Here I Come | ✔

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen - Breathe

Saturday, 14th November 2020

KRYSTALLIA

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Breathe.

Off the stairs.

"How about we fight in the living room?" I suggested and made my way inside. Two light pairs of loafers stepped behind me as one pair of scruffy shoes dragged across the hallway.

I sat down on the loveseat and set my hands on my lap. I heard an extra pair of feet and turned my head to see Zach. I smiled and gestured for him to sit down. He took a seat next to me before rubbing my jean-clad knee.

"I'm right here," he softly whispered in my ear and I nodded, "Thank you."

Landon and KT sat down on the sectional sofa and dad stood under the arch. KT must've called them because Sam, Mark, and...Joseph drove here in record time. Sam ran through the archway and only realized who was standing there.

"...James?"

He looked up from the floor and that alone confirmed their suspicions.

"Take a seat," Landon gritted out and Sam and Mark sat down, but Joseph stared at dad in disbelief.

"What?"

"Joseph, I can explain."

"Please fucking do," Joseph said before leaning against the wall. Landon pressed a button under the coffee table and a section of the top flipped around to show a recorder. He pressed it and asked, raising an eyebrow, "Well?"

Dad glanced over to Zach, "Who is he?"

Landon got up and walked over to him, "He stays."

"This is family matters-"

"He's more family than you."

He glanced at Zach again before nodding, "Alright."

Landon sat down and dad started explaining.

"Fourteen years ago, your mother and I were assassinated."

"Bullshit," I muttered under my breath and Zach rubbed my thigh, calming me down.

"We were wearing thin bulletproof vests because we had a feeling someone would come."

Dad continued, "Your mother, unfortunately, had died from a bullet to the head, but I survived. When the ambulance came, I threatened them to label me as 'dead'. Our coffins were closed during the funeral due to 'medical reasons'. A mannequin took my place."

"A mannequin?" Landon scoffed. KT sighed and frowned deeper. Mark rubbed his temple, Sam stared with slightly wide eyes, Joseph's jaw clenched in conflict, and Zach rubbed my hand with his thumb.

Me? Well, I was shocked, to say the least. But I had a feeling I knew something was wrong when the coffins were closed. My feelings were all over the place.

To forgive or not to forgive, I wonder.

"What happened after the funeral?" KT asked, looking down at his lap.

"I went into hiding in several countries and made money by assassinating targets. They started small at first until clients wanted bigger ones, more powerful. I took them down for money, to earn my keep."

"The recent ones," Mark mentioned, "They were our enemies but E.A. destroyed them."

"That was my doing. I am the assassin E.A."