Code and Conduct

Hello, Brother Dear

     I never thought that I'd one day be the second in command of a gang that people were actually intimidated by. I never thought that I'd fall in love with the son of an extremely powerful CEO and drug ring leader, either. I never, in a million years expected all the shit I'd get in. Or all the shit that was yet to come my way.
    The day was a rainy one for Florida. They call this place the sunshine state, but all it is is liquid sunshine (a.k.a. rain). I was comfortable and curled up in bed with Nikolai watching Ted when the doorbell rang. I jumped and so did Nikolai. Immediately, he grabbed for his gun that he had just found in his old  room. "Come on." he said, getting up and heading downstairs as the doorbell rang a second and third time. Finally, we reached the door. We had all the windows curtained with black opaque curtains. My heart was beating out of my chest. Nikolai cracked the door open. "Who are you?" I peered around the corner and gasped. "E-Easton." I stuttered, pushing down the gun that Nikolai had at my brother's temple. "What the fuck, Alethia?!" he yelled. I saw Nik tense up and hold himself back. He had never met Easton but had heard everything I could tell him. "Easton, let me explain." I pled with my older brother who looked like he was going to spontaneously combust. "Explain?! You ran away to ORLANDO!" he exploded in my face. "Listen to me, damn it!" I screamed at him, pushing him into the door. He staggered, shock spreading across his face. He nodded and followed me to the living room. "Listen, Easton. You should not have come here." I said through clenched teeth. "Why not?" he demanded. "You're gonna regret you did." I said, beating around the bush. Nikolai elbowed me in the ribs. "Okay, look. I got into a gang. Accidentally, but I did. I learned where Elitist headquarters is and I had to. Now you're screwed too, Easton." I said quickly. He stared at me, a look of disbelief spread across his face. I scrunched my face up, waiting for him to respond. "So.. I have to cut off all ties with our family and join this terrible gang?!" he practically blew up. "EASTON!" I yelled in his face. He flinched a bit, looking at me strangely. "Easton, listen. It's join or die. Its the only rule that Nikolai's father, Nicholas enforces on this gang." I explained, calming myself. He sighed, but nodded.  "Oh, and you gotta get a tattoo." I said, a mischievous grin on my face as my brother gasped.

  Two hours later and with a very pissed Easton, we made it back home. "I can't believe you made me get an E on my frickin forearm." Easton started in on me when we were all eating dinner on the couch. We all held up our now healing tattoos to try to get Easton to shut up with his whining. He rolled his eyes. "Ok, so Easton. Let me introduce you formally to everyone and then we can explain everything else." Nikolai said, looking almost wary of Easton's reaction to him actually talking. Nikolai had kept quiet and let me talk my brother through his freak out and didn't say a word while he was getting tattooed. "You must be Nikolai Davidson, huh?" Easton asked, eyeing my boyfriend curiously. Nikolai nodded. "You dating my little sister?" Easton questioned. I gave Easton a warning look but he didn't look intimidated. "Yes." Nikolai said, becoming visibly irritated. "Okay. So, explain." my brother said instead of continuing the previous topic.  I almost choked on my spaghetti because I didn't expect my brother to actually shut up about me and Nik. "This is Demitri, and this is Emmeline." he gestured towards the two who were practically joined at the hip on the other end of the couch. Easton nodded to them but they didn't acknowledge that he even existed. I saw Nikolai tense up. He slammed his hand down on the coffee table, making everyone jump. "You two! Hey! Treat this like a damn meeting! That's what it is okay?! I know we each have someone who we love in the gang, but we are still that! A gang. So damn it, act like it! We are being chased down, hunted and threatened by one of the most dangerous men on the planet! Sit up! Straighten up and welcome Easton!" he yelled. "Nice to finally meet my best friend's brother. Hi, Easton. I'm Emmeline and I'm terribly sorry for being rude." she said sweetly, holding out her hand to my brother. "Nice to meet you, Emmeline." my brother said, shaking her hand. "Hello, I'm Demitri. I'm the annoying one." he joked, holding his hand out to Easton. "You can say that again." I laughed. "Good. Now to explain the actual situation." Nikolai continued, grabbing my hand so as to calm himself. I squeezed his hand, rubbing my thumb across the back of it. We had made rules for gang meetings and PDA. It was strictly limited to holding hands only. No hugs. No kissing, not even on the cheek. "So. Your sister, protecting the gang and herself, beat the hell out of Evelyn Alexander. Little did I know, her father is rival gang and drug ring leader, Andrew Alexander. And he is not one to mess with. So I had an accidental run in with the man. And he gave me a nice reminder. And I came back and knew I had to protect Alethia so I took her and the rest of the gang here." Nikolai recounted to my shocked looking brother. "I'll kill him." Easton said, suddenly looking like he was seeing red. "I already called dibs." Nikolai chuckled. Easton loosened a bit, I think he was glad that Nikolai wanted to kill him as much as Easton did.

That night, I got Easton to leave us alone. We stuck him in the guest house as well as Emmeline and Demitri. I just wanted to get away from all the gang crap for a while, it was driving me insane. "Lord, I thought I'd never get rid of them." I sighed as I closed the door to our bedroom behind me. "Me either." Nikolai said, crossing the room until he was close enough to feel my breath. "Well, hello."  I said, smiling. He grinned and kissed me. "I love you, Alethia." he said, holding my face. "I love you, Nikolai."