River had started to make his way to the stairs but I stopped him dead in his tracks. My arm stretched out in front of his chest and he looked at me with a raised eyebrow, questioning me.

"Go outside." I whispered not wanting for Heath to over hear us, or who ever was actually up the stairs.

"What?" River frowned but a few seconds later nodded understanding what I was saying.

If we both went up there Heath could see that he was out numbered and think better of the situation.

He could chose to flee, leaving us with nothing but bruises as our proof of the night.

Slowly River took a step back nodding before making his way towards the door. The camera on the stairs didn't follow him as it kept its focus on me.

A silent question I had asked myself earlier had proved to be true. What ever it was these guys were up too had something to do with me.

Taking a deep breath I put my first foot on the steps and made my way up. My gun was in my hand the whole time, ready for what ever was waiting for me.

When I got to the top I stopped listening out for any hint of a sound.

There was nothing.

For a second I thought my guess was wrong and that the cameras were being controlled remotely from somewhere else.

Then the sound of a click reached my ears and I was left a mere second to move.

Throwing myself into one of the other rooms the bullet had grazed my thigh before hitting the wall behind me. A hiss left my lips without my command and it took everything in me not to cry out.

It wasn't a small graze either but I couldn't see the full extent of the injury between my jeans and the blood.

Anger flooded through my veins at the sight of it, there was no way I was going to let this man get away from me now.

He was going to pay for this.

For every pain he caused me I was going to make sure to pay him back ten fold.

Footsteps started to make there way towards me slowly and I moved my hand away from the graze. My mind was swimming but the pain was long forgotten about through my adrenaline.

With one step I was out of the room firing my gun in the direction that the footsteps where coming from. A figure dropped to the ground in another room before I could fully see them, a curse left my lips as I followed them.

Ducking around the corner my gun was already firing before my body fully made it around. This time I did manage to see him and I couldn't help but grin at the fact I was right.

It was Heath.

Heath reached around from the side of the bed firing my way making me press myself behind the door. As I loaded my gun once more I couldn't help but let a sin loving grin cross my lips.

Most people would think I was insane but there was something about being so close to death that made you feel alive.

"Come on!" I shouted clicked my gun closed. "Are we just going to play chicken all night. I'm getting kind of bored."

A deep chuckle was my reply as I heard his own gun being reloaded. "There's something you got to love about a woman who's a little crazy."

"Then you're about to love me a whole lot more in a second."

Texting Draven I told him I needed a distraction and quick.

"Oh trust me I've heard all about you Layla Kennedy." There was something in his voice that told me he wasn't lying. "The Princess of a world she doesn't yet know how to control."

Something about his words set me the wrong way.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

Before he even had a chance to demand answers something was thrown through the glass window. Glass shattered everywhere and a moment of silence fell between me and Heath as we looked down to what it was.

A smoke bomb.

Not even a second later the thing went off making my lungs feel like they were burning from the inside out. I pulled my hoody up to try and cover my mouth and nose but the damage was already done.

Looking through squinted eyes I could see that Heath was struggling too. He was on his hands and knees basically coughing up a lung.

His eyes snapped up to me at the sound of the click of my gun. Before I could take a shot a raging coughing fit took over my body, making me drop to my knees. There was no doubt I needed to get out of here.

While I was struggling to breath Heath took that opportunity to turn on his heel and jump out the very window that was smashed a few moments ago.

Using what ever energy I could find I made my way over to the window just in time to catch the end of the struggle between Heath and River, who had been lying in wait for him.

Draven looked up to me making eye contact with a sheepish smile of his own as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You asked for a distraction!" He shouted up innocently while it took everything in me not to throw up from coughing so much.

Glaring was the best I could do at the moment for an answer as I focused my breathing to jump out of the window with a tuck and roll. The landing was anything but graceful but it was the least of my problems right now.

Draven bent down to help me up as River continued to tie up a struggling Heath. Heath must have knocked River the wrong way because he was quick to give the slightly older boy a punch to the jaw.

Heath though just laughed through the pain as he met River's dark gaze head on.

"You are definitely one of the Knight brothers, River I'm guessing from that punch."

Heath comment got him nothing more than another punch as a response. River took a step back once he was satisfied Heath wasn't going anywhere.

We were standing in the backyard of the house but it wouldn't be long before our commotion gathered attention from the neighbours.

"We need to get out of here." Draven seemed to have the same line of thoughts that I was as he glanced around the back of the other houses.

Heath though took this opportunity to turn his attention to him.

"Draven Carson right?" Asked Heath with a grin, he was trying to get a rise out of us all. His posture was slightly thrown off with the cough but it still sent the same message. "Tell me, what's it like living in your mom's shadow? After all we both know she would've been able to get past those fake feeds easily."

Draven went to take a step forward his normally lighthearted looks turning sour at Heath's words.

My hand landed on Draven's chest to stop him from doing something he would regret. My other hand was still at my mouth as I continued to cough.

Heath looked around us all then gave out a deep chuckle like the funniest thought had just come to mind. His laugh was cut short with a raging coughing fit but his message was still loud and clear.

He didn't fear anything from us and it did nothing but royally piss me off.

This time it was me who walked forward and no one was quick enough to grab me before it was my fist who hit his jaw this time.

Heath's head snapped to the side and he had the half decency to keep it there as I gritted my teeth together and leaned closer to him.

Venom in my voice as I spoke.

"The only reason you know anything about us is because the Giudice family."

My words made him freeze like a bucket of ice cold water had been thrown right over him. Heath's dark eyes looked at each one of us properly for the first time, truly taking us in and the situation he was in.

"What do you know?" His tone was low as his worried gaze finally landed on me. As hard as he tried he couldn't hide that fear from me and my mind.

"I don't think you're in any position to ask the questions." Pointing down at his tied wrists and ankles to prove a point. "So I think I'll be asking the questions tonight."

Heath opened and closed his mouth, his eyes snapping over my shoulder before looking back at me. He wanted to say something but thought better of it and I had a clue it was to do with the look River was giving him from behind me.

"What do you want?" He finally snapped realise just what type of situation he was in for the first time.

Standing up straight I let out a sigh before turning back to River, point blank ignoring Heath.

"Let's get him out of here before someone sees us." River nodded as he walked over to Heath, untying his ankles so that he could walk. Keeping a strong grip on his wrists River started to push him towards my car.

"To late."

My heart was in the throat as I turned around on my heel and pointed my gun in the direction of voice. Dante had stiffened beside me as he turned around with me.

Just as quickly as my heart jumped but body started to relax as my breathing same out in short pants as I tried to catch it again.

"You scared the shit out of me." My hand went to my chest as I looked between my uncle Damon and Zane, River's dad.

Damon's electric blue eyes were lighthearted as he looked between us all before finally landing on me. "Does your mom know you're out here?"

"Mom was right, you are the dense twin."

Damon narrowed his eyes at me in a playful matter as he walked towards me. Me and my uncle have always had an easy going relationship.

It was a stupid question in my defence, Mom always knew everything.

"Who ratted us out this time?" Asked River as he eyed his dad with an unsurprised expression on his face.

Zane's gaze looked at his son before slowly moving to look at Heath who was still in River's grip. He looked at the nineteen year old curiously before sighing.

Zane was a handsome man with his dark eyes, sharp features and lean build. Tattoos graced his arms and neck which where hidden under the hoody he was wearing. A small scar was on his jaw but it was mostly hidden under a shadow of stubble.

Had to admit when I was a kid I used to have a stupid small crush on him.

Until his son started to grow up just as handsome and deadly.

My mind raced to a different thought, he was away with my dad.

What was he doing home?

That meant both Damon and Zane had come home from Italy with still no sign of my own dad.

"Zoe actually." Responded Damon answering River question. Dante had flinched beside me at the sound of his moms name.

Then she knew about his failed hacking from earlier. That wasn't going to sit well with Dante. I had wanted to turn around and give him a reassuring look but I knew that was the last thing Dante would want.

He wouldn't want us all thinking the same thing, even River saved him from embarrassment from not looking his way.

At the sound of a struggle Heath tried to break away from River but River swiped his foot under Heath's making him fall to the ground. A soft groan left Heath's lips as the air was knocked out of him.

"Who do we have here then?" Asked Zane as he bent down closer to Heath, almost like he was looking at a wild animal.

This meeting wasn't by chance, Zoe had sent them.

Something inside my raised in anger.

"You were sent to check up on us?" My voice was harsh as I spoke up making everyone's heads snap towards me.

River didn't look one bit surprised, Dante still looked embarrassed about earlier so in the end I seemed to be the other one that was bothered by the situation.

"Zoe lost vis-"

"I don't care." I snapped at my uncles reasoning, he was about to say something else but Zane bet him to it.

"Count yourself lucky that you still have parents to care." Zane's words rang through out the backyard making us all freeze once more.

Shame washed over me as his words because I knew he was right. As much as it annoyed me that they had butted in they were only doing it because they cared about us.

It probably didn't help that the words had come from the man who had lost his parents to this world. Mom hadn't told me much but just told me that Zane's parents were killed because they were no longer a use to someone.

A world like ours power changes so quickly.

River gave me a soft look before yanking Heath to his feet and started to make his way to the car. Dante must have had enough of everything because he slowly followed behind him.

Looking at Zane I could see his curious eyes were now watching me. There was no annoyance there about my earlier words but I still needed to say what I wanted to say.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to say that, I was just angry."

He waved me off like it was nothing important. "Trust me I know what it's like to want to prove yourself in a world you're still learning to walk in."

Damon had managed to creep closer to me and narrowed his eyes in wonder. "Why are your eyes bloodshot and what is that smell?"

Grinning I rolled my eyes knowing that he was probably thinking I was doing drugs or something. "Dante had let off a smoke bomb and it hit me head on."

Damon had let out a loud bark of laughter and even Zane chuckled under his breath as they took me in.

"That's why Zoe said she had lost sight of you." Laughed Damon looking a lot less worried than he did moments ago. "We thought you had dropped off the face of the earth, Zoe never loses sight of anyone."

Don't we all know it.

Damon started to walk towards the car where River and Dante's bickering could be heard. There was no doubt in my mind River had picked this fight on purpose to try and get Dante to forget about his earlier failure.

"I wouldn't be too quick to grow up." Zane's words snapped me out of my world as I turned to look at him. He was looking at me from the corner of us his eye like he was thinking of something.

Zane was my dads consigliere in a sense. He was the one that handled the dirty work of my fathers world. If there was something that needed to be done in secret or under the radar Zane was the one to be called. There was also no ones advise my dad took more than Zane Knight's.

There was stories that dad and Zane used to be rivals in school and life. Most of the time I couldn't believe it because of how well they worked together but then there was other times that you spotted it. Like when they had a childish arguments over something stupid that had mom rolling her eyes or how Zane always hugged mom a second to long to annoy dad.

At the end the two of them always seemed to have each other's back.

It was a friendship and loyalty that I hoped to have someday when I was well truly in the heart of this world.

"Didn't you grow up to quick? River told me you were helping your parents from a young age just like dad was."

"In a sense yea." Shrugged Zane agreeing. "But that's not what I meant. There's no issues with growing up and throwing yourself into this world. Fuck, go for it you have my full support but don't forget unlike most of us at your age you still have parents that you can rely upon to help you. Even your own mom had to work out this world, her parents are alive but have nothing to do with it."

I knew what he was saying. My parents would always help me no matter what situation I got myself into. He was telling that I didn't need to grow up so quick that I didn't need to rely on them.

"Your parents are still here and are in the heart of this life." Continued Zane. "So don't grow up to the point where you can't go to them for help. Trust me there's plenty of time for that after they're gone and that's not something I'd wish on anyone. Also you'll find out that the more you listen and watch them, the more powerful you yourself will become. So if you want to conquer this world, watch your parents and the rest of us. Watch what we do, learn our strengths and weakness, learn what situations call for what response and soon enough you'll learn more than we even did on how to conquer this world."