The Unforgettable Concert

Sending a Message

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I screamed angrily.

"Sweetness, please don't stress too much," Lake pleaded quietly in my ear.

So, for his sake, I slowed down my breathing to calm myself down, only to then turn and sob into Lake's shoulder.

"Shhh, I'm here. I've got you," Lake cooed sweetly.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Griffin snarled.

"What are you doing on our property?!" Kyler growled, which was surprising since I had never heard Kyler so hostile before.

"Ky!" Lake called out to him, Kyler instantly approaching us, taking me from Lake's arms as Lake then turned and approached our visitor slowly with his eyes trained on him angrily.

"Karli, come over here," Braylon called out.

"But-" Karli started to protest, only to be quickly cut off by a loud bark of her name by Braylon which had her hurrying to his side.

"KARLI!"

"Now, are you going to answer the questions you were asked?" Lake asked him.

He remained silent to Lake's questions, just watching him which pissed me off.

"Dammit, Ross! Answer him!" I yelled at him, and he finally answered one of Lake's questions.

"My name is Ross."

"No shit," Griffin scoffed.

"What else?" Lake pressed.

"My full name is Ross Anton Reid and I am Claire's half-brother."

Everyone turned to look at me.

"Is he being truthful?" Lake asked me.

"Put me down, Ky-Ky," I sighed, and to my surprise, he actually did which led to Lake glaring at him as I walked slowly over to Lake where he immediately wrapped his arm around my waist to help steady me.

"Yes, he is. He's 25, like you, Lake. He is my dad's son from a relationship prior to meeting my mother," I confirmed.

"You said he was supposed to be dead. What do you mean, Claire?" Griffin asked, watching Ross closely as he did so.

I let out a shaky breath as I remembered what happened all those years ago.

"When I was thirteen and...went away, my parents told me that he had been shot, execution-style when he was walking in a park. And then a few years later my parents died. I was all alone for years with not a damn hope in the world. But I was never alone because YOU WERE ALIVE THE WHOLE DAMN TIME!" I screamed at the end, feeling myself becoming lightheaded from my screaming.

"Cat!" Ross shouted at me.

Suddenly, everyone was pulling guns out, pointing them at Ross, including Lake who had me securely in his arms.

"DON'T MOVE!" Lake bellowed.

"Lake, please don't! Just take me upstairs so that we can lay down. Please," I said softly.

"Of course," he said as he picked me up and walked towards the front door. "I want him watched constantly. He's not to leave anyone's sight while we are upstairs, resting. Am I understood?"

"Yes, boss," they all said as Lake carried me upstairs and into that oh-so-familiar room where he placed me on the bed and curled up behind me.

"We can talk about him later," I murmured.

"Okay, Sweetness," Lake said, kissing my shoulder and then drifting off to sleep with me.

- Griffin's POV -

There was something about this dude that made me wary of him. But Lake gave us orders and he is Claire's family. Hell, he's her only BLOOD family.

Claire's like a sister to me, and I'll protect her until my last dying breath.

"What's going on? Who is that and why is he in this house?" Luuk demanded the moment we walked into the living room.

Ross was in between Braylon, Kyler, and me while Karli was walking behind Braylon.

I pulled Luuk to the side and quickly filled him in on everything that was going on and had happened.

"I'm glad that my boy finally got her back. She keeps him on his toes and doesn't take his or anyone else's shit. And I agree that there's something off about him," Luuk said with a nod.

"Glad I'm not the only one," I said.

For the next three hours, I stood in the corner of the room and watched every move that Ross made as he talked with Karli who seemed thrilled to see him alive and well.

Braylon walked over to me, catching my attention for a split second before I brought my eyes back over to Ross.

"I don't trust this fucker," he snapped.

"Me either but he's Claire's half-brother so like it or not, we can't do or say shit," I said.

"No, we can say shit, but we have to make sure it can't be heard. Plus, I don't like how drawn to him Karli is," Braylon glared as the two chatted and she laughed at something Ross said.

"You jealous?" I joked.

"Hell no. I see that girl as another annoying ass sister, just like Claire."

A loud slap echoed as a hand connected with the back of Braylon's head.

"Dickhead," Claire said.

"Shit, relax. I called you my sister, and that's an honor," Braylon said.

"Honor, my ass. I don't want to waste any more time. We need to talk to Ross," Claire said.

"Yes, let's," Lake said with a nod.

- Claire's POV -

After having taken a damn good nap with Lake by my side, we came downstairs to hear Braylon saying I was like an annoying sister to him which earned him a nice, solid smack to the back of the head.

Then, I decided we needed to talk to Ross to hear why he was here and why he had 'died' all those years ago just to be alive and well now.

I walked over in front of Ross, Lake right there beside me who was flanked by Braylon and Griffin.

"Talk," I demanded as I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him.

"Alright, fine," he said, looking up at me with a look that I had never seen on him before that looked almost...evil. "I'm here to give you a warning."

"Warning? The fuck do I need that for?" Lake asked as he watched Ross closely.

Ross then stood up and got very close to me which had Lake trying to tuck me away behind him safely, but I refused to move.

"Time's ticking, Dreame. Your reign as King is coming to a close," Ross said and then brushed past me and out of the mansion.

Griffin and Braylon followed behind but came back not even thirty seconds later, shaking their heads as they looked at Lake.

Ross was gone.