Oblivion

B| Be our guest II

Highschool 

THIRD PERSON

When they finally turned into her street, Josephine felt a small surge of relief. Her house was just up ahead, a familiar sight that should have been comforting but instead felt like a fortress in the night, standing tall against the shadows of what had just happened. Luke parked in front of her house, but before he could even turn off the engine, Josephine's phone buzzed in her pocket. A single glance at the screen made her stomach drop: Vito.

She swiped to answer before the phone could ring a second time. "Vito?" Her voice was hoarse, shaky despite her best attempt to keep it steady.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" The worry in Vito's voice was palpable. "We've been trying to reach you for the last twenty minutes. What the hell is going on?" She could hear the sound of her other brothers in the background, their voices low and tense.

"I'm fine," Josephine said again, this time more to reassure him than herself. "Just got home. We are outside, actually."

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a sharp exhale from Vito. "Get inside. Now. Both of you."

Josephine didn't argue. She hung up, feeling a tightness in her chest as the dread settled back in. They were going to want answers. They were going to want to know everything. Luke, still sitting in the driver's seat, looked at her with a small frown. "I guess we go in then?

Josephine nodded, though she didn't have the energy to respond. Her brothers would know what to do. She just needed to get inside, where it was safe.

"Thanks, Luke," she said, reaching for the door handle. "Really. For everything."

Luke offered a small smile, but there was still worry in his eyes. "Anytime," he said, his voice gentle. Josephine nodded, stepping out of the car and walking toward the front door. As she approached, she could see the lights flickering on in the windows—her brothers must have already heard the car pull up. The door opened before she could reach for the handle, and Vito stood there, his expression a mix of concern and barely contained anger. Behind him, Domenico and Valentino watched her closely, their eyes flicking over her with sharp intensity.

"Josephine," Vito said, his voice low but firm. "What the hell happened?"

Josephine hesitated for a moment, taking in the sight of her brothers, their protective presence settling over her like a shield. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breath. "I'm okay," she said again, though it sounded more like a plea for them to believe her than a statement of fact. "I... I ran into some guys. They attacked me."

Domenico's eyes narrowed. "Where are you hurt?"

"Nothing serious." Josephine shook her head, her mind racing to piece everything together, while Vito grabbed her shoulders and looked over her body, searching for injuries, "They... they seemed to know who I was. They said they had a message for you," she added quietly, trying to keep her voice steady.

Valentino, the quietest of the three, stepped forward then, his expression unreadable. "What message?" he asked, his tone flat but there was a hint of something darker beneath it.

"I didn't get the chance to ask," Josephine replied, her voice cracking. " Luke showed up and helped me get away before they could do anything worse."

"Luke?" Vito's brow furrowed, but then he looked behind her, seeing the blond guy with Blood coming from his nose onto his shirt. "You are both safe now. Get inside." Josephine stepped inside, feeling the warmth of the house wash over her—though it didn't fully erase the cold knot of fear that had settled in her chest. Domenico shut the door behind her, locking it with a soft click. Valentino went to the kitchen, probably to get some ice.