Justin

I stood on Nate's porch with clenched fists. How the hell I'd manage to talk to him without beating him to nothing, I had no clue. I rolled my shoulders back, lifting my arm to ring the bell again.

Nate opened the door with a raised eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you. Dimitri's orders." I lied.

He shrugged, opening the door wider to let me pass. I waited until the door was closed before grabbing Nate by the collar and slamming him back against it.

"I'm only going to say this once," I breathed. "So listen closely. I don't give a fuck what kind of daddy issues you have or what kind of jealousy you feel because I have the girl you want. You better tell me what the fuck happened to her or I swear to God I will ruin your life."

"I don't know where your fucking girlfriend is," He choked out before I pulled him forward and slammed him back even harder than the first time. The anger that rushed through me hadn't been present in months. The urge to wrap my hands around his neck and press until there was no breath left was all too tempting.

"I could tie you up." I whispered. "Burn this whole house down around you. Or I could force pills down your throat. I'll leave a note behind. Make it seem like...living in the shadow of your father, never having his approval, became too much to handle. I'm a pretty reasonable guy, so I'll let you choose."

"You're a psycho."

"You haven't seen a psycho yet." I snapped. "I have nothing left to lose, Nate. So you better start talking."

"She ran okay?!" Nate rasped out. "The night she found out. Dad knows that she knows and she left. Now he's after her. You better find her before he does, because you know what'll happen to her if she takes this to the police?"

"And you have no idea where she could possibly be?"

"How would I know?"

I pulled Nate from the door but didn't let go. "I better find her in one piece," I said maliciously. "Or else I'm coming for you first." I knocked him out of the way, throwing the door open and slamming it behind me.

I didn't miss the way he wouldn't look me in the eye the entire time.

--

Gianna was pissed when she stomped her way into my living room. "What do you want, Justin?"

"I need your help."

She frowned. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend."

"I know, I'm sorry." I replied. "But when I met you, we weren't together. You've been nothing but nice to me and a really good friend. But that's what I need you to be...a friend."

Gianna sighed. "Ana's her name right?" I nodded. "I'm really sorry about what happened."

"That's why I need your help. Nate knows more about where she is than he is letting on."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"He said she ran off, which makes no sense. She wouldn't just do that without saying anything to anyone. And even if she did run off, how would he know? It just doesn't add up. So please, just try to find out something. Anything."

"He may not be lying?"

"He didn't make eye contact with me once. I know a liar when I see one alright?"

"You're asking me to go against my family, Justin."

I sighed, "Ana is innocent in all of this. She is probably terrified and all I want is her to be with her own family...safe. Please, Gianna, help her."

She chewed her lip in thought, eyeing me carefully. ""Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"How much does she mean to you?" Gianna was looking down at her shoes.

I shook my head. "Everything. She means everything to me."

We made eye contact. "Then I'll help you."

--

Gianna

I put on a smile before stepping into my stepbrother's house. I had to park outside since he told me that the garage was taken up by packages.

Nate greeted me with a huge hug, like nothing was out of the ordinary. I glanced around the house, which I'd always thought was way too big for just one person to occupy.

"What's new?" I asked him. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"You know," He shrugged with a charming smile. "I've just been working a lot." He led me into the kitchen. I propped myself up onto one of the bar stools.

"You must feel horrible about Ana." I said, watching his face. "I mean, she was one of your employees right? And it happened behind the store."

"Yeah..." Nate sighed. "I just hope wherever she is, she's alright." He shook his head, picking up his car keys. "I put in an order for Chinese. You gonna wait here?"

I nodded with a smile, "Yeah."

I stood by the window and waited until the gate was completely shut before heading towards the basement stairs. I've known Nate since we were both little. I've known him well enough to know that he'll never look you in the eye when he's hiding something.

Packages in the garage my ass.

There was a door leading to the garage in the basement. I threw it open, a light automatically coming to life. Nate had a truck that he rarely ever used, and was usually covered by a tarp. But the tarp wasn't around it, instead laid out on the cement ground next to it. I stepped around the huge tires, freezing at what I saw.

Ana was sprawled out across the black canvas and from my view, she looked dead. I gasped, falling to my knees next to her. I threw my hands down, shaking her.

Her eyes opened into little slits. They were glassy, barely able to focus, and her breath was coming short. She was on enough drugs to knock out a giant.

I brushed her matted blonde hair from her face. "Oh, Ana..." I whispered. My big brother, the guy I've grown up with, I've looked up to. How could he do this? Why?

She mumbled unintelligently, lips barely moving as she tried to take in air. "Justin's going to come get you, okay? It'll be over soon."

I didn't want to leave her there. It pained me to. But I didn't want Nate catching me down here and I didn't want to make this worse for her and Justin.

I couldn't ease my tension as I sat back on the stool and waited. When Nate came back, he laughed carelessly. "Did you move at all since I left?"

"Hm?" I looked up at him. "I went to the bathroom. You weren't gone that long." He put a container of dumplings in front of me but I wasn't that up for eating anymore. "Mom's coming in on Saturday for a shoot and we're having a big dinner for her. Can you come?"

"I can't," Nate replied, picking up his chopsticks. "I'm heading to the house in Arizona to drop something off."

Dread struck through me. "Those packages in the garage?" Nate looked up at me, startled. "You told me about them this morning."

Nate visibly loosened. "Oh, yeah those are it. I have to do it as soon as possible. Sorry I can't make it."

I looked down at my food. "It's alright, don't worry about it."

--

Justin

I lay in Ana's bed, curled under the covers. It scared me how much they still smelled like her. The whole room did. I recognized the scent of shower gel mixed with sweet perfume. I heard Gavin's footsteps the whole day and he knew I was in here. But he didn't bother me and I didn't bother him. He was angry and I completely understood.

My phone vibrated on my chest and I quickly swiped it. "Hello?"

"Justin, it's me." Gianna's hysterical voice shrilled in my ear. It sounded like she was switching between sobs and gasps.

"Gianna? What's wrong? What happened-"

"You were right. He drugged her and has her in his garage. But he's taking to her to my Dimitri's house in Arizona tomorrow night. You were right Justin. Nate took her."

--

Poor Ana :(

We're reaching the turning point here people.

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