AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The second I’m ready, Dad marches across the room, pulls my door open, and heads toward the stairs.
Of course, I follow.
It’s what’s expected of me. To follow in his footsteps, to become the kind of respected man he is.
My eyes flicker to Calli’s door.
She’ll be curled up in her bed, sleeping soundly. She’s completely unaware of what my life has been like recently.
We don’t talk about these kinds of things when she’s around. It’s always been the case. I get it, I think. She’s going to lead a very different life from me, being a girl and all that. But I’m not sure her being totally kept in the dark is right. But then, who am I to argue? All I have to do right now is follow orders, pass my training, and make my next steps toward being a soldier and securing my future as part of this Family.
I follow Dad silently out of the house and into the cold, dark night—or morning, I guess.
He leads me toward the shooting range, but just before we get there, I spot two dark figures waiting for us.
I don’t need to see the size difference between them to know who it is.
Theo might be a year younger than me, but as the future boss of this entire Family, Uncle Damien decided that twelve was too long to wait, and he started Theo’s training the same day I started mine.
It’s not often we’re brought together, our fathers preferring to train us alone. So the fact we’re both here now rings some alarm bells.
We come to a stop in front of them, a weird crackle of tension going through the air that makes my stomach knot.
“Morning,” Uncle Damien drawls ominously, and my dad nods in greeting. “We want to see what you two have learned. We’re not leaving here until one of you either passes out or taps out.”
My breath catches as reality slaps me upside the head.
“You want us to fight?” Theo questions, his brain functioning faster than mine.
“Show us what you’ve got, soldiers.”
My eyes find Theo’s, and I recognise the same unease, even in the darkness.
I take a step forward, but a large hand lands on my shoulder, hauling me back.
“You’ve got this, Son. And remember, no matter the outcome, I’m proud of you.”
2
BRIANNA
“Nico,” I scream, jumping from the chair I was lounging in and sending it crashing back as I take off running. My heart thumps in my chest as heavy footsteps follow me, making butterflies erupt in my stomach.
I might be running, but I have every intention of letting him catch me.
Nico has been like a bear with a sore head since the moment he turned up here with the lads.
He knew I was coming—Jodie assured me that Toby had warned him—but that hadn’t stopped him from watching me with contempt since the moment he got out the car.
But as the hours have gone on and the alcohol and weed has flowed, that contempt has turned into something else entirely.
Sure, the hate between us is still there. I’m not sure that will ever vanish. Without even speaking, we seem to manage to rub each other up the wrong way. But in doing so, we also tempt each other in the right way too.
And the drunker I’m getting, the more I’m craving the side of Nico that I’ve become entirely too addicted to over the previous few months.
“Get back here, whore,” Nico demands as I jump from the decking that connects all our tipis where we’ve been hanging out all evening.
I land with an ungraceful thud, but I recover quickly and take off once more.
