In the Middle - Book One

Chapter 32

I sat in the office, a scratchy blanket over my shoulders.
'Here.' Julian handed me a cup of coffee.
'I thought you were cheating on me you know?!' He spoke. I looked up.
'What?'
'Elena spilled for the right price. I knew you were lying, Taylor was at your work getting food when you said you were working. Elena met you in a hotel room talking about some guy.' He plopped down beside me.

'I wouldn't do that.' I said.
'I didn't know.' More silence. He put the coffee down and grabbed my hands.
'Why didn't you tell me he was back?'
'I didn't know till two days ago, I didn't know how to say it. He had killed my brother.' I cried.
He pulled me in for a hug.
'Does your mum know?' I shook my head.
'I can't tell her, especially not now. She'll want to know everything and I don't think I could lie to her right now.'

'I'm so sorry you thought you couldn't come to me.' He spoke.
'It's not you, it's me.' I pulled further away.
'Are we breaking up?' A small smirk on his face.
'Please, I cant deal with that right now.' I begged.
He pulled me in again.
'Still, you should have said something. I am so sorry.' He kissed my head.

'It's official. I can't believe him, he would have shot me. He...' more tears fell.
'Hey, stop, it's okay.'
'He didn't....he doesn't want me.' I cried. I felt like such a fool. A little girl crying over a broken toy.
'So what?!' Julian argued.
'He is an asshole and I'm gonna make sure he pays for hurting you.' Julian traced the mark on my arm from him. The mark from my own father.
'Hey!' Julian said. He pushed my chin up, my chin placed in his warm hand.
'I don't care about him Zoie, I want you. I need you...' More stiff silence between us.

'I love you.' He spoke. I looked into his eyes.
'You said it.' I smiled. 'And I mean it, fuck what my brothers say.'
'What! What do you brothers say?' I ask worried.
'It doesn't matter, Zoie Carter....I love you.' It made me smile through the red face and tear streaks.

'I love you too.' I said. I kissed him deeply, his lips and mine creating our own little world no one else could destroy. His hands pulling me in, safe, I was happy.
We pulled away about a century to early.
Neither one of us said anything. Just hugged in this moment. Our warm bodies against each other.

I was at Julians place, everyone was home. I was sitting in the basement on the couch, the TV playing muted scenes. The bar looked tempting. Julian was in the shower and I had grown full of Facebook feeds.
'Hey!' I quickly spun my head.
Ezra was standing at the bottom of the stairs alone.
'Uh...hi.' I answered.
'Can we talk?' He asked.
I was stunned, was this a joke? What did he want to talk about? My heart was racing.

'Sure.' I managed to say. My tongue glued itself to the roof of my mouth.

He walked over to the bar and pulled out two beers.
'Here.' He passed one of to me. I took it nervously.
Wolf taking hunters food?
'What's up?' I asked. I did a quick glance around to see if anyone was here to witness a murder.
Nope, just how these guys usually did it right?

'I'm sorry, about your dad.' Ezra said. I had to do a double take.
'Thanks?!' I replied. What the hell was I meant to say?
I popped the cap off gently, in case a bomb had been planted.
'Don't take our annoyance towards you personally, we don't like bumps in roads.' He said leaning back in the armchair.
'I'm a bump?'
'You were unexpected.'
'And now I am a bargaining tool?!' I questioned.

'I guess not to us.' He added.
'This is weird, I liked it better when you and Ezekiel hated me.' I shared, I poured half the bottle down my throat.
'We don't hate you. You're just really annoying, like a sister but worse.'
'Um, okay.' I wasn't even close to being sure how to reply to that.

'My dad tried to kill me once too.' He spoke. I sat paused. Not moving an inch.
'Really?!' I asked sheepishly.
'When I was born, see my father comes from a family we're twins are bad luck. The devils gift, Ezekiel was born first which makes me the devil.' I was still frozen.
'I'm sorry.' I replied.
'It's all good. He got over it, used us as an advantage. Though when he gives up status, the role of boss will go to Ezekiel.' He explained.

I wasn't sure why he was telling me any of this.
'Does that make you mad?' I asked curiously.
'I don't really care, I will always be his right man. Second in charge.' He finished off the rest of his drink.

'Why are you telling me all this?' I asked. Placing my empty bottle of the table.
He leaned in so close I could smell his breath. My heart freaking out.
'Cause I want to trust you. You know your dad being in gang or mob or whatever? That makes you by blood, in it too.'
My face went cold. I started shaking.

'What?'
'Yeah!' He answered. 'Kinda funny how that one trickled out.' A sarcastic grin on his face.
'So technically by blood you are in our enemies mob.'
I pushed myself into the couch further.
'So...choose.' Suddenly this conversation had gone really dark quickly.
He was staring me down, his eyes sunken and serious.

'I don't wanna be in either. I don't want this life.'
'Not an answer, you're with Julian. Right now, wether you two will last or not...choose.'
'What about Taylor? You keep her out of it?!' I stutter.
'No, she's with us. Wether we involve her in anything is up to us.'

He had moved in real close. 'Choose....wisely.' He spoke. My heart was beating sooo fast. Was he serious?
'I'm not kidding. By blood you HAVE to choose.' Panic started in my chest, tightening my throat.

'Ezra, What are you doing?' Behind me Julian had come out. Ezra was staring me dead, this was it.
I didn't know what to do.
'Hurry this up.' Ezra ordered.
My mouth was hanging open.
Okay okay! Just think Zoie.
A family that is trying to kill you or one with Julian in it.

'Ezra fuck off.' Julian mentioned.
'She has to choose.' Julian took a step forward but Ezra pulled out his gun, aiming it right at his brothers head.
'So?' Ezra asked. I looked at Julian.
His face was worried and calm in the exact same way.
'You're lucky we are giving you a choice, some wouldn't. Not if they knew what we knew.' I looked back at Ezra. What did that mean?

'So?' Something clicked on the gun and I panicked.
'You.' I spoke so quickly. I was still shaking. 'You.' I repeated. He put the gun away and leaned back.
'You two have fun.' Ezra smiles, standing up and walking upstairs.
What did I just do? Had I signed my soul to the devil. Apparently the literal devil!
'Did you mean it?' Julian asked me.
I looked at his eyes, warm and kind.

'Yes.' I smiled.
'I choose you.'