Lavender

Scatter

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

Percy cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but I heard Jack first. "Two in the heart, one in the face."

They killed Dad. I breathed in deep. "We can't talk about that here. But okay. Glad to know we're safe. You talk to Leo yet?"

"Our contact kept saying he 'couldn't get to him.' Whatever that means." Mario scoffed.

He stretched and put an arm around Max as he spoke. Max's body cringed and he looked at me, as if to ask, "These sweat and blood covered assholes are your brothers?"

I needed them to leave. I needed them to leave before the loves of my life discovered who I was before and what I came from. "Listen, I can't bring you home with me. We live in a place where you can't do drugs and you can't commit crimes. I can try to help you find something, but I doubt it. What about Ritchie?"

Jack scoffed. "That ship sailed. He helped us clean up in exchange for... everything. But he made it clear that's all he was doing for us."

I rolled my eyes. He always was after the business, I knew it. "What about some witness protection thing? Give up literally everyone for safety?" I asked.

My boyfriends' heads all snapped to me. "What?" Adam whispered.

Percy laughed loudly. "Do they not know? You really 'got out' didn't you? Still a liar at heart though, Little Link. You can take the boy out of the crime, but you can't take the crime out of the boy."

I stood up. "Let's go."

Adam, Max, and Luther immediately stood. "Wait, wait, wait." Percy held up a hand.

He got to his feet. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm a little... on edge. But we need to either enter a safe house tonight or we need to get on a train and go. We can't continue sleeping out in the open. There's people who hate us, you know."

Okay. They killed dad, which puts them in danger. Those who needed the business, those who dad was supposed to pay soon, anyone who was waiting to get revenge, they could all go after my brothers. Even if I was feeling a lot of mixed emotions, I don't want them dead.

The nameless man from before walked up behind us. He put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "3,000."

Percy looked up at him. "For what?"

The brown haired man leaned in close. "For your location."

It's as if someone yelled "scatter!" Jack and Mario were the first to run, followed by Kellen. Percy grabbed me and ran. The others ran behind us. The man laughed as we took off. I threw two fifties on the table as I ran. Common curtesy, y'know?

I always was the fastest runner, besides Leo. Before I could think, I led everyone to the mansion. The two peach-eyed guards glared at me. "I'll explain later." I yelled at them.

I shoved my brothers inside. Luther walked in after them, then Max. Adam grabbed my arm. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

I nod at him. I prayed to every god out there that they'd be part of Charlotte's men or DeGar's pack.

I watched as they looked around in amazement. Percy put an arm out, keeping the other brothers behind him. Leo appeared and hissed, "What the fuck, Link?!"

I shook my head. I instructed Percy to put his hands on Briar's, and he followed my order hesitantly. He laid his hands on hers and then quickly grabbed his skull. "Fuck!"

I stared at his eyes. A deep purple. He looked at me and realized my eyes had changed once I stepped into the mansion. "Link, what's going on?"

"Look in the mirror, Percy." I told him.

He looked at Briar's handheld mirror and scowled. I tried to explain. "Basically, there are others who match your eye color. They are your soulmate. You'll live here, with your soulmate or soulmates, and you'll live a nice life. But you can't tell anyone about this place. It puts us in danger."

He seemed angry but it all cleared when Kellen got his new eye color. It was a hot pink, and the brothers immediately started teasing and making fun of him. Percy doubled over in laughter. Two girls walked up with hot pink irises. I didn't really listen to what the girls were saying as I was focused on the Lavender eyes that were tearing me apart. My boyfriends looked disappointed, angry, and confused. Mostly disappointed. I whispered to Leo, "Make sure they don't fuck anything up tonight. I gotta put out a fire."

I walked upstairs and the other Lavenders followed.