Client Confidentiality

(50) Callum

It's taken two days since Lucia's call for me to get her back. 

Two fucking days. 

Elijah and Zach have been caring for Carlie, meeting her needs in ways I can't right now. The rage for my father surges into every step I take, infesting my bloodstream and filtering into my vision. 

I tap my foot impatiently at the airport as I wait for Lucia to filter through the arrivals door. Her flight was delayed, due to a storm in Switzerland. Though, when I see her dark, bouncy curls bounding through the doors, a slight smile threatens my stern expression. She runs towards me, hurtling her small body into mine and I reluctantly wrap my arms around her. 

I've always hated physical affection. Carlie was the first one who bypassed my boundaries. Her touch is like my kryptonite and I'm willing to sacrifice my whole life for her. 

But as I hold my sister in my arms, I realise she's a close second to the love of my life. 

"Sorry, Cal," Lucia pulls back sheepishly, "I know you hate hugs."

Sighing, I roll my eyes and pull her forward into my chest, entangling my hand in her wild curls. She's lost the thickness in her Irish accent, leaving behind a classically European mix with only an Irish lilt. It's sad that my father's actions have affected my fifteen year old sister so much. 

"Let's get you home," I release her from my grasp and pick up her suitcase. She follows me to my car and automatically climbs into the front seat, not bothering to stop her conversation despite the small period of time where I couldn't hear her through the closed doors. 

She babbles for the whole journey, filling me in on the school-girl drama in her life. I pretend to be interested, but she knows that it's a loss for me to be proactive in this conversation. 

This is so much more Zach's cup of tea. 

I shoot off a quick text to the others before pressing the elevator button up to our penthouse. They reply almost immediately that they're both working from home today. Since Carlie's a workaholic, I relax slightly at the thought of not having to bombard her with the bombshell of our little sister's arrival. 

Despite not seeing us since we moved into this building, Lucia walks into the living room like she owns the place. Her eyes light up at the floor-to-ceiling windows and she claps her hands in excitement. When I see her take a sharp inhale of breath, I automatically cover my ears. 

My eyes widen in horror at the loud screech she exudes. It penetrates my eardrums despite me trying to protect my hearing, and I wince. Footsteps rumble through the open-plan space until my two, younger brothers are standing in front of her. Zach grins, his face practically splitting in two from the wideness of his smile as he stares down at Lucia. Elijah smirks, but his eyes show slight annoyance at being disrupted in such a brutal way. 

"Little Sis!" Zach almost matches her pitch and wraps her in a hug. He spins her around as she giggles, gripping onto him for dear life. When he puts her down, Elijah swallows her up in a gentler hug and the tears start to roll down her face. 

They're our roles. I'm the protector, Zach the playmate and Elijah the one who figures our feelings out before we can. 

Eli guides her over to the sofa, Zach taking the seat on the other side of Lucia. I head into the kitchen and brew some tea, knowing my presence will probably not help in whatever she has to confess. 

She was so light and bubbly in the car. 

What did I miss? 

Was there a mental cue that I didn't realise? 

Carrying the four mugs of tea back to the sofa, I'm still mentally chastising myself for not realising my little sister was in pain. I set them down almost forcefully, making all three of them look up at me. Lucia's red eyes bore into me, increasing my guild whilst Zach grits his teeth. Elijah gives me a knowing look and nods his head for me to sit down on the armchair opposite. 

I take my seat and listen in on the conversation, trying hard not let my own emotions eat me up on the inside. 

"What happened, Lulu?" Elijah asks our little sister as Zach wraps his arm around her shoulders. I push forward the box of tissues to her before sitting back rigidly in my seat. She leans forward and takes them, giving me a small smile as tears stream down her face. 

"I thought he loved me," she sobs, crying into the tissues crumpled in her hands. My fists immediately clench and I see red before mentally chastising myself. 

Killing is wrong, Callum. 

"Who?" Zach asks calmly, braiding her hair as he used to do when she was younger to calm her down. Her autism makes it difficult to process sensations, and she would always feel worse until her wild hair was away from her neck. 

"This boy from school. He made me feel like he loved me, and then he left me as soon as he got what he wanted," she mumbles, her sobs increasing to the point where her words are barely audible. 

Again, Callum. 

Killing is very wrong. 

Your girlfriend is a fucking lawyer. 

I don't think she would approve.

Instead, I sit there silently as she explains the story of her being at a party with the boy she was speaking to. He suggested they went upstairs to one of the dorm rooms, but he left as soon as he took her virginity. The next thing she knew, he had told the whole school that she was an easy slut, desperate for anyone's dick. 

Elijah and Zach work their magic ways and manage to calm her down enough to drink her tea. As soon as the tears dry up, she excuses herself to sleep off her exhaustion and leaves the three of us in a stunned silence. 

I'm the first one to speak. 

"Carlie," I mutter through clenched teeth. Both my brothers look up from their brooding dazes and nod their heads. 

"I'll call her," Elijah says as he pulls out his phone. 

Meh.

Anyway, I'm back!

Exams claimed my soul but I've finally finished. 

It was so hard to write this chapter after a break, I can't lie. 

Anyway, hope u enjoyed <3