"What the fuck do you think this is about?" Leo asks from the back. We are driving back from the fight club. I am royally pissed about that. Mason was about to fight Red Death and I had bet a lot of money on him. But Mason's father has summoned us back to the mansion on account of an important meeting with our fathers, the original syndicate.

Our fathers are four heads of powerful criminal organizations and they have been best friends since elementary school, and we have been friends since we were born. They were so close that when Mason's mother fell pregnant, they all sought to impregnate their wives too so all their kids can play together. All of us were born between January and May and only she, the one who used to be our fifth, was born in October.

I shove those thoughts aside. Everything changed that night. What we thought was a misunderstanding between the fathers turned out to be much serious than any of us knew. Hearing the story back, it's a wonder she and her family even made it out alive, but I guess it was the last favor from a 25-year-old friendship. After they left our fathers told us the depth of the Clark's betrayal. And how she had played a pivotal role. Our fathers' enemies came for us and it was all the fault of the Clarks.

"I hope it isn't to back out of our deal with them. I am not waiting longer than a year to take my fucking place." Mason spits from next to me on the passenger side.

"They wouldn't do that." Bas mutters

I sure hope not. But I don't have the best feelings about this meeting. What could they possibly want to talk to all of us about? Because the last time we were called to a meeting it ended with bloody noses and severed ties.

"I hope not cause I don't have time for bullshit." Mason responds. We don't respond but I know we are all thinking the same thing. We aren't kids anymore and our fathers know better than to jerk us around. As young as we are, but we have made names for ourselves amongst our men, and we are ripe for our take over in a year when we graduate high school.

I drive into the Bianchi mansion, and I park in the front. We all jump out; we aim to get out of here to go back to the city for a last night of fun. The fights will be over, but we have the club to check out after. Mason has last minute things to handover to the new manager and the rest of us have pussy to drown in.

We walk in the house, and we go straight to the office.

Leo knocks on the door and Mason's father's voice calls us in. Leo walks in first and we follow. I see Leo tensing in front of us and I must agree with him, this doesn't look great. All the fathers are here. I don't know but I don't like it. The four Dons don't just congregate for nothing in person.

"When did you get here?" Mason speaks first moving forward to hug our fathers and we follow. They have hard faces which doesn't do anything to put me at ease.

"This all looks serious. So why are we here? I had a fight." Mason asks, annoyed.

His father's jaw ticks, and the other fathers also give him and the rest of us hard glares.

"Sit down, son. We have something to discuss." His father pulls on the cigar he has in his hand. My father takes a swig at his whiskey and Leo's father straightens his cufflinks. Out of all the fathers, Leo's dad is the one with the fewest words, I think that's where Leo got it from. Though Leo speaks with us, but he doesn't say much to others. Preferring to speak a few impactful words instead of long speeches if he's not letting his fists talk for him. A contrast from when we were growing up with her, he would talk all the time. But he started withdrawing after she left.

We move to take the other unoccupied chairs around the office. Mason's father's office has a lot of seating area.

"Good. Now I think we should get to it." He says then he looks at my father

"Zahara is coming to your school this year." My father says nonchalantly

All of us stiffen at the mention of her name and even more at the thought of seeing her again.

"What!?" Leo is the first one to speak

"How is that possible?" Bas is next. When the fathers chased the Clark's away to the second state, they had banned them from coming back or being anywhere near us. Our school is a 6-hour drive from here and it is on the border of the 2 states. Technically, it's on the other state but still it's still too close to the border and no where she should be.

"It's possible because we allow it." Leo's father says with an even tone. That confuses me even further and by the looks on my friends faces; they are confused too. What game are our fathers playing?

"So, what's the angle? Is that why we here or there's more?" I ask

"Street rules, son. Clark was never paid for his betrayal. I think it's time that happened."

"How do you know she is coming to the school?"

"We have our sources, which are not important right now. But what is, is your cooperation. Can we trust you to get what we need so we can bring him down?"

"You want us to get information on the governor through Zar?"

"Yes, that's exactly what we are saying. We will expect weekly reports."

"And what makes you think we want anything to do with her and her traitor of a father?"

"Because this is your last test. You want to take over next year after graduation than this is the way." Mason's father taps his cigar on the saucer, leveling all of us with his gaze.

"That wasn't the deal!" Mason gets up and slams his father's desk. We all rise too. Our fathers think they can go back on our deal by moving the goal post.

"It is now. We have a golden opportunity, son. One we've waited for for 9 years." Mason's father says with an even expression like Mason hasn't challenged threatened him

"Look at it this way, imagine all we could do with the governor in our pocket. Have him dance for us. He is applying for Senate next year after his terms ends and that will be big for us, all of us." Leo's father says coldly, venom seeping from his pores.

I don't want to admit it, but he is right. This could change everything for us. Having a senator in our pocket could be a game changer. We have a mayors and other politicians in our pockets but a governor or a senator could change everything. We all look at each other and Mason is the first one to smirk. The asshole is a glutton for power. All of us are, but especially him.

I pull my knife out of my pocket. Needing it to center me as my mind runs a mile a minute. I flip it open and then close as I think of all the ways we can punish her. She has so many things to answer for. We will have her on her knees.