Köhler (Book 9 of the Köhler Series)

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"You talking to that girl again? Aren't you?" Xylia asked as she peeked over her brother's shoulder at his phone, getting a big surprise. It was Summer that Xavier was talking to, besides who she thought it was. For the past few weeks, he'd been talking to Jasira, but Xavier didn't lie when he told his sister they were just friends. Study partners and nothing more. He had asked Summer out for a reason, and he wasn't the cheating type.

"Go text Isaac and leave me alone. I told you Jasira is nothing to me. She's nineteen Xy, and I told you I'm helping her with anatomy. That is it."

"Whatever... Elias wants us to hang later. I think he stole some of Uncle Eli's weed...."

"Lias doesn't need weed. Hell, he's crazy enough smoking only makes it worse, and I have a quiz tomorrow. I can't be fooling around with y'all, getting high and shit." Zavier spoke as his sister pulled a stash of weed from under his pillow. It wasn't his, something that Xylia placed there herself. It was her way of not getting in trouble, but it didn't matter because what one did, both paid for it. It was how their parents worked, and Zay hated it.

"Stop hiding your shit in my room. If mom had done one of her weekly searches, I would have been grounded for your shit again...."

"She would have grounded us both. You know how mom works. If one of us does it, we both did it. She's unreasonable when it comes to us, but the quints get away with every fucking thing. It's unfair, but dad doesn't care."

"Dad cares. He understands that we're going to make mistakes. Mom sees her babies out in this big world, with targets on our backs because we are a Köhler. We're mafia Xy. People want us dead."

"Ja, I know. Sometimes I wish we were regular people... regular rich people, but that is only a wish. Doesn't it feel weird lying to your girlfriend? I don't like Summer but telling her and Isaac that we are rich because dad owns the hospital and our mom she a famous model is bullshit." Xylia expressed. She is right but wrong at the same time. There was some truth to what they told. It just wasn't the whole truth. Plus, most of the people in Germany knew who they were, and it wouldn't surprise him if Summer, Isaac, or one of the others knew it too.

"Have you ever thought maybe they know who we are? Summer and Isaac are German. Who's to say they don't know and told Christopher and Rochelle? I know what you are thinking, and we aren't going to tell them. Not yet, anyhow, unless they come clean with us. I don't want Summer involved in this, and I know you don't want Isaac in it either."

"You don't think Summer is cut out for this? You know I sit back and listen to the adults. Aunt Isabella was the same as her. She was an innocent person dragged into this life because Uncle Jeremias wanted something that should have been off-limits. You know other mafias betroth their children to other mafias to align with them. We don't because ours believe in finding love. It's bullshit... look at what happened to Aunt Kamaria. How she and Uncle Hiro married wasn't right, but they fell in love. So why not just to the fucking betroth. I rather be with some who knows this life than someone I love and knows nothing that I have to watch die because of me." Xavier sighed and opened his mouth until his phone stopped him.

Jasira: I need your help, plz. I'm having trouble with this lesson. If you like, I could come to you, or you can drop by my apartment.

"To her apartment. Zay, have you been going to her fucking home? Boy, you have lost your fucking mind. If Ma... no Summer found out this shit...."

"Xy, we are only studying. I told you this, and no, I haven't been to her apartment. I don't even know where she lives. We normally go to the cafe in the Stadt (city), but it looks like I'm going to have to go over there this time. There is no way Dad, Opa, or grandpa is letting her come here. They are still investigating her... don't look at me like that. Jasira is harmless."