieved to hear I’m not the only one with that problem. I smile back at him. He’s been extremely helpful.
“Just so you know, rather go for the ‘fuck her’ option, much more pleasurable. Just remember to use protection,” he continues just before we reach the table, and this time we both burst into laughter.
Then a body slams into me, wet lips connecting with mine, hands stroking down my arms.
“Babe, I missed you. Where have you been?” Amanda Dee, actress, pain-in-the-butt, and occasional hook-up. I step back to get away from her, having this strange feeling that I’m doing something wrong in my gut.
Her boobs almost protrude from the way-to-tight pink dress. Usually, it could turn me on a little - she is a Victoria’s Secret model turned actress after all - but now I only feel a little sick. Either I’m losing it, or I’m coming down with something.
Damion cowardly moves to stand between the two girls before she can lay a hand on him, so she threads her arm through mine. I look at it indecisively, not wanting it there, but not sure what to do, so I just keep staring at it without blinking.
“Hi, Mel, always nice to see you. And congratulations on hooking such a prime specimen for yourself,” Amanda greets my sister without letting me go, sounding very insincere.
“Ah, thanks, Amanda. And let me introduce you to my sister-in-law-to-be, Aria,” Mel’s oversweet voice draws my gaze from the unwanted hand on my arm to meet some laughing green eyes. Why is she smiling like the devil’s assistant? She mouths the word ‘punishment’ and then it hits me. I swear softly, pulling an annoyed face.
I quickly pull my arm from a surprised Amanda’s claws and walk over to stand next to Aria, handing her the cocktail. Then I put my arm around her shoulder and pull her closer.
“That doesn’t count!”
She looks up as if lovingly into my eyes and hisses, “We’ll talk about it later, Sport.” I scuff at the nickname she started calling me by, not knowing what it means. But I’ll find out, sooner or later. Either way, it can’t be something good.
Amanda’s face turns from shocked to disgusted to fake over-friendliness. She flaps her hand through the air and throws her hair back with an equally fake motion.
“Oh, sorry darling, didn’t think you were with him.” She accentuates the ‘you’ just enough to almost let it slip by undetected, but it was there.
“Don’t look like you can think,” Aria says softly to herself, but I’m able to hear since I’m leaning my chin on her shoulder. I have to bite my lip not to smile.
“It’s just that I wasn’t expecting you, ‘cause Enrique always comes to these functions alone and leaves with somebody.” She flatters her eyes and for a moment I’m scared that her fake lashes might get stuck together. How could I be so blind? And I cringe at her words … it’s true, but not exactly the truth. I always leave with some random girl to keep up appearances, but I don’t always fuck the girl that leaves with me …
And for some reason, I don’t want Aria to get the wrong idea, but now is not the time to get into my previous sex life.
“Well, from now on I’ll always come and leave with Aria.” I’m not lying, from now on she will always be with me … eh … at functions I mean. Amanda’s smile turns upside down and she undoubtedly doesn’t look very happy at the moment. But then her fake face returns.
“Mel, is that a new cocktail you’re drinking?” Amanda is lots of things, but sharp is not one of them. My sister stares at her glass of ginger ale as if trying to figure out if the girl just seriously asked that, then she looks up at the dimwitted actress.
“Yes, it’s called ‘Unprotected Sex’. You should ask for it at the bar.” Damion chokes on his drink and starts coughing, but Mel keeps a straight face. Aria sucks in her breath and holds it in while staring at the ceiling.
“Aria, I need to pee – now, before you and I become jail buddies in a murder case!” Mel grabs Aria’s arm and pulls her along bumping Amanda out of the way.
“Oops,” Mel pouts. My sister is on a roll and everybody knows she dislikes Amanda with the passion of forty alligators in a garden pond. Amanda is Chloe’s BFF and well, let’s just say that Chloe is my sister’s least favorite person on this planet right now.
Mel and Aria seem to have hit it off just a little too well, and that might just be a little disastrous as both of them are equally unpredictable. Damion gives me a we-are-in-big-shit look, probably thinking the same thing. Levelheaded, emotions-in-tack Kiara and Mel are a good safe combination … but Aria and Mel – not so much. It’s like putting fire on fire, or more precisely fire on dynamite and it might kill us.
“I’ll dig the grave, don’t you worry,” Aria says as the two girls cling to each other while walking determinedly to the bathroom. I swear they’re planning Amanda’s death with each step they take.
“Who died?” Amanda asks then, and I catch Damion’s confused look. I click my tongue to let him know that he should just ignore her dumb-ass.
“We need to be scared right now, bro” I whisper bumping him with my shoulder. He leans forward onto the table, his eyes not leaving my sister until she disappears into the ladies’ room.
“Those girls look like fucking angels … “ he says unemotional, “but they’re anything but holy.“
“More like soul-sucking demons if you ask me … “ I add flatly, staring at the bathroom door.
Date = 27 March Place = San Francisco (Palace of Fine Arts) POV - Enrique We sip our drinks in silence for a while, each one lost in his own thoughts, our eyes focused on the green door. “We’re both screwed so bad,” Damion sighs, “and if yesterday’s adventures are anything to go by, those two are the same pint-size blobs of disaster. So good luck with that!” “What happened yesterday?” My eyes catch them coming back out, but before he can answer me it suddenly feels as if my blood is clotting in my veins. Brian Cruise and PJ are talking to the girls as if they’re old friends. WTF! I gnash my teeth. I hate Brian and he hates me. Both Mel and Aria quickly look in our direction and then at each other, as if planning something again. “What the flip are they doing now?” Damion stands up straight, his suspended body language mirroring mine as we watch the girls being led to the dance floor. My sister’s influence about swearing rubbed off on him already. I’m trying because of Leyla, but
Date = 28 March Place = San Francisco (Enrique’s home) POV - Aria BWWAAA BWA BWA BWA BWWAAA! I jolt up and from shock widely open both eyes, instantly regretting it when my head feels like it just exploded. I look around to find the sickly hoarse goose that made that awful sound, but instead of a honking bird, I only find a laughing Enrique at the end of the bed, holding some kind of plastic trumpet thingy. He holds it against his mouth and blows. BWA BWA BWWAA! I close my burning ears with my hands, giving the damn twit a look that would kill ten men. The fact that he’s only wearing CK boxers not going unnoticed. I mean, seriously, that body is anything but ugly. No wonder he’s such a sought-after model. “Ug!” I croak, touching my pounding head with my fingertips – extremely lightly. I close my eyes, not only repelled by the luminosity from the sunshine glaring through the open curtains but also to keep my sexual organs from becoming Niagra Falls. Cause that’s what’s gonna happ
Date = 28 March Place = San Francisco (Inferno) POV – Aria As soon as we get out of the car, I take Leyla’s hand and loop my other arm through Lee’s. I have two reasons for doing this - firstly, I need some emotional and physical support, ‘cause my knees are still weak from the kiss. Secondly, and most crucially, I need a human shield between me and my model boyfriend; because I need to unravel my confused haunted mind from this morning’s incident. “The girls are inside,” Damion, waiting in front of Inferno, says while looking at me with a lopsided grin that would make the Snowqueen melt. Lee is literally standing with a dropped jaw, staring with those big eyes at the hunky racer. What a strange little guy. So I forcefully drag him with me towards the club’s huge steel doors, leaving the brothers to talk to their friend – aka future brother-in-law. “Is that …” Lee sounds a bit lost so I butt in. “Yep, that’s Damion Grimm, a beautiful specimen of the male species, and on his way t
Date = 1 April Place = San Francisco (back of a van) POV - Enrique The stench of rotten eggs, mixed with something drastically nasty, burns my nostrils and makes my eyes water. “Ug, someone is dying from the inside out,” I murmur, desperately trying to push my nose against my shoulder to seal off the smell since I can’t use my hands. “Oh, come on people … seriously, who let it rip?” little Lee asks, sounding as if he wants to kill the culprit right there and then. He’s the definition of the smaller the bottle the deadlier the poison … a tiny guy with a huge cocky and fearless attitude. The air is filled with grunts and groans, but nobody mans up to being the owner of the fart. “Guys, please … although that was a shocker … we’re in tight corners here … I really don’t want to suffocate before I’m killed,” Jackson protests, removing my number one suspect from my list. “Stinks like a shrimp boat that got stuck in the cheese aisle of the supermarket!” Lee gasps right next to me as i
RIB = rigid inflatable boats Karl = the name given to the fog in the bay area by the locals Date = 1 April Place = San Francisco (boat on the bay) POV – Enrique “Wait! Take those two down. We’ll start with them,” the serious man is pointing directly at Jackson and me. What the fuck now? When I glance at my brother he has a sinister grin on his face as if he’s having a good time. Typical Jackson … ug … and I find myself secretly wishing the man had selected someone else in his place – any of the other guys would have been better. Look, I love my twin to bits, but I also know Jackson is seriously flawed … and putting him in this kind of situation is like squeezing a tiger’s balls. They separate us from the other guys, and I stand there helplessly watching as my companions are forced to the front of the boat. Their expressions vary from devastation and anger to desperation and fear. I frantically scan the area, hoping to get a glimpse of Aria one last time … but no such luck. I h
Date = 1 April Place = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center) POV Enrique “They both have hypothermia …,” Ilkay starts to update us, but I only hear a word here and there, “bradycardia … their small size … Aria stabilized but Luke is still critical … moved to PICU … on hemodialysis machines to warm the blood … had to cut her hand from his PFD … damage tendons … brave girl … lucky to be alive …” I don’t care about all the medical gibberish, all I worry about is that she’ll be okay, so my focus is on the girl whose cold hand is laying limp and uninspired in mine. They’re using different measures to gradually raise her core temperature. Aria somehow managed to stay awake up to the end and cling to Luke with so much force that some tendons in her hand were strained. But she didn’t let him go, she kept them together. I run my free hand through my hair; sticky from the salty ocean spray and then I lay my head down on the bed and close my eyes. Maybe I drifted to sleep – maybe not. My eyes
Date = 4 April Place = San Francisco (Enrique’s home) POV – Aria I wave until the pickup disappears around the corner and let out a sigh of relief. Deimos and Haley, together with Alejandro and Noah, are taking the kids on a road trip to San Diego, stopping at every attraction along the way, including Disney Park and Legoland. It goes without saying that my little sister is boiling over with excitement. Since Leyla’s next chemo treatments are scheduled for next week – on her birthday, no less - I’m grateful for the break cause I need to sort out my head. Enrique has been a little … er … distracted these last few days … since I fell overboard. But tonight we’re gonna talk. I put a pot of water on the stove – it needs to boil before I add the spaghetti. My mom was famous for her bolognese and I’m using her secret recipe to prepare him the best pasta he ever tasted. “Something smells good,” I turn around to find a still glistening wet Enrique leaning against the door frame, only cov
Date = 4 April Place = San Francisco (Enrique’s home) POV – Enrique WARNING – sex scene!!! Aria’s lips are full and soft, but with a desperate intensity as if at odds with herself. At first, I’m slightly stunned; my mind trying to convince me for a moment that this should not be happening. It’s dangerous … for me. It’s not part of the contract. But my body quickly overwrites my conscience and I bite her bottom lip. She moans softly, the small opening in response is all I need and my tongue eagerly takes the opportunity to explore the sweetness of her mouth. Another moan. The sweet appreciative noise vibrates through me - to the end of my cock. For a moment I’m lost in the sweet taste of sugar-candy fudge; my absolute favorite by the way; and it’s simply just too much for someone like me, who’s been celibate for quite a while now, and all my resistance crumbles with a horny growl. To be quite frank, I’ve been suffering from lascivious thoughts since I met her, but that’s not somet
Date = 14 JulyPlace = San Francisco (on the road)POV - Enrique“So, and correct me if I’m wrong here … you dropped River and her parents with Damion … Lee is back here with you … but where’s Skye then?” I look at the man riding shotgun. Axel interrupted his Olympic practice to go help Jackson - not much of a surprise there - and they found the little stowaway hiding in his truck after I let them know about her disappearance. That’s one super strange kid.I shift my gaze to my twin. Together they rescued the innocent, picked up River’s parents in Portland and stuffed them safely with Damion’s group … wherever that may be. But, and I asked Mel about this, there’s no trace of this Skye chick …So I’m trying the impossible - to figure out what Jackson’s done with the girl. His usual brainwave regime is like herding cats to begin with … so a smitten Jackson might act even more illogically ridiculous. Jackson with feelings - that’s a whole new concept. Right about now, I’m even considerin
Date = 9 JulyPlace = San Francisco (Damion’s house)POV - AriaWARNING – sex scene!!!“Do you want me, Fairy girl?”I feel his need pressing against my hip and resist the urge to let out a whole hysterical laugh. “Sport … "“Yes,” he feathers kisses down my neck. My brain shuts down.“I … eh … " Oh hell I’m stuttering. I let out a low laugh and try to push him away. “I want you. I do. But I still want to hurt you too. Because you always hurt me … but that’s just who you are … and I know that … you’re a player and actually it’s not your fault … you never led me on … but still I need you to feel the same pain … it’s pitiful but …”He cups my face and kisses me … most likely to shut me up … and frickin hell it’s working - here hauled up against the very sexy, very warm, very hard body of the man I love I’m totally speechless.There’s a million and one reasons why this is a bad idea … my heart getting broken all over again the main one. I should run. Now is the time to push him away, rej
Date = 8 JulyPlace = San Francisco (Damion’s house)POV - Enrique“Sooo, you’re Jackson. Well, I see what Skye means … you ARE the hot one.” I roll my eyes. We’re fucking identical. Well, except for the tats … and his crazy eyes. And it’s that glower that examines the girl sitting on the kitchen counter with a critical squint. River, however, does not seem to be rattled, not even in the slightest, by his seemingly chained up intensity. Her face scrunches up, wrinkling that cute upturned button-nose, as she gives a big, toothy smile (missing a few).“But you’re a hot mess, dude. I’ve seen better dog turds.” She seems genuinely sincere and I clench my lips to suppress my laugh. He cracks his knuckles. Right now he won’t see the humorous side of anything. Jackson is on the edge. Right on the very tip of it. I know this from years of experience living under the same roof. The slightest chuckle might push him right over. And getting into a one-on-one with my brother when he’s like this is
Date = 8 July Place = San Francisco (Damion’s house) POV - Aria “Just stick your finger up his nose and then kick him on his sexy ass!” My laugh sounds sectionable, like I’ve been chicken-flipping cocaine. Mel lowers her voice, “But really bitch, talk to my stupid brother and make him open his frickin eyes.” Yeah, right. That would be nice, except I’m the blind one, seeing things that ain’t real. For him we are nothing more than an expired contract. Signatures on a piece of paper. But I can’t tell her that. “Come on Aria, hurry up.” From the passenger seat, the tiny voice, giddy with anticipation, interrupts my phone call with my best friend. I miss her. “Mel, wish you were here.” “Soon.” Really though? I’m not so sure this whole revenge ‘thing’ those people got going is ending soon. In a world teeming with intrigue and uncertainty, there are those who find themselves marked for danger. Like these San Francisco boys. A spectre of stalking looms over their existence, an eminent th
Date = 7 JulyPlace = San Francisco (Inferno)POV - EnriqueAlone.That’s how I feel. Sole-slayingly alone.Everybody appears to be gone. My mood sucks. And I’m feeling as though I’ve been abandoned in hell.It’s been more than a week since we rescued Aria … more than seven days since my twin raced off somewhere with our uncle. And over 200 hours since Logan and Alejandro disappeared.Axel is on a training spree, getting ready for the Olympics. Damion is still hiding my sister while Ilkay is somewhere on the black continent treating mosquito bites. And here I am, spending my nights at the club, and my days trailing Aria like some twisted stalker in the shadows, holding my breath that nothing bad happens to her again. Although we’ve taken all the necessary precautions we could under these circumstances … equipping everyone with tracking bracelets (complementary of Blackburn Inc.), handing out stunt guns small enough to fit in one’s pocket, and exploiting a shitload of guards secretly a
Date = 27 JunePlace = San Francisco (UCSF Medical center)POV - AriaI watch them walk away. They seem happy. The previous anxious aura now gone. His father looks just like him - dark hair, dark eyes. So does his sister. I’ve seen them in here before. The little girl with the ice cream. In total contrast, his brother inherited their mom’s blonde hair.“I’m going in. Talk to you just after.” I end my conversation with Mel. She told me everything Enrique left out earlier … the part about what’s gonna happen with Lee, one way or the other. I also learned that Amanda died in an unthinkable horrible way. On the bright side … she sent me a photo and her tummy suddenly popped … looks like she swallowed a basketball.“You can go in now,” a nurse announces to me. I’ve patiently waited for his family to leave. I didn’t want to intrude. Or rather … I didn’t want to answer their, what would be, awkward questions. They seem so friendly; loving; normal. So where did Brian fall off the bus? Why did
Date = 27 JunePlace = San Francisco (Inferno)POV - EnriqueWARNING – sex scene!!!“Are you hungry?” I ask, trying desperately to cut through the uncomfortable edge hanging in the air. Why this girl has the ability to make me suffering from a chronic tummy ache, for one, I’m not sure … but I have an idea. I’m in … I’ve fallen for her. And I want her in my life. Forever.First, I need to fix my mistakes. Even though I did it to keep her safe, I know I hurt her. And, after everything, she was still put in harms way. Maybe if I haven’t pushed her away, I would have been there to protect her … like I’m supposed to.I walk to the small kitchen, where the bacon and mushroom omelets are sitting cold on the room service trolley. I had it delivered earlier, but Aria was still asleep from the sedative the medic gave her on the scene. She was having a full on panic attack when she woke up at the warehouse.The whole pregnancy issue, the way I put her down, the fact that I wasn’t around when she
Date = 27 JunePlace = San Francisco (Inferno)POV - Aria“Ow,” I murmur as pain pierces my head, little knifes stabbing into my brain while images flash through my mind like a low-budget horror movie. The dirty mattress. Lee’s angry eyes! Amanda’s scared mascara-smudged face! Eerie screaming, similar to seagulls fighting over food. Blood. Wicked laughter. I take a deep breath. I swear I can smell the ocean. And fried bacon. My eyes jolt open. I blink a few times to adjust them to the bright sunlight shining through the large open sliding door. I’m in a strangely familiar-ish room. Fear paralyzes me. First they took Amanda away … then Lee … now it must be my turn.I try to move but seem to be weighed down. I gasp, bracing myself for an impending panic attack. They tied me to the bed. They’re gonna kill me. Or worse, rape me. Or the ultimate worst - both. In a fit of panic I gasp a few fast breaths, before gently turning my head to see what’s pinning me down …Just to find Enrique’s an
stronzo = Italian for ‘asshole’ Figlio di puttana = Italian for ‘Son of a bitch’ Cazzone = Italian for ‘Idiot’ Date = 27 June Place = San Francisco (Grimms) POV - Enrique Warning – graphic content! “Anything?” Jackson leans over Jesse’s shoulder to stare at the screen, asking the same question for probably the millionth time. I’ve never seen my twin this on edge. I get that he feels responsible for his roommate. I just don’t understand why he feels responsible THIS much. He’s behaving just as crazy as he did when Mel was abducted … maybe even more so. Typically, nothing rattles him much. So this frantic behavior is completely novel. In this situation, I should be the one to go crazy here, but instead I feel entirely depleted; drained of every inch of energy. I stare at the intricate pattern on the thick carpet under my feet. The blue color matching my brother’s wild eyes. I know something is amiss with him … known it for a while … but right now I don’t give a fig … all I care a