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CHAPTER 20
‘All my demons dance through the motherfuckin’ nighttime’
PARANOID – Chase Atlantic
Jake
I feel a presence behind me before I hear the click of the gun. I went to get Jamie’s present from the pool house, and I knew I was done for. I walked out of the front door and I felt it as soon as I turned to round the house. Fuck knows why I went through the front door and not the back. I guess I was closer when I walked down the stairs. All I know is I should have gone the other way.
“Happy new year, brother.” Nate’s satisfied voice rings in my ears.
How the fuck did he get past the gate? I turn around to face him and his gun in my face. To my surprise, he didn’t come alone. I mean, of course, Sam is behind him smoking a cigarette, they come as a pair. But I didn’t expect Carlo Diaz to be there with him. This is serious shit and I know when a situation isn’t going to end well for me. This is one of those. Nate alone I’d find it hard to take on. Nate armed and with two of his bitches isn’t exactly going to go down nice and easy.
But I’m not worried about myself. All I’m worried about is that they don’t get in and find Jamie. They came for me. Me and Rose more specifically. They want us to sign their fucking change of guardianship form. Jamie shouldn’t be involved in this, especially not when Nate is obsessed with her.
I don’t think I ever heard of a girl breaking up with my brother before. The hair, the eyes, the tattoos, the suits, they love it. He probably didn’t take it too well when she blocked him after his countless texts.
“Let’s talk in your house,” he orders.
Fuck no. I’d rather go and be tortured at Bianco’s house than for them to know Jamie is here.
“Let’s make this quick, I’ll come with you to Bianco’s,” I reply as casually as possible.
He chuckles and the sound makes me grind my teeth. “Bianco’s got no time to waste on you. He’s spending New Year’s Eve with a few escorts and bottles of whiskey. Get in your house.”
“It’s not my fucking house. I know the psycho in you wants to drag this out, but I have other things to do. Let’s go.”
His smirk turns into a dark smile and I know I should have played this cooler. Now he knows I really don’t want to get in.
“That’s true. It’s not your house,” he quips. “It’s the Murrays’. It wouldn’t really play in your favor if something happened to it.” He puts his gun in the back of his jeans and takes a step towards the front door, but I get in the way.
“This is only the start of the night, Jake. And it’s going to be a very long night. I’d suggest you buy your time before it starts getting painful for you. And it will be painful.”
I regret it as soon as I shove him back but what else was I meant to do? I need to delay him getting into the house as much as possible and the situation is already slipping out of my control.
The first two punches hurt. So. Fucking. Bad. Especially because they come from Nate. They add to the bruises that hadn’t faded from our fight at Cal’s.
The adrenaline takes over when Carlo joins in and I fight back as much as I can. I practically black out when my brother lands a punch that knocks me to the floor. I can’t feel much anymore, I think I’m passing out. The last thing I see is Sam calmly pushing the front door open and the last thing I feel is someone grabbing my shoulders and dragging me.
???
Jamie
My heart stops when I’m faced with the scene downstairs and I can’t help the gasped whimper from leaving my lips.
All heads turn to me and the surprise in Nathan’s eyes is not my imagination.
“What are you doing here?” he seethes.
I want to shout, cry, claw at him. I want to reply confidently ‘I’m returning the fucking question, asshole’. But I do nothing, I’m frozen on the last step, watching as Carlo Diaz and Sam drag Jake’s barely conscious body in the foyer.
Nathan clearly didn’t expect me to be here and it’s messing up his plan. There’s a sliver of hesitation in his eyes. For a split second, I see the Nathan I knew, the one that cared for me and protected me, but it disappears as fast as it came. His gaze turns dark, and I can sense the evil part of him winning over everything else.
He turns to Sam. “Go get the shit from your car,” he says in a voice of steel.
The door opening and slamming shut finally allows me to move my body again. I run to Jake as he starts to come back to reality, but Nate stops me straight in my tracks. He grabs me by the back of the head, tangling my hair in his fist and I scream as I’m being pulled back with force.
Jake tries to stand up but as soon as he starts moving Carlo hits him with a kick in the ribs. Another.
