See No Evil

I can’t say I’m mad either. If it wasn’t for Easton’s meddling, I probably would have stuck to my guns, hoping Fi

“Keep your lips for your girl, asshole. I’m just happy you’re not moping about anymore,” he adds with a cocky smirk, sending small rings of smoke up into the air.

“Guess you’re not as much of a jerk as I thought you were. That’s good. Otherwise, hanging out with you was going to be tricky.”

“Oh, you’re not out of the woods yet. That title has been taken by this motherfucker beside me. Ain’t that right, Colt?”

“Blow me, you dick,” rebukes the foreboding friend, standing at his side with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Sorry. You’re not my type,” Easton mocks, making Colt look even more sinister.

If I were him, I wouldn’t poke the bear. Colt might look like he should be on the cover of Vogue or something, but so did Ted Bundy at one time or another.

“Fi

“Stone is staying,” Lincoln deadpans, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

“Then I’m leaving,” his cousin retorts, grabbing his car keys off the island countertop as he walks toward the door, throwing a distasteful glare my way.

Easton was right. Colt is a major dick.

“No, you’re not, Colt. You’re staying,” Lincoln orders, sidestepping in front of him and putting himself in the line of fire.

“Linc, step aside.” Colt seethes through gritted teeth.

“I can’t do that, brother,” his cousin replies, his expression just as serious.

Colt sneers but stops when Lincoln takes something from his back pocket, tossing it to the middle of the marble countertop. All eyes fall onto a black envelope, and before anyone can tell me what it is, I ask, “Is that one of The Society’s letter?”

“The fuck?!” Colt snaps his head accusingly over to Fi

“I told her,” Fi

If I wasn’t completely sated from our venture into the woods, I’d climb him like a tree trunk just with the confidence he’s displaying now. Colt is the very definition of an elitist bastard that thinks he can order people around. I’m glad Fi

“You dumb motherfu—”

“Enough!” Lincoln belts out, gaining the attention of all of us. “She’s here to stay, Colt. Stone is Fi

I watch the two cousins, stare each other down, and I know who I’d give my allegiance to. Lincoln has all the traits of a fallen angel, while Colt’s are of the rising devil. One is beaming light, even if tormented, while the other is pure vengeance, ready to bring destruction to the world. If their features weren’t so identical, I would have never thought them to be related.

Fi

“Fuck this,” Easton states, sounding aloof to the confrontation between the cousins.

With his cigarette dangling at the corner of his mouth, he reaches for the envelope and opens it with a kitchen knife, before spreading the black stationery wide on the smooth countertop.

With the real threat staring us all in the face, all five of us sit around the kitchen island to read The Society’s latest correspondence. As my eyes read each sentence, a shiver runs down my back that not even Fi

I clasp my hands over my mouth, the gravity of this fucked-up situation hitting me like a ton of bricks.

“Shit,” Colt exclaims bitterly, no longer looking so threatening compared to the real villains at hand. “These fuckers will only be done once they’ve ruined all of us.”

“Take it easy, Colt,” Lincoln tries to console him, squeezing his cousin’s shoulder, when not two minutes ago they looked like they were going to tear each other limb from limb.

“How can you be so calm, Linc? They just told us that they aren’t done with us?!”

“And did you really expect they would stop with Fi

“Fuck, you’re right. We’re all going to play their twisted game, aren’t we?” Colt looks for confirmation in Lincoln’s blue eyes and bows his head when he gets it.

“Not if we can find them first,” Lincoln says reassuringly, but I don’t hear the same conviction he had a few minutes ago.

“Do you have anything on them yet? Anything concrete that can help us out of this?” I ask, looking at each of the four men in the eye, getting a response from Easton, who seems to be the only one keeping his cool together.

“We got nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. For the past two months, we have come up with squat. These fuckers leave nothing to chance. Not one measly clue for us to follow on,” Easton admits in frustration.

I slap my forehead, astounded by the fact that these fools have lasted so long.

“No wonder you guys are in this mess. Hello?! I’m your clue!” I exclaim like they should know better.

“What do you mean, Stone?” Lincoln asks curiously, his full focus on me.

“Isn’t it obvious? I mean, have any of you guys followed up on why The Society went after me of all people?” All I get are blank stares, infuriating me further. “Oh my God! Are you serious right now? Guys, I’m no one of importance. That’s your first clue. Why would such an elitist, secret society waste their time on me, when I’m no threat to them. It doesn’t make sense.”

I throw my arms up, amazed that they didn’t follow up on such a flagrant clue. All three men look at Lincoln, his placating smile not offering me the same solace as it seems to offer the rest of them.

“There’s your answer right there, Stone. They are the elite. Maybe someone up in the ranks didn’t like seeing a girl from the other side of the tracks being successful, making something out of herself,” Lincoln concludes assuredly. “I’d say it’s enough for them to have you on their radar.”

“That’s just one possibility, but what if you’re wrong?”

Lincoln’s eyes soften, and I hate that he’s not giving my insight a second thought.

“Thank you for not turning your back on Fi

At the mention of his name, Fi

“I’ll protect her.”

“Oh, yeah? And who protects you? That’s my job, Fi

“Now I see why you two get along. She’s got some mouth on her,” Colt taunts, leaning against the counter.

I point my finger at him, ready to rip him a new one, but Fi

“I think this is enough for one night. I’m going to take my girl out for some real food and come back later.”