Wingless, book 1 of Wingless Series

Don't mind

I can't believe what happened in my parent's home. I'm in the middle of the room trying to make sense of it all.

Part of me is happy that Ace stood up for me.

I gather the pictures on the floor, glad to see they aren't broken, and start hanging them one by one back on the wall. Ace paces back and forth by the door.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm agitated." He touches my face, a small grin appearing.

"What?" I smile not able to contain myself any longer.

"You."

"Me?"

"I almost killed your brother." He laughs.

"I wasn't expecting that, but thank you. It feels good having someone stand up for me."

I straighten up my parent's living room putting things back together so when they came home they don't panic.

A strange chirp catches my attention. I follow the noise lifting Ace's cell phone from the spot he nearly killed my brother in.

"Hello?"

"Can I speak to Evan?"

"I think you have the wrong number," I tell the man on the other end.

"No sweetie, I call the same number every time. This is Evan's phone." He's growing annoyed with me, whoever he is.

Before I can offer a reply Ace grabs the phone from me.

"Yeah, what's up?" He heads out our front door. I stay in the foyer, trying to overhear.

I am beginning to think everything I thought about Ace is wrong and that maybe Gray is right and he is trouble. I don't want to believe he lied to me, but things are pointing more and more toward it.

"I must have dropped my phone," he says, shutting the screen door behind him.

"Yeah, it was over by the wall." I point, lost in a daze.

He struggles to find the right words. "This doesn't look good for me."

"No, not really." I cross my arms.

"Eve, please don't flip out. This wasn't a deliberate thing." He takes a step toward me.

I back away, right into my brother.

"Flip out about what?" Gray asks.

Devan takes off out of the door.

Gray waits. Ace isn't willing to discuss anything with my brother around. He slams the front door on the way out.

I hope he isn't taking off.

"What the hell is going on?" Gray says. "I told you he was bad news."

"It's none of your business. Will you shut the hell up for once in your life?" I slap him in the chest, pushing him away from me.

"I'm your brother. Like me or not, that's what I'm here for." He drags a hand through his hair.

"I don't need you to do anything. I'm tired of explaining myself to people who don't care."

"We care," he says narrowing his gaze.

"You care about this family and what is going to happen to its name. You don't care about what is going on with me. If I wanted your help I would ask."

Devan stomps back into the house. "Listen to her. She is eighteen. Keep your nose out of her business and let's go before that guy out there kills you." She shoves Gray. "We all know you're full of yourself, but not this time. Let's go."

Gray for once decides to listen to someone else and heads out the door. I follow after him.

"Remember what I said." Gray goes down the steps. "She thinks she doesn't need my help, but I'll still do what is right." He shoves Ace out of his way.

Ace grabs him and they both fall to the ground. He's had enough, and he's about to kill my brother if I don't stop them.

I run down the steps but stop short, I'm afraid to break the two of them up.

Gray frees a hand and hits Ace in the face. This only pisses him off more. I close my eyes, trying to ignore the beat down my brother is enduring because of me.

"Do something," Devan begs me. "He's going to kill him."

"Both of you stop it now!" I've had it. They're grown men, there's no reason they have to act like idiots.

Ace lets go, rolling off Gray. He stands up.

"Devan, get my phone." Gray's ready to sick the police on Ace now that he knows he lost the battle.

"No," I tell him. Devan stops in her tracks. "You're not calling anyone. You brought this on yourself. So leave."

Gray spits dirt out of his mouth. He touches his face, wincing.

"Get out of here, or I'll tell Mom and Dad." That's all I have to say to get him to leave.

Ace keeps his distance, he hardly has a scratch on him after the fight between him and my brother. Gray on the other hand looks like someone who had their ass handed to him.

"All I want to know is this." I head back up the stairs.

"What's that?"

"Is your name Ace or not?"

"It's Evan. And if you're willing to listen, I will explain everything to you."