FOUND IN YOU

CHAPTER 10

ERIS

I'm laying on my bed, hand over my head, the wheels in my head rolling fast. Every second I spend here, is one second more that makes it harder to find my sister, even with all the clues and progress I'd had before I left Chicago. A knock sounds on my door, the knob turns and the door cracks slightly, dark eyes, quite like mine meet mine and sparkle, my baby brother, Ivan, opens the door wider and makes his way to my bed, where i'm laying. "I'm glad you're okay," he tells me, immediately putting his knees on my mattress and opens his arms, engulfing me in a hug. His arms tighten around me, "i was worried about you, Ree." "Hey, i'm okay. I'm a badass," i smile widely, trying to ease his worries. Among all seven of my brother, Ivan and one of my older brothers, Alejandro, are the ones who feel the most,if that's the right term to put it. With the kind of life we were born in, feelings are secondary. But somehow, my brother wears his heart on his sleeves if you look closely. They're both quiet unless necessary, they don't talk much, but get things done when needed. Among us siblings, family means the most to us, they mean the world to me, and I to them, even though we only share a father. I would do absolutely anything for them, go through hell for them, like i'm willing to for my sister.
"Papa is looking for you," his eyes,though dull, are intense with emotion, he is worried for me. I nod and pull away from him fully. My heart is beating hard in my chest, i didn't mess up, did I? Ivan, like the rest of my siblings know father doesn't like me much, so him calling for me always spells trouble. Unless for the first time he got worried about me and wanted to see for himself that i was unharmed when my car blew up. We walk together to father's bedroom and he hesitates at the door. I smile at my brother, squeezing his hand for good measure to let him know i will be okay, "i'll be out in no time." One hand clenched to hide my shaking with anxiety, i turn the handle and take a step inside. A tight smile plastered on my face, i proceed walking to where he is, "good afternoon, papi. You called for me?" The glare i receive from the man in question has ice sipping in my bones and for a moment, i stall at the door. My eyes jump from father to Dario, standing beside him, who's giving me a concerned look, to the pictures on the table where father is seated.
Father ignores me, per usual, i turn to Dario, swallowing hard, i nod in the direction of the pictures on the table, "what's up?" I could not keep from being nosey, although a part of me knows that's the reason father summoned me. Dario pushed the pictures on the tables, sliding them to me. I take two more steps, not once looking at father. I pick them up and wish the ground could swallow me whole, or maybe the best thing would be to just dissappear into thin air, never to be heard of,  anything really. Pictures of the apartment Andrea and I shared back in the States, on fire. Others capture the apartment overturned, even after the fire, which had eaten through a big chunk of the apartment. And the last bit capture Cian, his brother and one of his men, who's name i don't recall around the area, leaving the apartment residence, others capture them around the area. Was he standing there to see if i'd actually survive his fire?
My heart squeezes in my chest, tight, that i cough up as if i am out of breath suddenly. I feel betrayed, which is crazy, i knew he would clap back for my actions of breaking into his place and murdering his men, but i did not think he would blow up my car and apartment. The fact that he knows where i've been living also makes me feel violated, as ironic as it is, considering my actions. "Care to explain why the Ravens are targetting you?" Father finally speaks after what seems like forever. "What the fuck did you do?" he shouts and slams his hand on the table. My body reacts, my feet almost leaving the floor in a tiny jump, my heart is beating so fast and loud, i feel it in my ears. Either way, i clench my fists, the pictures clumpling between my fists, "all i did was look for Rin." "Bullshit. Don't test me. What the fuck did you do, Eris? Cian Raven wouldn't personally go to make sure you were berbeque meat if that's all you did. I won't ask again, what the fuck did you do?" he growls, his eyes blazing a fire so hot, i feel like i am burning from the inside out. I look away from him, my eyes on his left ear, my vision glazed over, "i killed three of his men." "What else?" he asks. "Sneaked into his house to question him. Only beca-" Slap! It resounds so loud. My eyes gain focus after a moment of seeing blur and see my father standing with a muderous look in his eye, that's when i feel my cheek stinging, one spot more painful than the rest where his nail bruised and cut through my flesh.
"You are trying to get your brothers killed?"
"That would hurt, wouldn't it? You-"This time he shuts me up with a back hand on my other cheek. Dario grabs him and pulls him back to his seat, he budges, but Dario is stronger. "Who'd have thought you still had it in you?" i wince, touching my other side, tasting blood from the insid of my cheek, his ring cut through my skin. on the outside too. "Ree!" Dario glares at me, holding father down, as he wanted to stand yet again, fighting against Dario's hold. I ignore him and look at the man, "i won't stop looking for my sister. Maybe you don't give a shit about your daughter, but i do, because she is my blood and i will do everything to find her. And unlike you, i don't put my family on the line, i'd never put my brothers in danger." He struggled against the hold Dario has on him once more, threatening to hit me again, Dario shouts at me, "i swear to God, Ree, shut the fuck up." My eyes widen and they jump at him.He has never raised his voice at me, ever. His eyes are blazing with emotion, he is worried for me, because father would hurt me, hurt me more than he already has. I bite my tongue, tasting blood and for his sake i do, nodding, i turn and head out of the door, tears stinging my eyes, my hands clenched so tight, nails dig into my skin.
I slam the door hard behind me.Seeing Ivan there, with his brows furrowed and a frown marred on his face, makes my heart hurt a little less, like a balm has been applied on it. Our eyes meet and he stands, I smile at him, his frown deepens when he scans my face, his jaw clenched. "Where are the rest of the guys?" I ask him.He tilts his head to the left, and we go downstairs, no words between us, but I feel the tension radiating off of him. "Ivan," I call his name when we reach the bottom of the stairs. He doesn't answer. "Ivan," I call again and turn him by his shoulder, which he accepts silently. "I'm okay, don't get mad at father because of me," I tell him.
He glares, "whether or not I want to worry about my ducking sister is my decision.Whether or not it angers me, is also none of your business, Ree."
He turns and goes into the direction of the weapon room, and I follow.The door open, I vaguely hear the voices of my other siblings, just in time to see them all when I step inside.
"Did you miss me?" I stop, "what are you doing?" They're all surrounding the table, and there are all sorts of weapons around the table, them putting the weapons away in bags. "Hey sis, glad you're not fried meat," Alvaro says, a stupid grin on his face, his crazy eyes wild with excitement. He is one who loves to get the job done, he likes violence too much and thrives in it. "Where are you guys going? Did something happen?" I ask. "To get that bastard that wanted you to be fucking barbeque meat!" he replies. "Don't be delirious!" I tell him, stalking to where he is, I grab the bag out of his hand, "you won't get yourself killed because of me. None of you will." All of them stand still, none of them saying anything until Alvaro speaks up again.
"Don't give me that shit, Ree. I'll make his ass pay!" "You won't when you're dead! I don't want any of your blood o my hands or conscience. I have more than enough with Erin's disappearance." "Please," my voice breaks. Alejandro is silent, not even looking at me once, as one of my siblings who are level-headed, I didn't think he'd be siding with Alvaro on whatever it is he plans to do. "Alejandro, tell him this is a stupid move." He says nothing, but his jaw clenches.
"It is a stupid idea," Marco speaks, he is seated, unlike the rest, probably the only one using his head among the bunch in the room. "He probably doesn't know who she is, and doing that will put a target on her back. Idiots," he sneers. Ivan clenches his fist and so do a few of the others. Marco pisses so many of us off, he has no filter and does it without any care. It's probably one of the things that would get him killed.
"No one is leaving for the States, aside from Alessio, Alejandro, and I, with a few men. The rest of you, keep your fucking heads down, don't cause any trouble. And you, pack a bag, you're leaving in the next hour, you're also to keep your head down in San Matteo until this blows over," Dario says.
He walks to where I am, lifts my chin, his eyes softening, he pads a cotton ball on my cheek. I wince, the septic smell filling my nose."Does it hurt too much?" he asks. For him, I shake my head, but his eyes narrow doubting me, nonetheless, he says nothing about it, only lifts my hand to that cotton ball and then uses his hand to wipe and disinfect my other cheek.
"Who did-" "It was father," Ivan grits out. Silence fills the room, tension thick amongst my brothers. "Fucking hell!" Alessio swears, together with three of them. He walks up to me, pushing aside Dario and standing in his spot, he takes my chin in his grasp and turns my face left and right. His eyes are angry, he drops his hand and puts it inside his pants pockets. His chest heaves up and down one time, he looks away from me, grinning at Dario, "when do we leave?"
No.