Raven's P•O•V

"Raven..." Steven breathed in utter astonishment, entering into the doorway and gripping me in a hug. My arms stayed by my side, anger and shock rising in me. His tight grip loosened and when he parted from me, his eyes looked concerned.

"I didn't think you'd come back. I was so worried!" Steven exclaimed and looked over me, inspecting me as if he was looking for something out of the ordinary.

"Bullshit." The word came out of my mouth before I could stop it. I walked out onto the porch, hugging myself as the cold air bit at my skin. Steven followed me out on to the porch and looked at me in confusion.

"Are you alright Raven-" He asked, furrowing his brow at me. I looked at him incredulously.

"Am I alright? Am I alright?! I was ... gone, and you didn't look for me. You know I came back right?" I snapped, watching his expression go from concerned to surprised.

"I came back, and you know what I found? Everyone gathered around the dinner table, laughing and smiling like I didn't even exist. Oh and don't forget the best part, you had some girl take my seat, as if I could just be erased and thrown out of the family, forgotten like I was nothing. I guess you all got what you wanted, huh? For me to be gone." I continued, my voice cracking as my eyes started to burn with tears.

Overall, I had been happy the way things had turned out, but I wasn't thrilled with the way things ended with my family.

Steven stood there, his lips turned down into a frown, expression ashamed, showing how guilty I made him feel.

Good, I wanted him to feel the way I felt that night I returned back to New York.

"Raven ... I didn't know ..." Steven murmured, avoiding my critical eyes on him as he watched his feet.

"Did you even tell her that the seat she was sitting in was your sister's? Did you fail to mention that I was missing, that I could have been dead? Or did you not want to ruin your reputation as a detective?" I glared at him, feeling the rage fill my words. When he looked up at me, his eyes were glassy.

"You don't think I've looked for you? Raven, I've spent every day in the office trying to find you, trying to find some clue as to where you were and why you were taken. I searched over a hundred security cameras trying to find the last glimpse of you before you disappeared. I kept the house in my name so that if you ever came back, you'd have somewhere to go." Steven told me, his voice brittle as he spoke. A small bit of remorse filled me as I heard this, but not enough to take away the pain of knowing he had turned his back to me that night I came back.

"And that woman ... I met her after you were taken. She came into the precinct about a week after you vanished. She knows everything that happened to you, and she knows you're the only family member I love. Raven, I love her but you know I'd never forget about you just because I have a woman in my life."

"Isn't that adorable." I heard a voice come from behind me. Steven looked behind me and his eyes widened, then looked over DeMalo like some sculpture in a museum. I rolled my eyes.

"DeMalo, leave us be." I grumbled, not turning around to acknowledge him.

"Who's this?" Steven asked, not taking his eyes off of DeMalo.

"Careful mortal, continue with that hostility and I'd be more than content to drain you in front of your sister." DeMalo warned. Steven furrowed his brow at the term, but his eyes grew wide as an expression of disbelief played on his face.

First of all, don't just threaten a homicide detective's life. Second of all, don't threaten anyone in general in such a way as DeMalo just did.

It's like DeMalo was just asking for Steven to figure out what he was.

I placed my hand on Steven's chest as he stepped up, and kept him from advancing on the man who could snap his neck in barely a second.

"You need to leave." I instructed Steven, giving him a stern look that more or less told him that DeMalo was not to be messed with and he needed to go.

"Honey," DeMalo tsked and I rolled my eyes once again, "that is no way to treat your brother, and our guest! Let him in."

Is this man bipolar? I feel like I've asked that countless times.

The answer is yes. Yes he is.

Steven looked at him skeptically and I turned around, looking at DeMalo with wide eyes and a shocked expression. I merely shook my head, warning DeMalo that Steven was off limits.

"It's quite cold, don't you think? And my welcome is quite temporary. Please come in." DeMalo beckoned us in. I didn't have enough time to tell Steven to leave before he stepped around me and went into my house, almost like he was compelled to do it just by DeMalo's tone.

I walked into the house and DeMalo closed the door behind me.

"Would you like something to drink?" DeMalo asked in a sickly sweet voice. To anyone else, he played the role of a welcoming homeowner perfectly, but this was the man that tore through his brother's flesh with a magically cursed blade. Then proceeded to blackmail me into going with him so that I could receive the cure for the love of my life.

So, yes, I could tell this was all an act.

Deep down, I knew this couldn't have been good.

"We're fine DeMalo." I grumbled, not wanting to risk having this psychopath poison my brother.

Although I was angry, I didn't wish to kill anyone. Especially my brother and when I didn't know if his apologetic words were true or not.

"I'll grab some drinks." DeMalo said and left the room. Steven went to sit on the couch but before he could, I grabbed his wrist and looked at him with concerned eyes.

"You need to leave now. It's not safe. Go home Steven -" I whispered, trying to pull him out of my living room so he could leave me to deal with DeMalo and not get anyone else involved. As long as I was the only one in contact with DeMalo, no one would get hurt.

"Raven, what the hell is going on? Who is that man? Is he the one that took you -" I didn't let him continue with his questions.

"Steven you need to get out of the house. I'm fine -" I began to push him as he would not budge. He turned to face me and looked at me in deep concern.

He lowered his voice, "Is he hurting you?"

I shook my head, trying to be convincing.

Truthfully, DeMalo wasn't hurting me. He didn't abuse me.

He's just keeping me in my house against my will and forced me to sleep in the same bed with him is all.

I didn't answer and tried my hardest to lead him out of the living room and out the door. In a swift gust of wind, DeMalo appeared in front of us with three glasses filled with what looked to be Bourbon.

Steven nearly stumbled back in shock at how fast DeMalo had appeared in front of him.

"How did you-"

"Leaving so soon?" DeMalo cut him off, looking at Steven with a smile, but his eyes dared Steven to try to leave. With my hands pressed against Steven's back, I could feel him quiver in fear of DeMalo's bright ruby eyes fixated on him.

"Sit." DeMalo dropped the smile and demanded my brother. Steven turned around and did so wearily. I didn't blame him.

DeMalo gave us both a drink and sat in the loveseat across from the couch. I stared at him with a threatening expression. I didn't try to take a sip of the drink he had given me and neither did Steven, which I was very grateful for.

"So Steven, what brought you here?" DeMalo asked, sitting back in the loveseat and crossing his leg over the other, hands pressed against the armrests like he was sitting in a throne. I could only imagine him on a real one ... dictating the lives of all those that bowed before him. I couldn't manage the thought of it.

"I pass here on my way to work every morning. I saw the light was on and decided to check and see if Raven was back..." Steven told him plainly, but I could tell by his voice that he was on edge. Only time he sounded like that was when he had a rough case and didn't like talking about it. I knew he felt threatened by DeMalo deep down, even if he didn't show it.

"Oh how convenient." DeMalo stated blandly, his tone shifting once again. You could never truly tell how that man was feeling. One minute he's all fake nice, next he's threatening, only to end up looking unenthused by the conversation that he started.

Now you could see why I dreaded talking to such a man as him. It was exhausting trying to keep up.

"What brought you to come back?" Steven asked, forcing himself to look away from DeMalo and to look at me. I was taken off guard, not knowing what to say. I wasn't about to tell him the truth, but I guess DeMalo was.

"My brother and I got into a huge fight, so I decided to remove Raven from the situation for a while. It's just a matter of time before my brother finds us." DeMalo explained, thankfully not flat out telling Steven everything. Although his explanation did cause Steven to look at me in concern and grab my hand.

"I want you to tell me the truth. Are you in trouble?" He whispered to me, making my heart hurt as I could see the care and concern playing in his eyes.

"Oh please, I did your sister a favor by bringing her here with me. She's safer here than she was when she was in Romania." DeMalo scoffed, taking pride in himself as he thought that I was better off with him. He spoke as if Steven knew everything that was going on.

"Romania?" Steven remarked, his eyes wide as he furrowed his brow.

DeMalo sat back in his chair and laughed maniacally. I placed my head in my hands.

"Oh Mortal, there's so much you need to know." DeMalo said, a smirk playing on his face as he began to explain everything.

Alec's P•O•V

We were flying over New York, the cold air frosting the windows of the jet. Ten of my best trained guards were with me as I stared down at the city. As we made our descent, I felt my chest clench at the thought of the last time I had been here.

Last time, I had descended over this city with a dull heartache, thinking that I'd never see Raven again.

Now, I knew I'd see Raven and that it was my duty to bring her back with me just as I had the night I returned her here.

The jet touched down on the strip and I stood quickly. I looked over my guards as they all stood in front of me. They looked back at me, worry of the unexpected clear on their faces, but I knew they were warriors and that I wouldn't rather have any other group of guards with me at this time.

"You know the mission. The mission is to save Raven. Not one of you is to touch DeMalo," I commanded, my voice filled with conviction and strength as I spoke.

"DeMalo must die, and I am to be the one to kill him."

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