Vice

Six

"That's no way to say hello to your brother." Shane jeered, he reached over and plucked the drink out of her hands. Downing it in a single swig he slammed the empty glass onto the table and cast his dark brown eyes over her, exact replicas of their father's. "I never thought you'd actually do it. I never thought you'd betray me. After all we've been through."

"You betrayed me the moment you started running the gang behind my back." Thea interjected, "You made me look like a fool Shane. All the people you hurt, all the things you did, things we both agreed we'd never do."

"I did what needed to be done. What you were too weak to do."

Thea's face blackened, "No Shane. You were the one that was weak. You gave in, you weren't strong enough to stand up for what was right."

"What kind of world do you think we live in? You out of all people should understand the life we live Thea."

"That doesn't make killing people," she lowered her voice and stepped closer, "killing families okay."

"Sometimes it's necessary." Thea's eyes widened.

"How can you say that? Have you forgotten why we entered this life in the first place?" she searched his eyes for any sign of the brother she used to love.

"He knew what he was getting himself into, he put his family in danger." he shook his head gravely. "You were always the weak one Thea. You never understood what had to be done. You never did what had to be done." Thea caught the blame behind his words and cast her eyes downward.

"Is that why you're here? I'm just another target to take out?" his face was expressionless. There was no trace of the boy she had grown up with. He lost himself in the world of blood and money.

"You betrayed the gang Thea."

"I'm your sister."

"You are nothing to me." he snarled, his vacant eyes unblinking as he closed the gap between them. "You lost the only family you had left when you walked out on the gang. And when you decided to join Vice, you lost your privilege to walk around this city."

Two strong hands wrapped around Thea's wrists, pulling her arms behind her. She struggled against the sudden restraint.

"Ah ah ah." the man clicked his tounge in her ear. She felt something cold and hard press into the small of her back. "Don't make a sound."

Thea's eyes darted around the room, Trevor and Ryder were preoccupied with the girls in front of them, she caught sight of the redhead dancing on the far side of the room, her back was turned. There was no sign of James.

The man pushed her towards the back of the club. Thea fought to keep her breathing steady. How did they find her here? Vice couldn't have sold her out, Shane wouldn't have gone behind her back on their deal, still suspicion grew in her stomach. She chastised herself for letting her guard down. There was no room for 'nights off' in this life. If she had been paying attention and not dancing with Lottie, she might have seen them coming.

No one glanced their way as they shoved people aside making a split through the crowded dance floor. The party goers continued dancing, oblivious to the loaded weapon aimed at Thea's lower back.

She wished briefly that she had gotten the chance to be like them; ignorant. Blinded to the horrors of this world. Going clubbing at night and waking up for work on monday morning.

Thea missed out on all the small joys in life. She was only eighteen and she had never been to a school dance, or taken out on an awkward first date by her crush. Instead her life was full of fights and false facades set up in protection from the people she was supposed to be able to trust.

She was pushed out the back door and shoved roughly into the alley. She stumbled but managed to keep her feet underneath her as they threatened to send her tumbling face first into the ground. She quickly turned to face the two men stepping out of the club. Shane came out first his eyes trained on her, Thea recognized the second figure immediately, his broad frame filled the doorway as he ducked to avoid smashing his head on the doorframe.

"I see you've replaced me, Asher." she grunted at his poised position next to Shane. "Ever the obedient soldier I see. The perfect sidekick, one who will do anything you say without question."

Asher's bushy eyebrows knitted together as he glowered across the narrow alley. He held his tongue, waiting for Shane's direction. Thea kept one eye on the gun in his hands. Her nerves stood on end despite the neutral look on her face.

While waiting for them to make their move she glanced down the alleyway, a dumpster sat in front of the wall two feet to her right, there was a gap between it and the wall. A few beer bottles had been discarded lazily around the bin.

Thea turned her head back to two in front of her.

"Take her out." Shane gave her a callous look. Asher obeyed, pointing the gun in her direction. Thea saw a flash out of the corner of her eye just as the gun sounded through the alleyway, she dove to the side, ducking behind the dumpster. The bullet lodged itself in the brick a few feet above her head. Glancing up at the scene in front of her she saw James struggling with Asher, both fighting for the gun.

Thea crawled out from behind the dumpster grimacing as pain radiated out from her shoulder she had landed on. She straightened up just as a body pounced on her injured figure. She cried out as Shane gripped her shoulders and crushed her body into the pavement. She felt his fingers wrap around her neck cutting off her air supply.

"Goodbye Thea." his eyes were devoid of all emotion while her vision littered with black spots. She scrambled beneath him clawing at his fingers around her neck but his grip was unrelenting. She felt herself fading quickly. Reaching out with her hand her fingers blindly searched the ground. After a few painstaking moments she felt the smooth texture of a bottle. She gripped its neck and smashed it into the pavement; then plunged the jagged edge into his side. He cried out and Thea pushed away from him.

The sound of a gunshot made her rip her eyes away from Shane's bleeding form. James stood holding the gun, Asher's lifeless body was slumped against the wall. Thea ran to him.

"C'mon let's find the others and get out of here." she nodded and chanced a look back. Shane lay unmoving, his hands gripping his side. From her angle she could see the irregular rise and fall of his chest. She turned away. As they turned around the corner of the alley she left behind the brother she once knew. He had abandoned her a long time ago, along with every other person she had loved.

Thea Knight was alone.