Roxy

chapter 1: flashback *

A/N: hello everyone! Thank you for taking time to read my book. Please, keep in mind that this is my first book and there might be a lot of grammatical errors, so kindly make mental corrections. I'm still editing.

Thank you.

Enjoy!

"Ronan! I'm over here!" My yell reaches my fifteen-year-old brother as he comes running out of the house. He is so close, my heart is filled with hope as he races towards me.

We're going to make it!

My happiness is soon replaced with horror. The bang pierced my ears, but the sight before me pierced my heart. Ronan laid face down, blood pooling around his back, soaking up his white tee.

He isn't moving.

Without wasting much time, I rush to his aid and inspect his wound. He's bleeding profusely, thankfully, he still has a pulse. Suddenly, an all too familiar object is shoved at the back of my skull.

"Put your hands where I can see them, little girl. And don't try anything stupid, or you and your brother die where you lay."

††††††††††††††††

Two weeks earlier........

"Roxy!" I hear my dad's scream from downstairs.

"Coming," I quickly put on my boots and run as quickly as I can downstairs. If there's one thing you should know about my father, is that he is an enemy of tardiness. I meet him at the bottom of the stairs. He's dressed in his signature black suit with his black hair jelled back stylishly. You'd never believe this man was only in his late thirties.

"We're going to be late, come on!" He says, obviously annoyed. Just as he is about to open the door, the real boss speaks.

"Wait! You ain't taking my baby anywhere until she's eaten breakfast! Do you want to kill her? What if she passes out!" my mom says, sending a venomous glare at my father before dragging me to the dining room. I don't try to fight her, you do not fight a pregnant lady. Like ever. She's due sometime this week. That means I get another sibling. This is so cool!

"Maria, she's going to be late," dad whines. She sends dad another killer glare that immediately shuts him up.

He sighs in defeat before saying, "I'll be outside when you're done," then he walks out the front door.

I couldn't help but smile when I enter the dining room, seeing my four beautiful siblings everyday was my true motivation.

Ronan, my immediate younger brother, is the quiet one. He's always watching us as we make conversations amongst ourselves. He only talks to mom and dad, and that's when they are alone in their room.

In all my life, Ronan has only spoken to me like five times. I am sixteen while He is fifteen, I wouldn't exactly say we act like strangers. As a matter of fact, it feels like something is missing when he's not with us. I do wish we talk, but I am not one to push people. Hell, I even count myself lucky that he's spoken to me at all. The rest have barely even heard his voice. I know there are shy and quiet people, but his reticent nature is at a whole other level.

Then there's Ronan's twin, Rolland, he's the opposite of him. He's very loud. At the age of fifteen, the boy is an infamous Casanova. Or So I've heard.

Then there's Ruby, she's a combination of Ronan and Rolland, quiet as an angel one minute and loud as an elephant the next. She turned thirteen a few days ago.

Then there's Ranger, my other little brother, the current youngest. He's the smart one in the family. Correction, the nerd in the family, his dark rimmed glasses only proved my point. Our conversations are always complicated. I hardly understand half of what he says. I know he's my little brother and I love him but I always feel awkward hanging out with him. Not because of our conversations but..... But he's a constant reminder that he has something I'll never have. That they all have something I'll never have.

I didn't go to school, I was home trained. The reason is because my father didn't see the need of me to go, since he had already decided my entire future from my childhood. And that's to take over his business.

Basically, I was taught maths, English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, critical thinking and various forms of martial arts. I've spent my life training, fighting, knowing how to use every weapon ever created. Hell, I even learnt how to use a piece of paper to kill a guy. Very interesting, I might add. It doesn't matter their size, I can easily take them down. I've had to learn the ins and outs of the family business.... So, technically, I'm not dumb.

Why I do this? I have no idea. My dad just told me that they'll come a day he and Mom won't be here. I will have to learn to protect myself and my siblings. And someday take control of the family business.

It's quite crappy, if you ask me. My dad always says I am not allowed to feel some emotions, like fear and love for anyone that is not family. I am also not allowed to cry, no matter the reason. Crying is for the weak, he says.

I don't care about anything other than my family's happiness. If I have to be a sacrificial lamb for my family to be happy, I'll do it with a smile on my face.

After eating breakfast, I kissed my mom and siblings goodbye. Getting into my dad's black Bugatti, we head towards my uncle's ranch.

†††††

My uncle is not exactly the friendliest person, but he's family. It wasn't easy making him allow me train here, but he gave in eventually. He has the best staff and equipment one needs to become the best in any combat.

Rushing into the weapon's room, I see my trainer, Jack, flipping some knives. He's always loved knives.....

"You're late," he says, not taking his attention away from his knives.

"I am sorry sir," I bow my head.

"Turn the lights off," he says and I swallow the lump in my throat. I know where this is going.

Turning the lights off, the room is immediately engulfed by darkness and silence. In this situation, you rely on your ears and instincts to guide you.

Jack's deep, gruff voice breaks the silence, "Move around." And the silence returns.

I close my eyes and walk around the room. I stop when I sense something coming towards me, I move to my left in one swift motion. Sensing more, I take one step to my right, then right, left, right, left, left, jump, then duck. A normal spectator won't understand what I'm doing, but I do. Standing to my full height, I take note that I barely broke a sweat this time. Normally, I would be out of breath, but I have learned to control my breathing since I was five.

"Very good, I think we're done for now. You can take a break." Jack says, and a few seconds later the lights are back on. I open my eyes to find different knives sticking out of the wall in front of me.

Glad he didn't use an axe this time.

"Oh, thank you, sir." I say before walking out of the room.

The hair on my back start to tingle, I turn around just in time to catch the knife inches away from my face. The blade slices through my palm causing the red liquid to paint the object and drip to the floor, but I dare not make a sound.

"Ah, so you remember what I always say." He smiles.

"There's no such thing as a break," my eyes meet his, my words making his smile grow.

A/N: So... What do you all think?

First chapter. So far, so good.