We drive in the Italian restaurant that Zuzu wanted us to have dinner at before we drive to school. I help her out of the car. Bas guides her by the small of her back. The staff all rush to help us when they see us come in. Everybody in this town knows who we are, and this restaurant is under one of Mason's men.

"Mr. Bianchi and your guests, good evening. Will you be having your usual?"

"Wine for Zara, the usual for me." He looks at all of us and we give our orders before the middle-aged man disappears. Zara looks at the scene with interest. I remember she hasn't really seen us outside of us and our bubble. She has no idea who we became.

"I always forget who you guys are."

Bas kisses her temple. "Not to you," he gives her reassurance, and she nods.

The air has an air of melancholy. It's not because of us going back to school, and but it is our reality. We have a meeting with our fathers tonight.

They know we have what we needed, and they want it. We haven't talked about what the fuck we are going to do. But one thing is now sure, we aren't as sure about betraying her as we were. Especially after the conversation we had with her mother.

Everything has just got so fucked up, so complicated.

On one hand we can't not take our places, but on the other hand we don't want to betray her. The faces around the table reflect the same conflict. Although I think our girlfriend thinks we are just sad we have to go back.

The waiter brings our drinks.

I follow her eyes to the door and fury zaps through me. I have to shake my head a little to try to calm down. Every time I see that face, I want to throw fucking hands.

That asshole Darrell. He is with his buddies.

I don't think she was in love with him, that would have been worse, but I see a flash of guilt on her face. All the guys see this and Mason leans in to whisper something in her ear and her eyes widen a bit before she smirks.

I catch something in my peripheral and the idiot Darrell approaches our table in confident strides.

Does this kid have a death wish?

I see the others in the table share my thoughts. I see Zuzu in high alert as her eyes dart from me to the walking dead boy. She knows I will probably throw the first punch. But she should know, when it comes to her, we all will.

He arrives.

"Good evening, Willow." He looks at her. I see her holding Mason's hand and I stuff my own fists in pockets. But if he doesn't disappear.

"Darrell, its best you leave." She says without returning his greeting. My head turns to him so I can see his stupid face and see if he is smart or if he will choose death. I'll be good with either.

He quips his brows in surprise, but I also see anger flash, and perhaps something... darker. He thought she'd give him a few inches. Idiot.

"I was just saying 'hi'."

"Darrell, no." She says with a stern tone.

Mason leans back and he grins his sinister grin, the others smirk unamused, dark, twisted, deranged smirks too. Jose looks like he's thinking about where to beginning skinning him as he plays with his knife.

Why is he still here?

"So, you are really with them?" he asks

"Yes. Now, please find another restaurant." She gives him a cold look that makes me want to spin her gorgeous body around and kiss the shit out of her.

He retreats, not saying anything more but I saw something akin to a deranged look, and I know we need to keep our girl away from him.

"Well, he has balls, I'll give him that." Bas says to his retreating form

"Balls are no use when you dead." Jose flips his knife open, close. His expression flashing bloody murder.

We eat dinner with minimal conversation, and we head to school after.

I look through her drawer for her pajamas while she showers with Bas.

"I wish she could just come stay at the house." Jose says in thought, and both Mason and myself look at him.

"I know she can't, but it still doesn't mean I can't wish."

I roll my eyes but guilt takes a chunk of my insides when I remember what we did just a few weeks past, how we treated her. We really fucked up with her. And I'm not sure where our conversation with our fathers is going today, but I can't help feel the sadness for what's to come.

"That's a fucking long ass shower." Mason comments when we are all seated waiting for them to finish.

"Are you jealous, Diavolo?" Jose teases him and I roll my eyes.

Mason gives him a glare.

"He has always liked hogging Zara to himself." Mason says thoughtfully but his features softening. We all grin. We know exactly what he means. Bas was always dancing for her attention, and he would do anything to have it. It was annoying as fuck when we were kids, but he attaches faster than all of us and he's a people pleaser and that's just how he loves.

The shower closes and Jose sits up. Me and Mason laugh at him.

"Fuck off."

"Hey, you are the one who is acting like she is your drill sergeant, not us." I say

He flips both of us off.

He pulls a blunt from his pocket. He lights it just as she walks out with Bas on her tow. She scowls.

"Not here, Joseph." She moves to him to take the blunt from him

"You are with us, no one will say anything." He starts protesting and the rest of us watch as she conquers him like she always does. We are never a match for her.

"It's not about that but this is my space, and I would rather it didn't smell like a club."

"That's not what a club smells like." He replies

"Have you never been to a club?" mason asks and I have to agree with asking that question

She shrugs. "No."

Mason looks at me and Bas.

"Maybe we can take you to one of ours soon." Bas says

She turns and she chews on her lower lips and the action sends signals to my cock that was already hard seeing her in her short towel, with wet hair.

"You mean it?"

Right then we all know we want to give her everything. At least all the happiness and all the experiences we can before she finds out.

Mason pulls her to him. "Wanna show me your twerking skills?" He has a mischievous smile. She jumps form his lap.

"No, no. I have to sleep. We have school in the morning, and I need to check school emails."

"I wasn't gonna do anything." Mason lies, shrugging

"Uh, yeah right. I know that look. And all of you, minds out of the gutter." She points to all of us. She was always so bossy, and we always liked it.

"They can leave, I'm sleeping here." Bas says and we all turn to him because he has clearly lost his mind. He knows we have to go. We all want to stay but we also have commitments.

She smiles at him, clearly happy. Fucking asshole. Now we have to be the bad guys because no way we are going there with a man down. We have to stand united in front of our fathers.

"Sebastian." Mason calls him, the warning clear

She looks between us confused, and she tries to gauge what's going on.

"No, I'm staying with my girlfriend."

"Our girlfriend, asshole." I remind him because he is losing his mind

"Don't be a dick, Bas, she needs rest and time to process everything. We cornered her in Switzerland, and we've crowded her all week. Let's go." Jose places a much better excuse, and he isn't entirely wrong. She hasn't had a moment to herself since Wednesday.

"You guys don't have to fight about it. I've been sleeping alone for 18 years, I'll see you in the morning, okay?" she talks to Bas, and he looks away from her before he emits a sad, "okay."

After we tuck and kiss her goodnight, we leave. All of us are feeling a bit heavier as we leave her building.

We are at our house a few minutes later and we all drag ourselves to our rooms, and a few more minutes later we are gathered at the living room. We have things to discuss before we connect with our fathers and before we decide what we are going to do with the videos.

"We can't hand them over." Bas speaks first

We let his words settle in the room as I know we all have that reservation.

"I agree." Mason surprises us all. I thought he would be the one resisting. He was the one always insisting we are going through with it no matter what feelings get involved.

"I'll be damned." Jose grins a lopsided grin

"Are you surprised?" Mason asks the room, and we don't answer immediately.

"You're pussy whipped." Jose chuckles and shakes his head

"Like you aren't the one who's stayed inside of her, asshole." Mason throws it back to him

We all smile. The truth is we were all whipped, and we all knew it was more than sex with her.

She was just it for all of us, and now that we had her in our arms again, letting her go was a lot harder than we expected. Silence consumes the room like we are all of one mind.

"Fuck." Bas leans forward and places his face on his knees.

"Fuck is right. What the fuck are we going to do?" I throw it to the room

We all look to Mason, the plan guy.

"Fucking stall until we have a plan." He says after a long minute of silence

I guess that's as good a plan as any.

We dial in our fathers a few minutes later.

"Sons." Jose's father greets us, a small smile on his face

My father's face remains impassive like it always is. My father is a hard man, but I have never doubted his love for me and my brothers. He's just not one to show his inner thoughts. I studied him for years. When I was young, I always wanted to be just like him. I saw the kind of respect he got, and the fear he inspired, and I wanted it too. Everyone knows my father is the one who's most reserved out of the Syndicate, but he is the most dangerous. He just observes silently always. You'd even think he doesn't see you or what you are doing but he does. He sees it all. He just keeps it to himself.

"We don't have what was promised. What's the snag on the plan? I thought you got close to her." Mason's father asks, voice even, no sign of anger or annoyance.

They all look at us like they are studying us, and like they knew this was going to happen. Were they expecting us to fall for her and not deliver? And are they right?

"That plan has changed." Jose speaks

All our fathers shift a little. Mason's father leans a little forward. Bas's father smirks a little and he tilts his head. My father leans back a little and Jose's father leans forward to pick up his cigar.

They knew.

Fuck.

"Has it, son?" Bas's father asks, that small smirk not leaving his lips and I'm starting to get worried. We all look at each other.

Then I see it on Mason's face.

Fuck.

We all realize the same thing at the same time.

Fuck.

We all stay silent. I see panic in Jose's demeanor, his fingers itch to grab his knife.

"It's Zar, we can't use her." Bas murmurs. I don't even think he knew he spit it out.

"You fucking love her!?" Mason's fathers voice come blaring in the speakers.

None of us reply. And it's not like they are asking anyway.

"The plan is on." My father says coolly.

"Now all of you need to cut her loose. Or get whatever it is you think you feel for her out of your system. Remember you are almost finished with school. And remember who she is and remember who you are. The plan's a go in a few months." Jose's father tells us.

"You did great, boys." Bas's father says.

They are saying all these things and they don't even have emotions on their faces. Like she wasn't once their child too. They have the videos. Did they watch them? Did they watch us with her?

"Did you fucking watch them?" I snap, not caring I'm not being respectful.

My brother's gazes stick to the screen too. We all want to know how sick our fathers are.

"We aren't that perverted, but we had Stefano verify."

Mason clenches his shaking fists. "He's fucking dead." He grits under his breath, and I am right there with him.

That fucking asshole saw our girl. He's dead.

"You don't look happy that we will finally get our revenge on that asshole, sons." Bas's father taunts

He knows he is poking us in our sore spot. I can't stand this any longer. I get up and I go upstairs.

As I disappear in the stairs I hear. "You did well, sons."

I want to bring this whole fucking house down. I change clothes. I know where I'm fucking going. I change to black jeans and a black shirt and black jacket, and I get out of my room. I try to calm my breathing.

"Yoh, dude don't knock me down." Bas says when I find him outside my door.

"We are all going, wait for us we are changing."

I nod and head downstairs.

I clench my jaw as I pace up and down. Each second he's breathing feeling like it's an eternity. I will fucking gorge his eyes out, the fucker.

How fucking dare he?

____________________________