Ellie

Walking up the stairs I could hear my heart pounding through my ears, feel the sweat above my brow. All I could think about is how I was going to kill my brother for this. Just what was he thinking messing with a Monroe? He knows how powerful and deadly that family is. I will be lucky if I can plead his case enough to get him out of this alive.

At the top floor, the walls in his hallways are pristine. Almost as though the walls and floors sparkle. Looking up there is an extravagant desk with a gorgeous platinum blonde woman sitting in a chair, with a headset on. She must be full blooded fae, or at least have half in her blood line. Everyone knows the fae and warlocks are beyond gorgeous creatures.

She looks up from her computer screen and looks directly at me. It almost hurts to be looking at such beauty. "He has been expecting you." She says with disdain in her eyes.

I know I could not compete with her in the looks department. It would be no contest at all. I notice more of her flawless attributes as she stands from the desk, placing her headset down on top. She has legs that could go on for days. She must be close to six feet tall. Her short black skirt is just below her "happy place" (as my mother once called it), and she has on a tight white blouse with the top two buttons undone. Showing off her amazing chest area. As she looks at me expectantly, I can see the prettiest blue green eyes.

Looking down at my measly five-foot five frame, I realize I do not even compare in the least. I have on a pair of baggy black pants, a long sleeve green shirt (that I must say goes well with my red hair). Hell, that is probably the only thing I have going for me. It comes to my shoulders, and it looks almost sun kissed because it has light blonde streaks in it. All natural, although more than once people have asked where I get it dyed. As though I could afford that.

I must jog just to keep up with her as we make it down the long hallway. Making it all the way to two wooden doors with an intricate mark on the front. Almost looks like a sun and star together. I wonder what it means.

As my unfriendly companion knocks on the door to the office, I dread the most at this moment, I suddenly find it hard to breathe. I have heard stories of the Monroe family. Not only are they the richest family in the entire city, but they are also the most powerful warlocks, and vampires in the entire supernatural world.

To outsiders, that are only human, they believe the Monroe family are just some sort of mafia. Which in a way is true, but they do not know they are so much more? It is said there are three brothers. Each one takes after their father and grandfather significantly. Both in looks and the power they can wield.

The youngest son Kayden is said to be the most powerful of them all. For he has a different mother then the two eldest. What his powers are I am not quite sure. All I know is I hope I do not find out tonight. Once again what was Keith thinking?

As she opens the door, I take a deep breath before walking through the thresh hold. There are two men with their strong arms over their muscular chest, leaning against the window frame. In the middle of the two, sitting at his desk, looking like he has no care in the world, is a man with so much power you can feel it radiating off him. I instantly feel wetness forming between my legs.

"Thank you, Maria. That is all." the blonde bows her head. Without giving me a second look, she turns and walks out the door. Leaving me alone with these frightening men.

"Sit." one word is all he says, and already my heart speeds up so fast, I feel as though it will pump right out of my chest.

I want to do as he says, really, I do but my legs have become jelly. They will not move an inch; I am frozen in fear. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, swallow it, and count to ten. Then release it, all while praying that when I open my eyes this will somehow all be a dream. I will be back in my apartment, on the south end of town. Finding that I fell asleep on my couch, watching an old movie again.

As I open my eyes and stare into the depths of the most alluring, crystal blue eyes I have ever seen, I realize I am not so lucky. There is no way now that I could move even if I wanted to. He is eyeing me from the top of my head to my feet, in what almost feels like a caress.

His eyes turn completely black, before one of the men that is standing behind him, phone goes off. Distracting him for a moment, giving me time, I need to make it out of my frozen state. Hurriedly making it to the small chair in front of his massive desk and sit.

"Good girl." He says so quietly I am not sure I even heard it.

I sit quietly in my chair, with blue eyes staring so strongly at me, I feel as though he is somehow touching my soul. Maybe he is? That thought scares me more than anything. When the man on the phone stops the whispering, and turns to face me, I am immediately taken out of my own thoughts. Wondering why no one is saying anything? Questioning who would call at a time like this?

I get my answers as the office door is kicked open, and my brother, all bloody lands at my feet. His eyes are almost completely swollen shut, his hands are tied behind his back, and he has cuts all along his arms. This is when I forget everything else going on and fly out of the chair in horror. On my hands and knees beside him I cradle his head on my lap. Checking his pulse, I find it is slow, but beating. He has a broken rib from what I can gather. How am I going to get him out of this alive?

I look up to the three monsters behind the desk. With tears running down my cheeks, I must hold my sobs in. I must remember who is in front of me, and not allow myself to get allured with his looks as so many women do. Have not seen him completely yet, he keeps it mildly dark in this office, but I have seen pictures. Read stories about him, how he is a player, and one of the evilest men in the city. They say do not believe everything you read, but in this moment I do.

"Ellie." I look down at my older brother so fast my head spins. "Shouldn't have come." Is all he can make out in barely a whisper.

"Of course, I had come, you're my older brother. There isn't anything in this world I wouldn't do for you Keith." I say this as I wipe the tears from my eyes. I need to hold the rest in, this is not the time to be weak.

Looking down at my brother, I cannot help but to think of all we have been through. My brother is five years older than me. (Being twenty-five, you would think he would know better.) Our parents brought me home when I was five years old. He was so happy they adopted me, and he would finally be an older brother. He always looked out for me as older brothers do. Especially, two years ago, when our parents died in a car accident. Fucking drunk drivers should not be on the road at all. Even though, they could not be there he still made me go to my high school graduation three weeks later. With him standing in the front row applauding and yelling my name. How could he think I would not be here for him in return?

"You love your brother." Kayden says as a statement, rather than a question. He did not have to ask, because I was here. Showing up to what most would call a suicide mission, shows how much I love my brother.

"He's all I have left." I say shyly from the floor. Slowly working my eyes up, I give a slight nod.

"What do you want?" I boldly ask. "I know he has a gambling problem, and probably owes you a lot of money..."

"Half a million." he cuts me off mid-sentence. I think I stop breathing all together. Half a million dollars, how in the world could we pay that?

As if reading my mind, Kayden smiles, and answers "I don't want money. In fact, I know with your waitressing job, there's no way you could pay that back in this lifetime."

"If you're not after money, what is it you want?" I hold my breath awaiting his answer, but he does not give me one yet. Instead, what comes out of his mouth baffles me.

"What are you?" He stares intently at me. As though he already knows the answer to his own question.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what he means. I am human of course. My parents and brother are fae, and I was just lucky enough for them to take me in. How they loved me with no questions asked and took care of me when they did not have to, I will forever be grateful. A weak nothing human, with no abilities, but they did not care about that at all.

"Human." I tilt my head slightly to the side, with the look of duh in my eyes. I feel a little put off with him goading me about how out of everyone in this room I am the weakest link.

"Really?" Hmm...what do you think boys?" he asks the other three men in the room. The two muscles behind him shake their heads and laugh. The one nearest me, that had brought my brother into the room looks as though he is sniffing the air.

"Human my ass. She smells like power, and all woman." The one near me licks his lips with a terrifying smile upon his face. However, when a growl comes from behind the desk, his smile disappears, and he looks down. What is he talking about? Have they all lost their minds, I have no powers, I am just a boring human?

"You've never been human."

Kayden holds up his hand when he sees I am about to interrupt.

"Do you know how I know?" He gives off a predatory smile, stands from his desk, buttoning the middle button of his suit jacket and slowly makes his way over to me.

Thank goodness I am already sitting down, the look he is giving me can make any girls knees go weak. When he is directly in front of me, I swallow noticeably, and gradually lift my eyes up his tall frame. Let me just say he is all man. You can tell by the way his suit clings to his body just how much muscle he really has. Broad shoulders, a strong jaw, and his nose fits well with the size of his face.

When I make it all the way up, I can now see his hair is almost black, and reaches the back of his neck. Short on the sides and front. His eyes have got to be the shade of the ocean. He is beautiful.

A sly grin forms along his lips, as he looks down at me. There is a look of heat coming from his eyes. Almost like he is just as turned on by me as I am him. I feel my center wetting more and squirm my thighs. Trying and failing miserably to make the tingling sensation go away.

Of course, he notices, and his smile grows. Before I know it, he lifts his suit pants slightly, and kneels in front of me so he is at my eye level. His elbows placed on his knees; he finally speaks "because I know you. I've known you for a long time."

My brows squint together showing my confusion because he continues with "don't worry sometime soon you'll remember again. I'll show you the truth." He gives another smile as he stands to his full height.

"You want him to live, correct?" I nod my head, and he frowns down at me "I like to be answered verbally."

"Yes, my brother is all the family I have left in this world." He goes to turn away, but before he gets all the way around, I reach out, and touch his leg. One of his eyebrows lift, as he looks to my hand on his leg. Feeling like an idiot I snatch my hand back and place it on my lap.

"Please..." I look up into his eyes "I know he did something bad. I understand he has a problem. I can work with you on this. Can't we work something out? Please, I can't lose him" I repeat. Feeling vulnerable I look at my shaking hands upon my lap "I'm begging you." I do not look up; I cannot bring myself to look back into his eyes. Seeing just how pathetic I am with the look he gives me back. I am feeling so afraid he may just laugh at my pity, throw me out on my ass, and I will never see my brother again.

Not much else I can do; he has all the power now. I look at my brother, the one person I know that would not harm a soul. Not on purpose anyway. He just has not handled our parents' death too well. He turned to drinking and gambling only months after their deaths. He has taken all our money they left us, and gambled it away, in a Monroe's casino of all places. Although, he has messed up so many times for the past two years I will always love him.

"There is a way we can work this out." I jump from the sudden voice interrupting my thoughts. As his words process in my mind, for one moment, though it may be stupid on my part, I feel we may have a chance out of this unscathed.

"Anything, I'll do anything. I can waitress, or work as a cashier. I can do those jobs pretty well." I smile, feeling hope for the first time tonight.

All the men in the room laugh.

What could possibly be so funny?

These are the jobs I have done for the last six years, since I was fourteen years old. Looking at the men around me, I am slowly realizing my words were a mistake.

"I don't need a worker." Kayden, shakes his head, walking back to his chair. He sits down, lifts his legs upon his desk, places his hands on his stomach, and folds them. He then, looks at me with his devil eyes.

For a second, all I can think about is that smile of his. How many women must fall at his feet? If I did not know anything about him, and what he does for work, I would fall between his legs anytime. I shake my head and mentally slap myself for thinking such things.

He has got my brother on the floor, in a pile of his own blood. Me begging him to give us some leniency, and I am having disturbingly naughty thoughts. What kind of a sister am I?

I am not sure what is wrong with me. My mind has been in the gutter a lot more these past few months. Which is not like me at all. Since I am a virgin and all, I do not even know how to please a man. Being in a room filled with testosterone is not helping any. The fact that the leader in the room just oozes power and sexual magnitude is no excuse for my behavior.

With an impish smile he cuts into my thoughts "it's simple, there's only one thing I want." When he looks at me this time, I swear his eyes have gone black again "one thing I've wanted for a long time, and one way or another, I will have."

Feeling perplexed, I wet my lips and utter "what would that be exactly?" Surely, we have nothing this man could ever want. Once again, I am eating my own words. All the air goes out of me on a gasp, with the fear that has made my body shake. Along with another feeling, but I cannot place it, with his one-word answer.

"You."

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