Back In Business

Bullets

The whizzing from the bullet that grazes past my ear is so familiar that I'm calm. It almost hitting Emersyn is what causes my distress. The wall behind us is littered with bullets. Emery is crying while Chris is shielding her with his body.

It's been three long yet surprisingly short years since Emery was born. Chris is trying to protect them but he is severely wounded with multiple gunshot wounds scattered across his body. I stupidly stand in the crossfire in front of my family. Guns discharging from multiple angles as I am at a personal war with the one and only Austin Grant. Who unfortunately for me, recently found out I was the one who murdered his son. There are too many people against us. I don't see any situation in which we win.

Emersyn

If there was ever a good time for my brothers to come back from the dead, now would be the time. I pray unrealistically to God, shutting my eyes tightly. The noises of the gun shift audibly and then stop completely. I look to Carver who looks disoriented. He stares across the room before he lets himself lean against the wall, relieved. I look around at the bodies cluttering the bloody floor. I stand up and tend to Chris's wounds but I notice something else has his attention. I grab Emery and put her up on my hip and turn towards Carver. His voice is low while he's talking to some people. They have to be the ones that saved us. I walk up to give them my sincere appreciation. My heart falls through the floor. God must have heard my prayers because I shit you not. All four of my brothers stand before me, heavily armed. I go through stages of immense grief, anger, happiness and despair.

Carver

Emersyn doesn't speak. She doesn't even move. For a moment I think she's going to pass out. I'm just as astounded to see her brothers alive. When we would talk about them, she always had doubts about the bodies belonging to them but the chances of it being someone else's were slim.

We all watch Emersyn closely, waiting for her reaction. It doesn't come. Instead she picks up the broken pieces of her heart and walks away silently, her foot steps crunching the broken glass underneath her.

"Em." One of her brothers says softly.

"We had to for your protection." Another says ashamed.

"My protection?" She says quietly.

"My fucking protection?!" She screams loudly as she hands Emery to Chris and turns violently towards us.

"YOU THINK DISAPPEARING PROTECTED ME.!" She screams louder.

"Em..." The oldest looking one says sadly.

"My husband beat me everyday! Dad sold me off for his fucking company! I was RAPED!" She cries.

They stand there with their heads down and tears slowly make their way down their faces.

"You think you can show up here and save our lives and you'll be forgiven? Where were you when my husband was slamming my head against the wall? When he was throwing me outside in the cold. When he held me underwater until I was near unconsciousness multiple times.? When he threw me on the floor and raped me? You didn't protect me then, and you can't protect me now." She walks away defeated.

"I'm so sorry you went through all of that. If we could have intervened you know we would have. We can't explain it to you right now Em, but we will soon okay? You don't understand." Her twin brother says gently trying to follow her.

She whips around angrily.

"You were supposed to be the one that I could always count on. You of all people, I should have been able to trust. But you let this happen to me too. Go to hell." She says sourly before storming off.

....

I have been up all hours of the night trying to figure out our next steps. Emersyns brothers are spread about the living room doing their own investigating. Emersyn sleeps soundly tucked against my side with Emery in her arms. I thought we were past this. We made all the proper amends with our enemies. We even set out and took over other operations and accounts which in turned gained us more allies. But I can't help but think all of this is my fault. I set my girls up for failure. No matter what I do, they will be in danger.

Emery will never get to have a normal life. How am I supposed to protect them when I can barley protect our home. Chris motions me out of my room to the kitchen and we settle at the table. The hours pass quickly and I run my hands through my hair. Fuck.

I hear small footsteps from the hall as Emersyn enters. She looks exhausted. Black bags accessorize the underneath of her eyes explaining she's had as little sleep as us.

"Em.."

"I'm fine...I just need coffee or something" she smiles sadly.

"Emersyn. You need to get some sleep." I say sadly.

"I can't." She shrugs.

"Emersyn. You need to sleep. I have pills that are safe for you to take. It has a low dose of melatonin." I say gently.

"Fine. Let me have them. I do need rest..." she starts to cry.

I stand up and wrap her in my arms. It makes my heart hurt knowing she is too exhausted to function.

"Everything's going to be okay."

She doesn't answer me, she just takes the pills from my hand, flushing them with her water.

"Everything's going to be okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." I repeat myself not even sure if I can keep my word. But now that her brothers are here, she has extra protection.

She nods and kisses my cheek softly then leaves back to bed. I sit down and put my head in my hands. Chris clears his throat and we make eye contact.

"I found them."