Screaming Trees - Les Noir

Studio shots

From Chapter 1:

Gabe jerked up from his slumber. The sounds of gun shots rang in his ear as he looked around the bedroom expecting to see the twins escaping down some dimly lit alley. Instead, he didn't see anything but his own shadow in the darkness. Muffled sounds of a conversation in the next room made his ears perk up.

"He knows too much," Laurent's distinct voice could be heard arguing with his brother.

"You aren't in charge of this, I am. I'm sending him away for a while anyway. I'll deal with him." Larry said quietly. Gabe frantically checked his surroundings. He'd been sweating in his sleep. The sheets beneath him were damp when he felt around trying to get his bearings. The thudding of his heart beating replaced the echoes of gun shots.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway outside Gabe's door. He heard a door slamming, then silence.

_______

Their breakfast took place in three rooms. Gabe woke up from a dream hearing the twins talking about him. If the dream didn't scare him enough, they way Laurent responded to the news about Lena caused his anxieties to soar. Before Ri died, he'd been given a warning about Laurent. "He's powerful when he's angry. It's best to stay on his good side," Ri told Gabe on his death bed. Being the twin's assistant meant there wasn't any place he could run away too. Larry taking over Ri's place in the counsel meant no place on earth would be safe for him if he crossed them. He chose to eat in his room while packing a bag. Larry ate alone in the kitchen. Laurent ate in his bedroom consumed with thoughts of what really happened to Lena. All three men felt uncertain of their futures and all three were growing suspicious of each other.

Larry was sending their assistant away to check on the singer, 'Honey'. Though he truly wanted to make sure that she was protected, the fact that Laurent felt so angry with Gabe was a good enough reason to get him out of the house for a while until things calmed down. He sat at the table looking at the notes and pictures of the singer's file. The young woman's photos were telling a story, the sadness in her beautiful brown eyes, the heartache in her music, all the information piqued his interest. He'd heard her music before, even danced to it, but knowing that Ri kept an eye on her meant that he had to find out what was going on to protect her too. Laurent entered the kitchen dressed to go to the studio. His lean body looked so nice in all white that Larry considered switching up his fit for the day too.

"Is he gone yet?" Laurent asked washing his breakfast plate. "Not yet. He should be leaving soon." They continued to argue about Gabe for a while. Laurent started to head back to his bedroom until Larry grabbed him by the arm.

"I'm going to find out what happened to Lena. I promise Lau, but today we need to get to the studio and record. Just trust me. I can handle this."

Laurent looked down on his twin's hand on his forearm. Emotions passed between them. Again, it felt unusually strange for Larry to share that type of connection with him. Normally it was Laurent who held the key to their telepathy using it when it benefited him. As much as he wanted to feel the sympathy that Larry was giving him, he pulled away.

"I don't want to see him. I know he knows something. I called an Uber and meet you at the studio later. Unlike you, I don't wanna be late."

Larry watched him walking away to the front door. He also knew that their connection wasn't the same anymore. The power had shifted between them. The stress of being in charge felt like a ton of weights on his shoulder. Not only did he have to look out for celebrities all over the world, but Lau was counting on him to find the truth. He pulled out his phone to video call Maddy hoping it would ease his mind.