Code and Conduct

Maldives

    We were staying in a resort for our time in the Maldives. Me and Nik got our own resort house, Demitri and Em got one, Mom, Easton,Hudson, and Elissia got one.

"Alethia, I need to talk to you." Nikolai said the day after we arrived. I was in my mom's cabin. "Okay but can't it wait? I'm trying to spend time with my daughter, Nikolai." My mom interjected. I saw Nikolai hold his breath and release it slowly. He tried keeping his composure. "No, Mrs. Cantin. It cannot wait." Nik said through clenched teeth. "Well it damn well better." My mom argued. They hadn't quit arguing over me since we left New York. My mom tried keeping me in her resort house instead of me sharing one with Nikolai. "Mom. I gotta go talk to Nik. I'll be back." I said, kissing her cheek and walking out to the boardwalk. "What's up baby?" I asked curiously. "Not here." he said vaguely, grabbing my hand and leading me to the other side where our cabin was. We entered the cozy, beachy living room. "Listen, they are on our tracks. They know where we are. We have to end this." He said very seriously. "Like?" I said, unable to finish my thoughts. "Yes. He has to die.."

   Nikolai's POV:

  She looked at me like I was completely mad. "Are you fucking serious?" She asked, her eyes wide. "Deadly." I said, winking and grinning stupidly. She didn't take well to that. "You think this is a fucking joke Nikolai? This is NOT a joke, do you hear me?!" She screamed at me. It seemed to be the trend lately that more than not, she was screaming at me. I kept messing up. I brought her into this mess. I could've let her go.. but she intrigued me so much.. and she was so beautiful. "No.. no baby. It's not a joke. But it does have to happen. We have no other choice." I said as calmly as I could, trying to make the situation better. "No way, Nikolai." she said so sternly that I almost cringed.. Almost. "Alethia, you know that you cant really deny he needs to be taken care of." I really just wanted her to stop arguing with me. "You're insane, Nikolai. We can't do this! Please!"

Alethia's POV:

I began to cry out of frustration, the tears ran down my face, hot from anger. We needed to get out of this. This couldn't be us all our lives. "Nikolai, please. We can't keep this up." I couldn't tell whether he was resolving into letting this go and getting very far away, or if he was holding onto his notion of murder. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brows in concentration. "Okay. Look. We can try to escape this, but it will not be easy. And if we don't kill Andrews, he will always be hunting us down." Nikolai said, frustration and exhaustion riddling his voice. "We can go to New Zealand, Australia,  Italy, I don't care. As long as we don't have to kill a man!" I sputtered, becoming angrier with each of his excuses.  "Okay. But we have to take your family and we can't take Demitri or Emmeline. "She's my best friend!" I argued. "Okay. Fine. But we're gonna have to go to Timbuktu or something because I dont know how we're gonna hide everyone." "Let's just talk to them."