The Heir's Little Badass

32: WE LIKE ETHAN AGAIN?

I look up to see Chase enter my room, closing the door behind him softly.

I follow his eyes to my lap, to the picture I'm holding unto for dear life.

"Dylan"

I choke out a sob in reply, clutching the picture of my parents to my chest.

Chase walks to my bedside and doesn't hesitate to gather me up in his arms.

Out of the many things Chase and I have in common, is the fact that both our parents were murdered roughly the same way.

Okay that's sugarcoating things.

His house was burned to the ground with his father in it and when his mother came back from grocery shopping, clutching a one year old Chase, she dropped him in the arm of one of the agents that came to investigate and rushed into the burning building before anyone could stop her. She died of suffocation.

Some idiot that had been promised seven virgins and riches beyond his wildest dreams had broken into their house with a bomb strapped to his chest and a keg of gasoline.

Needless to say, sometime last year I watched from the back seat as Chase tracked the bastard that orchestrated it all down and ended his life. We were with him all the way and I know I don't have to ask before he's ready to comb the entire world with me to find my parents' murderer.

"I'm going to find him" I sniff, clutching his shirt as I steadily soak it, "I'm going to bury several bullets in his bruised, battered body"

Chase exhales and pats my hair soothenly, "We'll be here for you okay? Just say the word"

I nod into his chest as more sobs wrack my body and I let all my anguish and pain flow out as I cry harder than ever.

I must have fallen asleep in his arms because the next thing I know, I'm waking up to my alarm blaring.

I sit up groggily, my mind already going a mile a minute, thinking how much I don't want to go to school.

Then I remember it's Saturday, and we're on spring break.

I spend two hours lazing about before finally shrugging on a tank top and sweatpants and going downstairs.

"Hey sweetheart" I ruffle Mary's hair and she giggles in reply, distracted by the stack of pancakes in front of her.

"Morning" I greet Chase who's at the stove flipping more pancakes.

He turns and gives me a smile, "Due to your condition last night, I wasn't able to properly scold you for letting you-know-who go"

I shrug, smiling sheepishly, "Chalk it up to the same moment of bad judgement that started it all"

I open the fridge and bring out the carton of OJ, chugging straight from it.

"Pig" Mason mutters, rubbing his eyes sleepily, still in his pjs.

I roll my eyes at him, holding the carton up in his direction like a toast "From one to another"

The rest of my brothers come downstairs and we all have breakfast together, talking about our plans for spring break.

The bell rings and Mason and I dart out of our seats, both racing for the door.

Mason reaches there first and groans when he sees that the guest is not Janelle.

I smirk as he trudges back to the kitchen.

"Hi" I beam.

Ethan smiles back, "Hey"

I gesture to the house with my head, "Come in, there's still a couple of pancakes left"