And Then, There Was Fire.

thirty eight.

Aubrey walked out of his bedroom tiredly in the dark, slipping one arm through the sleeve of his shirt as he used his free bare arm to flip on the single light in the dining nook of his apartment.

He tugged his gray sweatpants up once he reached his door that had just rung; annoyed that someone was at his door at this late eleven-o'clock hour, assuming it Rashelle with news.

Looking through the peep hole he watched two unfamiliar faces with his hand on the modern stainless-steel handle of his door. He sighed, opening the door as he interrupted the two's light casual chatter.

Their eyes immediately turned to Aubrey's along with a greeting smile.

"Can I help you?" Aubrey asked as he eyed them awkwardly, starting to see some sort of familiarity in one of them.

After a short moment of pause, one of them spoke from the right. "Oh wow, there goes that resemblance." The one that seemed familiar had said, along with a growing smile.

Aubrey's brows caved in confusion, finally coming to the realization of who this person possibly was. Within a matter of a split second, he began to inhale deeply at his realization as his eyes then widened.

Before he could slam the door, one of them stepped their foot in the door way cooly as a third person quickly came from Aubrey's blind spot.

The immediate pain in his chest caused Aubrey to look down, watching the brown-skinned forearm from his chest. Aubrey's eyes widened more as he was slowly able to realize that a hand had struck into his chest.

His mouth hung open, unable to close it as he struggled to take his next inhale due to the fist that struggled its way through his rib cage; blood now covering the top center portion of his shirt. His eyes finally looked up as he watched Trey, who all too calmly stared back into his eyes.

Aubrey couldn't feel any effort whatsoever on his end to do anything, but to remain standing there with his mouth open.

"That's it, take your time." Kurisch coached quietly from behind, now feeling the pressure that Trey pressed against his body as he continued walking Aubrey back into the apartment and out of eyesight of his apartment complex.

Donnie and Kurisch followed inside, quickly but softly closing the door behind them.

Aubrey felt himself gulp with his mouth open, feeling saliva uncontrollably seep to his lips as he couldn't find it in himself to close his mouth. The excruciating pain finally came to his nerves after the shock, using the little effort he had left to raise his hands weakly to Trey's forearm.

"Remember, don't squeeze too long. He's where you need him." Kurisch continued coaching, but Aubrey could see the look in Trey's eyes that he may not be listening to him.

He could now feel Trey's hand that has been engulfing his heart, feeling his own powers leave him the longer Trey squeezed it tightly.

Aubrey gulped again, now knowing it was his blood from the metallic taste that started to seep out the corner of his mouth.

He continued pushing Aubrey backwards gently, his demeanor still unchanged as he was fixated on Aubrey's eyes. Not a word was spoken yet from Trey.

Another gulp came as Aubrey now came to a point that Trey would just end this and pull his heart out. To prolong it this long just to torture him sent the message clearly that he was standing on business.

"Soften you're grip." Both Trey and Aubrey finally heard Kurisch, who has been repeating himself calmly from behind, but now inching closer to Trey cautiously.