I watched Bryson's fury eyes land on me, narrowing his eyebrows at me as if he thought this was my fault. Aubree came into sight, nodding at me as she explained everything to her dad, like she had explained everything to me on the phone when she had called.

Aubree had dialled the cops but the line ended up going to Chris, Bryson's FBI team mate and friend as he quickly made his way over to the Pearson's household, finding Aubree lying unconscious on the concrete ground. He had given her medical treatment and when she regained consciousness, she immediately explained everything to Chris. Chris called up Bryson, telling him everything just as Anastasia and himself were boarding the plane for their short trip. Bryson almost died in shock before he made his way home.

"I understand Aubree," Bryson's voice came out hard and cold, his eyes not showing any but fury, his lips as thin as a paper.

"Xavier couldn't do anything," Aubree replied, more loudly this time. "This wasn't his fault."

Bryson nodded, knowingly. "I know."

Bryson's FBI team was currently in Bryson's office, discussing the plans whilst Anastasia, Aubree, and the boys were sitting on the couch, trying to comfort a sobbing Anastasia.

When I left the Pearson's and went back home, my mother was delighted to see me as she demanded me for any details, especially what I had done to ask Thea to be my girlfriend whereas my father was just watching me with his piercing hazel eyes. The same eyes I inherited from him. Before I could go up to my room, I had received a phone call from Aubree and when I threw my phone across the room and immediately grabbed my leather jacket on the way to the front door, my parents demanded what was wrong. When I told them that Thea had been kidnapped, my father was on full alert then immediately disappeared into his office, doing god knows what. My mom decided to go upstairs and talk to butler about something but I wasn't wasting any time so I called the rest of the boys and demanded them to head over to the Pearson's household.

"Xavier, you seem to know something," Aubree whispered as all attention were now on me.

I stiffened.

Before I could speak, the front doors busted open as it revealed the twins, barging inside the house with panicked facial expressions. I looked to Aubree and nodded, telling me that she was the one who called the twins about their precious little sister. The twins hands were in fists as if wanting to break something at any moment to release their anger.

"Have you found her yet?" Keith asked, his chest rising and falling.

Bryson and a team mate of his charged inside the room with their guns loaded and up in the air, both aiming at the twin's head. The twins instantly raised up both of their hands that had me pinching the bridge of my nose. "They're Thea's step-brothers."

Bryson's mouth immediately formed into a perfect 'o' before lowering his gun then nodded at his friend who nodded back in response before retreating back to his 'assigned' spot.

"What brings you here?" Bryson asked with a frown.

"He's kidding, right?" Kody questioned.

"Nope," Keith answered with a shake of his head.

"We have the right to be here because our freaking sister has been kidnapped!" Kody practically shouted before he tried to calm himself down before speaking again, "By our dad."

Aubree quickly made her way into the foyer, her eyes widening. "I remembering hearing Thea's conversation with the man. It was about him never being her dad or something."

Clenching my jaw, I could feel the fire and anger rising within me. "His step-dad used to abuse Thea when she was just small."

Both twins looked at me, shocked before sighing in defeat then nodding in confirmation. "What Xavier's saying is the truth. Kody and I protected Thea from any harm, especially from our father himself."

When I looked at Bryson's face, his features hardened and his fists were so tightly closed I could practically see the white seething through his knuckles. "Why didn't she go for help?"

Keith and Kody breathed in and out before answering, "she was afraid."

"Afraid?" Bryson questioned, bewildered. "Her father is a goddamn cop."

"Calm down Bryson," Anastasia said in a soothing tone as she walked into the foyer and placed a small hand on his huge shoulder, attempting to slow down his breathing.

"She didn't know you were a cop," Keith said with a frown. "She didn't even know her father still cared for her."

Now that shocked everyone.

Our eyes were turned towards Bryson who had tears springing in his eyes, knowing that he wasn't even trying to seal off his emotions like I had. Bryson ran a hand over his face, sighing loudly as he slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"We've found information on Ryan!" Chris called out as he and the other FBI team filed out behind Chris with their laptops in their hands, their eyes concentrated on the bright screen in front of them.

Bryson quickly straightened his posture and squared up his shoulders before putting on a blank expression, walking to the living room as everyone gathered around. I followed Bryson as he looked down at the small laptop with an iPad next to it. I frowned at two technology.

"Speak," Bryson commanded as Chris and the others nodded.

"Well, first off, his name isn't Ryan," Chris started as a team mate gave him a piece of paper that had just recently been printed off. "It's Ken Martin and apparently, there are several police reports on him. He has been charged for sexual assault. He was a murderer and a rapist but he had managed to dig his way out of prison, that stupid bastard."

My eyes widened and my heart beat picked up, fear running down my spine at the thought of something happening to Thea as Chris continued to speak. "He has been off the radar for several years and have been on the 'most wanted' list for a long time."

"So how did he get into Thea's life?" Luke asked, clenching his fists visibly.

"We don't know," Chris answered with a nervous shrug. "He now has a fake identity though."

Looking beside me was a vase of beautiful flowers but I managed to pushed down the urge of smashing that stupid vase so instead, I paced back and forth in front of the others. They eyed me with sympathy but I only gave the boys my death stare as they immediately looked away, their sympathy dissolving because they knew that I don't need pity.

"Xavier, calm down," Bryson said through gritted teeth.

Before I could tell him I cannot calm the fuck down, the door bell rang. I huffed, walking to the front door and ripped it open to see my dad and his army of security with their own laptops. I frowned as I was pushed aside by my father as he stormed into the room with his army following behind. The security team made themselves comfortable as some sat on the stairs, on the marbled floor and some went inside Bryson's office. I followed my dad behind to see him already talking to Bryson, only to see Thea's dad sigh in relief.

Chris nodded as he led his part of the team inside Bryson's office, probably to discuss some things with the other security team that my dad had brought with him. I looked at my dad, bemused, on what he was doing.

"What are you doing?" I dared to ask.

"Thea is your girlfriend and possibly my daughter-in-law," my dad answered, shock running through my veins. "She is also the daughter of my best friend."

Bryson sighed in relief again before nodding, rubbing his temples. I watched Anastasia whisper something in his ear before Bryson nodded and retreated upstairs with his wife. I looked at Aubree who was being soothed down by her boyfriend, an ache in my chest appeared as I yearned for Thea to be in my arms.

"There's something else," my dad whispered, turning to me.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion as he led me out of the living room.

"Yeah?"

"The twins you see over there," my dad said, keeping his voice low as he pointed straight towards Keith and Kody who was texting very fast on their phones, not aware of their surroundings. "Their parents were murdered by Ken Martin and then was kidnapped."

Plastering on a blank facial expression, I clenched and unclenched my jaw, my eyes focused on the innocent twins.

Fuck no.