{Nico}

"I'm freezing." I said clattering my teeth in the passenger seat and sniffed once to stop my nose from running. My nose was runny partially because I was cold and the other part was because I had actually cried on Junky's back, embarrassingly enough.

I reached over and turned the hot air on to the max volume and put on the hood of Junky's sweater over my head. He let me borrow it since the clothes I was wearing were completely soaked and getting stiff from the cold. "No one forced you to jump down from the second story balcony and into the pool." Frederik reminded me.

"No one told me Junky was placed directly behind the wall. I thought he was out on the streets somewhere." I said as I sunk deeper in the seat to hide my growing embarrassment.

Looking back at it, I realized that I really didn't need to jump straight into the pool. I had lost my shoes in the process so if Junky hadn't been placed exactly where he was, the redhead would have gotten away because I wouldn't have been much use to anyone barefooted. Then again, I felt like someone needed to applaud my valiant efforts. For even a millisecond I felt like a badass jumping from that height unharmed.

Junky brought me back to reality as he said, "Ay, kid, you're more stupid than I thought." He was sitting in the back with Dylan because I wasn't about to let anyone else have the passenger seat. "And you too, Winter. I can't believe you let him jump. We would have lost out one beacon of hope in this whole investigation. 'T' is going to kill you. Hasta la vista. Its been nice knowing you. Sayonara. I wish you all the best in-"

"Junky. Stop talking. I get it." Frederik said with an exasperated sigh. "I didn't know Nico was going to jump. He threw his phone at me and flew through the air. I was also at a loss for words trying to comprehend what happened."

"What if you had gotten hurt?" Dylan asked slightly kicking the back of my seat. "You'd be out of commission and our chances at finding your brother would be low."

I rolled my eyes thankful that no one could see me since it was dark out and the only light coming in was the street lamps and occasional stop lights. "Our chances are already to the center of the fucking earth but I get your point. You're right." I said suddenly not even in the mood to argue.

"Okay, lower than they are now and- I'm sorry, what?"Dylan asked with a shocked tone. "Did you just agree with me?"

"I- what? No." I said momentarily confused. "I didn't. Don't talk to me. I feel like I'm losing precious brain cells." I heard junky laugh behind me and I turned around only enough to look at him, "What?"

"Nothing. You two seem to get along quite well." Junky answered with a small grin.

"Gross. I don't interact with brainless Donkeys." I said pointing at Dylan.

"Why do you always have to throw some kind of rude comment at me? This is hardly the time for it." Dylan asked with an irritated glare as I looked towards him.

I raised one eyebrow and said, "Then stop leaving yourself open for me to throw jabs at you. If you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at yourself for being such an easy target."

"Am I an easy target because I'm not apart of the Mafia but a normal civilian?" He questioned coming to his own conclusion, "What will it take for you to finally accept me as a human being and not a donkey or just some hindrance?"

"A lightning strike by Zeus himself?"

"Why can't you ever be serious when I ask you a question. It's always some kind of sarcastic remark or a rude comment."

"It's fun to annoy you." I shrugged and turned around to sit normally in the seat.

"Is that really all there is to it? You started acting this way with me the moment you sensed my interest in Max."

"Don't think too much about it." I answered looking at the road. "You just have a personality that makes me want to mess with."

"That side of you really pisses me off. Why is it that you're always so caring to everyone else but me?" Dylan said. It sounded like he was just wining at this point. I was tempted to pay Junky some cash to toss Dylan's body out of the moving vehicle.

"How many times have we been over this? I don't like you. It's as simple as as that."

"There has to be a reason why?-"

Junky clapped his hands to get our attention and spoke, "I get that you guys are having some kind of relationship trouble. I don't know who this Mikhail person is, maybe you are all three in a relationship together? Whatever. I couldn't care less what kind of three way relationship you all have. Can we agree not to argue about this here and now? Maybe wait until you two are alone to continue with your argument?"

I frowned in complete disgust at the thought of being intimate with someone like Dylan. Before I had a chance to refute his suspicions, Dylan said, "Mikhail is my best friend and Nico's boy- partner. Ew." He added, which was very uncalled for. "I'd rather have my head bashed through a glass window then ever be caught in an intimate relationship with Nico."

"That can be arranged." I pointed out that it wouldn't be a problem for me to smash his head through glass. "I would find it very satisfying in fact. A good stress relieve, if you will."

Frederik huffed air out his nose, "If either of you break my window I'll snap your necks in half."

I heard Dylan cough awkwardly and shift in his seat. I looked over at him in astonishment, "You ever worked for the Mafia?" I asked seeing as he had the whole intimidation thing down. "You should quit your day job and work for me permanently."

I noticed Frederik tighten his grip on the steering wheel, "No... I'm hardly suited for that kind of lifestyle."

"You sure?-"

"Drop it, boy," Junky said sounding different from his usually goofy manner. I glanced back at him to see Junky looking out the window in a thoughtful pose. If music started playing he could be in a music video.

My eyebrows knotted on top of my eyes. I had no clue what he was talking about. Frederik could definitely fit in with the Mafia. However, I decided best not to involve myself with any of his problems. Involving myself even more personally than what I have with the private investigators, that are currently employed by the F.B.I., was something I did not need in my life. Whether he actually had a past with the Mafia or not was none of my concern. I was just going to have to push my curiosity aside.

The air in the car got awkward and slightly uncomfortable. Everyone eventually got lost in their own thoughts as Frederik drove us over to their 'base', as Junky called it. Apparently junky and Frederik had three other co-workers. It was a small, efficient group. Frederik had said so when I pointed out nothing could get done with very little people. He also stressed the point that there was no need to expand. Frederik said that they didn't need anymore people since they all had a past together. I guess I could understand where they came from. Though, it was the people closest to you that you had to be careful about.

My mind drifted over to Sera. Her betrayal wasn't news to me at all. I knew this day would be coming. I also knew I could have prevented this from escalating but I thought that perhaps Sera would change her mind with time. Obviously, that never happened because she had kidnapped Max and Mikhail, along with Dan. I wasn't sure of the reason. All I knew was that Elisha had gotten to her head. All that was left of her now was only a puppet held up by the puppeteer.

I sighed softly leaning my head back on the seat as I looked out the window. Mikhail was out there somewhere, alone with Elisha, and there was nothing I could do. I was completely useless against someone like Elisha. What worries me just as much was the fact that Max didn't know how to hold his tongue to save his life. I already knew Max was going to say something to anger Elisha. I just hoped Max would take a step back and realize that the things he said also affected the people around him, not only himself this time.

Dan had gotten involved by chance in all of this. I believed that Dan fell in love with Sera. The problem was that after Sera's family died, it was like she lost the capability to fall in love normally. She always looked for stability, even since the first moment she walked through our front gates.

I actually felt bad for Dan, wholeheartedly. She was the least expecting out of all of us that something like this would happen. Mikhail had known that a life with someone like me wouldn't just be a stroll in town. Yet he stayed by my side and when it mattered most I couldn't go to his aid. Dylan had been exposed to this sort of thing thanks to Max's uncle, Gregory, leaving Max to die at the park. Dylan had coincidentally been at the park just at the right moment to help save Max. I was glad Dylan helped Max, Dylan didn't understand everything about our side of the world with his simple mind. Though, even the donkey was still at least one percent more prepared than Dan.

I closed my eyes and clenched my fists tightly. I had to face the reality that was staring back at me. Sera is a traitor and will be tried for her crime against the family as father sees fit. As will Elisha for endangering normal civilians lives without a worthy cause and threatening to start a war within the Mafia families. I had to face the undeniable reality that I was headed to meet with dogs currently employed by the government.

"We're here." Frederik said patting my shoulder twice. He gave me a small, almost reassuring, smile. As if to say he knew what I was thinking about.

Since I wasn't about to get all mushy with a private investigator, I took off my seatbelt and got out of the car. I had completely forgotten that I was still barefoot and gasped as my barefoot touched the ice cold ground. "Shit."

"Need another ride?" Junky asked getting out of the car as the other two followed. I wasn't about to get another piggy back ride when I was going to meet their boss.

"No." I said pushing him away and braced myself to step out of the car. I did so and it felt like stepping upon a million thin needles at once. I took another quick step and shut the door behind me. I then basically ended up hoping over to the front door and burst through without waiting for the others. The inside was warm and I was glad they had the heater on.

Looking around, I noticed that the entrance was like a reception. The lights were off so the only light coming in through the windows was the street lights and passing cars. Following the left wall was a set of stairs that led downstairs and to the right was another set of stairs that led upstairs. There was a desk with a computer and a mess of papers over top everything. A plant sat in the left corner, closest to the window, and abstract paintings hung on the wall. I squinted my eyes to try to look for a light switch and saw one next to the stairs.

Before I could move to turn the lights on, Frederik came in behind me carrying the duffel bag over his shoulders, "Junky, wake Erin up." Frederik said without waiting for a reply and moved towards the stairs. On his way there he flipped on the lights and continued his way upstairs.

Junky grunted in response as Dylan came in afterwards. "Who?" Dylan asked frowning.

"Erin." Junky said like we would automatically know who he was talking about. He walked over to the desk and smacked it twice. "Erin? Wake up. Time to work." We all waited for something to happen but it never did.

"Uh. Have you gone insane?" I spoke up. I had no idea who he was talking to. I didn't seen anyone else in the room.

Junky groaned and smacked his hand on the desk again, "Hey, 'T' is quitting the team to pursue her dream of being a clown."

Thud!

"Ow! Shit, Ciro!" A voice belonging to a female was heard from under the desk. I couldn't see her since the front of the desk was built into the floor. "Don't scare me like that! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lost 'T' to clowns!"

Junky quickly hushed her, "Sh! Don't say my name in front of the Mafia! Damn it, Erin!" He said in an exasperated voice and smacked the palm of his hand to his forehead and dragged it down his chin. "I was trying to be secretive!"

"What are you talking about?" She asked and peered over the desk and frowned. She looked half asleep still. She stared back at Junky and said, "Alistair and you both said my name. Why is it such a big deal?"

"Yeah, but you're kind of unimportant in this current situation. Nico has no reason to check up on you." Junky used in his defense.

"Nico?" She asked still in a blur from being awoken suddenly from her sleep. "Ah! Nico-Bryn Delacroix and Dylan-Charles Harper! It's great to finally meet you." She said with realization of who we were. The supposed Erin fixed the glasses that were too big for the frame of her face. They were crooked and on the tip of her nose. She had really short sky blue hair that was just below her earlobe.

"Charles? That's your middle name?" I asked looked at Dylan with an eyebrow raised and a small smirk growing on my lips. Charles was just so plain.

"Shut up, Bryn." Dylan said with a glare directed to me.

Apparently, my parents argued about what to name me. Father wanted me to be Bryn and mother wouldn't settle for anything other than Nico, so they compromised. "Touché." I nodded once and wiped the smirk off of my face.

Erin stood up and walked over to us with her hand extended out. I couldn't help but notice she was wearing a penguin one piece suit, the kind that looked surprisingly like comfortable pajamas, and shark slippers. "Hello."

"Don't sharks eat penguins?" I blurted out loud without realizing.

"The Great White sharks do. Did you know that they can-"

"Erin. We don't need a three hour lecture about sharks right now." Junky said letting out a tired sigh as he leaned on the desk. "And I'm supposed to be known as the weird one." He said shaking his head in mock disapproval, "You can't take my one bit, Erin."

Erin ignored the last part of what Junky was saying and said, "Rude. I was even going to shorten the time to two hours." She pouted like a stubborn little kid.

"Uhm, how do you know me?" Dylan asked finally using his voice to speak instead of hiding in the shadows.

The girl name Erin looked over at Dylan and smiled, "I'm a private investigator. It's kind of in my job description to investigate people." She shrugged, "I know all about the both of you. The Internet is a wonderful place nowadays." She took Dylan's hand in her own and gave him a genuine smile.

"A wonderful place for stalkers and creeps. Both of which, might I add, you are." Junky murmured quietly behind Erin. Again, Erin ignored Junky and extended her hand out to Dylan first.

Dylan took her hand in his and shook her hand, he smiled back slightly, "Well, nice to meet you then, Erin."

"Right back at you!" Erin exclaimed. She reached for me and took my hand in hers, "Nico. I'm actually really excited to meet you. You're more attractive in person."

"Don't flirt with the Mafia, Erin." Junky said.

"I wasn't." She defended, "like you're one to lecture me. You sent chain mail to him. He's not your friend so you can do that kind of stuff." Junky gave her a skeptical look and she shrugged, "I didn't bug your phone. Alistair was telling us about it."

"I had forgotten about that." I said truthfully. "Don't text me with silly messages." I told Junky, waiting impatiently for whoever 'T' was to get here so we could look for Mikhail, Max, and Dan. Talking with these three idiots and having a pointless conversation wasn't going to help us find them faster.

"I needed to fill the demands of the text. I'm quite superstitious." Junky said with a slight shrug.

I heard someone cough just as impatiently as I felt. I turned to see a women coming from the stairs. Frederik was right behind her. "Hi, you must be Nico."

I frowned and looked at Junky to tell me who she was. He rolled his eyes at me and pushed himself off of the desk he had been leaning on, "That's 'T'. The big boss lady. We call her that because she drinks a bunch of tea. She's an addict."

"Thanks Junky, but that last bit was not necessary." Tea said. I realized that I had thought of her codename as the letter T this whole time when it was actually the drink. "Let's not waste anytime, shall we? Uhm, Frederik?-" She asked making sure that was the name he was currently using. I could have told her I already knew his real name thank to Erin but I didn't bother to. After calling him Frederik this whole time, he no longer fit any other name. As well as Junky, for how hyper he was, It fit him just fine. Frederik nodded at Tea and she continued, "informed me quickly about the situation upstairs about Elisha's decoy. Let's head downstairs and talk some more. Erin. Close up." She said motioning for all to follow after her.

"On it, boss!" Erin said and ran over to the desk to grab her keys.

I watched Junky throw his arms over his head and follow Tea and Frederik downstairs. I was about to start walking when Dylan held me back and whispered in my ear while Erin locked the front door, "These people seem sketchy. Can we trust them?"

I thought about it before answering him, "Probably? They're the only shot we got." I said shrugging off Dylan's hand from my arm and went downstairs. Soon after I heard steps following closely behind me.

Could we trust them? I was hoping so. At the very least, I trusted this group of strangers more so than I did the group back home. Father saw no reason with Naomi by his side. I didn't know how many people, if any, Elisha has on the inside. He had managed to get Sera on his side so I figured it would be easier for him to get more members to work for him.

With everything going on and the slight distractions, I couldn't ignore the guilt that was eating at me. I had gotten Mikhail involved in all of this mess. I knew from the beginning that I should never have continued to pursue him like I did, but I couldn't let him go. From the very moment my dull eyes met his maroon colored gems I knew I wasn't going to be able to just let him slip by. The way he so bravely stood up to me like no one ever had the guts to do. We continued to play a game of push and pull. Every time we met he surprised me. I would have to be absolutely insane to let Mikhail go. Then again, was I selfish for holding onto him? I couldn't imagine that by being with me Mikhail would be genuinely happy.

I arrived at the bottom and pushed the door open. I was expecting something more high-tech and badass but instead I received old looking furniture and two computers. There was a huge desk in the middle and five chairs surrounding it. On the far wall was a room that looked like an office and another room that I couldn't look inside because it had blinds on the windows.

"Junky, go wake Lion up." Tea ordered as she headed toward the office.

Junky groaned, "Am I everybody's personal alarm clock? Damn." Despite his complains he stood up.

"Not a real lion, I assume?" Dylan said pulling out a chair and making himself comfortable. This coming from the guy who was nervous about coming to trust these guys.

"Of course not. Would that even be legal?" Erin asked walking past me and sat down on the edge of the middle table.

Frederik seemed to be tuning everyone out as he set grabbed a laptop and brought it to the center table. He started