Ghost in the wires.

6. Brothers

MC's Pov

Lilly and Thomas were looking at us. Lilly was covering her eyes, and all her face was red. Thomas was standing behind Lilly and was trying his best not to laugh; as a result, all his face was red . I was shocked that I forgot where I was and acted immature, being caught in the act . To be honest, I think i was bothered that we were interrupted and we didn't carry on with the kiss. Damn, = his lips were so soft and ....

"MC ... hearing my name , i turned towards them. I even did not realise that they were talking. I was blinking my eyes and shake my head , trying to refocus on the conversation that apparently i missed entirely .

"Sorry , i say with a husky voice , i didnt pay attention to what you guys were saying . I narrow my eyed when Thomas starts to laugh , And why you are laughing mister "? i asked trying to sound angry . He is shaking his head and is doing the zip sign . But i dont give up , and i ask him again .

"I was thinking if just with a chaste kiss he made you zoom out , i am curious what will happen when he will full kiss you , we might need to remind you where are you and whats your name" , and he start to laugh out loud , Lily , joining him fast . I hear another laugh . and i turn my head towards him , and instinctively, i pinch him .

"Ouch , Angel , i should call you kitten , don't embarrass my girl Thomas , sayes Jake with his husky voice and smiling at me . I start to blush when i hear him , calling me his girl , and one look at me and Jake smirks is getting wider , Defenitly i need to take a notch down Jake's arrogance , i never pegged him being so cocky .

Lilly ,suddenly pulls me out from the arms of her brother and hugs me .

"I am so happy to see you MC , i have so much to thank you for , i will always be grateful for what you did for my family . I will always be in debt with you ". After i pull out from Lilly arms , i look at her and see her tears rolling down on her cheeks .

"Lilly , i say softly , i am happy that all finished well , and i dont want to hear ever that you are thinking that you are in debt with me , okay?. I am happy that i gained a new friend in my life " . Lilly starts to nod her head , and looks at Jake , smiling at him .

"Oh so now you notice me , i was thinking that i am invisible ", Jake is saying trying to frown at his sister . Lilly gasps as she hears what Jake is saying .

"Oh please , stop being a Drama Queen , Big Bro " she is saying meanwhile she went to embrace him .

I looked at Thomas , and i saw him smiling at the sight of them two hugging . I clear my throat and all the eyes went on me .

"So i assume , that you two let Little Thomas know your secret " i sayed smirking when Thomas gasped.

"Well , well Mc , you should avoid Dan in the future at all costs . You start to sound like him , if i didnt know i will think that you two are related. " We all start to laugh as Thomas finished to laugh .

"And to answer to your question , yes they told me , although i am not sure why we need to keep it secret . And on top of that now we need to pretend that he is the cousin of Dan , although that is funny like hell . You will loved to be there when Alan told to Dan , that from now on Jake is his cousin" , Thomas chuckled at the memory of it . Suddenly the door opens and we see Dan with Cleo , i looked behind them to see if Jessy is there , as i dont see her i asked Dan where she is .

"She will meet us later on , she need it to go to help Paul with his wife ." I sense in his voice that something is bothering him , and i make a note in my head to ask him later what is it ."Oh hey cuz , i see you are awake , says Dan smirking at Jake .

" I must confess , cuz that for a hackerman you are quite buffed , i was imagining you scrawny and small like our Thoams boy here . " sayed Dan teasing .

Jake laughed at Dan's teasing. "Well, looks can be deceiving, Dan. Besides, I had to bulk up to keep up with all the action around here." He winked at me, making me blush again.

Cleo stepped forward, shaking her head at the banter. "Alright, boys, enough with the teasing. We've got more important things to discuss." Her tone was serious, and the room grew quiet.

"What's going on, Cleo?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Cleo glanced at Jake and then back at me with a serious expression. "There are a few things we need to address. First and foremost, we have to figure out what to do next. With the FBI involved and the situation escalating, we can't afford any missteps."

Dan nodded in agreement. "Alan mentioned something about needing to lay low for a while until things settle down. He's working on a plan, but he didn't share the specifics with us."

I furrowed my brow, trying to process everything. "What about Richy and Hannah? Are they safe?"

Dan sighed heavily. "Hannah is with Alan. He's keeping her safe, but I don't know where exactly. As for Richy, he's still in the hospital, recovering. His condition is stable, but he's not out of the woods yet."

I nodded, relieved to hear they were safe for the moment. "And Jake?"

Cleo stepped closer to Jake's bedside. "Jake took quite a hit. He suffered a concussion and has some injuries from shrapnel. He'll need time to recover."

Jake interjected, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I'm fine, really. Just a few scratches."

Cleo gave him a stern look. "Don't downplay it, Jake. You need rest and medical attention."

I couldn't help but smile at their interaction. Despite the seriousness of the situation, there was a sense of camaraderie and care among them all.

Thomas spoke up, breaking the momentary silence. "So, what's the plan now? Are we just going to wait around?"

Cleo shook her head. "No, we need to stay proactive. Alan will brief us soon, but in the meantime, we should gather as much information as we can."

Dan looked at me with concern. "Mc, you should be cautious too. If the FBI is involved, they might be looking for you as well."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I'll be careful. But right now, I just want to make sure everyone is okay and figure out how we can move forward."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Jessy rushed in. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said breathlessly, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Jake. Relief washed over her face. "Jake, you're awake!"

Jake smiled at her warmly. "Hey, Jessica. Sorry for all the trouble."

She approached him, taking his hand gently. "Don't apologize. We're just glad you're okay."

The room fell silent again as everyone exchanged looks, processing the events of the past few days and what lay ahead.

"I think it's time we pull everything together," Cleo said finally, breaking the silence. "We need to be prepared for whatever comes next."

Dan nodded in agreement. "We're in this together. Whatever happens, we'll face it as a team."

I felt a surge of determination. Despite the uncertainty and danger, I knew we were stronger together. With a nod of agreement, I looked around at everyone gathered in the room. "Let's do this."

The group in the hospital room exchanged nods and glances, reaffirming their commitment to each other and their readiness to face the challenges ahead. As they awaited Alan's briefing and formulated their next steps, the sense of solidarity among them grew stronger. Each person had their own role to play, each with their own strengths and vulnerabilities, but together they were determined to navigate through the storm they found themselves in.

Jake squeezed my hand gently, a silent reassurance that we were in this together. Despite the dangers and uncertainties ahead, I found solace in his presence and the unwavering support of our friends. As we prepared for what lay ahead, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope amidst the chaos—a hope that together, we could overcome whatever challenges awaited us.

With that resolve, the group remained gathered, ready to face whatever came next, united in their determination to protect each other and uncover the truth behind the escalating events in Duskwood