I sit quietly and watch Jane handle a few matters while sitting at her desk like every other day. Some new recruitment issues are discussed, the twins report on Tygerwell High, the group of fighters from Gladius are on their way and of course when exactly the wedding will be after the South gets weakened is also mentioned.

When a couple of other guys and I are excused for the day, I go outside and stand by my black Bugatti. 

"We've been through quite a lot, haven't we?" I ask my car while looking for a cigarette in my pocket. 

I light myself a smoke and start inhaling the toxicity. Even knowing how bad smoking is for me, I feel like standing here, in this house, is even more toxic than the nicotine.

I still have to tell Amber what I found out at that masquerade... It's been eating at me knowing something that could change this whole fight... And I should probably have told someone by now, but I feel like Amber should be the first to hear. And I haven't seen her since that masquerade...

I haven't seen her since almost making her marry me... God, I'm an asshole.

"Sup, Blake," I hear someone say.

I turn around and it's just the twins.

"Ryan. Bryan," I greet and look back ahead of me while leaning against my Bugatti. I close my eyes and lean my head back - taking a drag and wishing I was just anywhere else. Wishing I was nowhere.

"Can we have one?" the twins ask.

I open my eyes and they're both on either side of me - leaning against the car as well and looking more somber than ever. 

"Where are the jokes? The stupid questions?" I ask them.

"Does asking if you can ask a question, count as the question?" Bryan asks.

I blink at that, open my mouth to say something and then close my mouth again. "You're questions were always funnier," I say with a shrug while getting out a cigarette for each of the twins.

"Thanks," they say and take out their own lighters.

"What happened?" I ask while staring at absolutely nothing. 

From the corner of my eye, I can see Bryan inspecting one of his dark brown locks of hair. It's been a while since they went to cut it. Then again, I can join the club, I think to myself while reaching with my one hand to feel how my hair is growing almost past my neck. I need to cut it soon. Can't go fighting like this next week.

"What happened?" Ryan asks.

"Jane took our weed," Bryan sighs.

"No," I interrupt and blow out some smoke. "What happened to make everything so fucked up? You guys spying on Tygerwell against your will? Me killing innocent people?"

The twins can't answer me. 

When a familiar silver Lamborghini comes speeding into the driveway, I'm immediately aware that something is terribly wrong. I can't see much through the tinted windows, but I've chased down Owen Rhodes enough in the past to know that only he swings out a car like that when he parks.

"I'M GOING TO MURDER HER!" Owen yells as he jumps out of the silver car and heads towards the massive front doors. The usual bodyguards guarding that door suddenly tenses and raises their guns.

"Ryan, Bryan," I say and push off towards Owen.

The twins are quick enough to grab Owen by the arms and hold him back. His eyes are red of hours of crying and the determination and strength he has is so overwhelming, his veins are standing out as he starts pushing the twins forward with him. They have to use all their strength to not get him to charge forward like a mad bull.

"What happened?" I ask and help hold Owen back by pushing at his chest.

"JANE IS DEAD!" Owen continues to scream and real fear enters my heart at the possibility of Jane hearing this and killing my friend.

"Let's get you back in that car," I say and the twins help me drag Owen back to his Lamborghini. It's a very low car so we have to push him inside while he protests and kicks. Ryan and Bryan hold him down while I get the seat belt on him. "You're not in the right condition to be storming at Jane," I say.

"I'M IN PERFECT CONDITION!" Owen yells.

"Dude, you're a green filter away from literally being the Hulk," Ryan comments.

"I'M GOING TO DESTROY HER!" Owen continues.

"Make that a few pixels away from being evil Wreck-it-Ralph," Bryan replies.

"Keep him there, I'm getting in," I order and the twins do their best to hold Owen down while I run over to the driver's seat. I slip inside, let the twins close Owen's door while I lock it and then I start the engine. "Cover for us when Jane asks. Tell her we'll be back before tomorrow," I say before spinning into a reverse, grabbing the clutch and speeding forward - past the front gates.

"LET ME OUT OF THIS CAR RIGHT NOW!" Owen yells and kicks and screams at the door.

"No. Not until you calm down," I say and take a turn onto West's main road out of Tygerwell. 

"SHE KILLED THEM! SHE KILLED THEM!" Owen cries out, but as he says it, his blows to the door gets weaker and he turns from shouting, to weeping.

"Who killed who?" I ask carefully.

Owen doesn't immediately answer and just sits there instead - the life drained from his dark eyes. Even his copper hair is looking void of color. 

Farms flash past us as I go at an unbelievable speed. Instinctively, I go North. Drive with my subconscious to the location Xavier mentioned to me last night after the meeting. He made me swear to never go there, but there's something that has to be said.

We drive an hour before passing the Piano Graveyard and I suddenly think of Myra and wonder where she is. I wonder if she's fine and if she wears her wig or natural hair. Is she still an escort?

I hope she's over her crush for me and finds someone worthy. 

Deciding I'll have to start some sort of conversation with Owen to get him to talk, I ask, "Why do you think Myra was so obsessed with me? I was never even nice to her. I still can't comprehend how she liked me even though I was a piece of shit. She even spared you to impress me."

Owen stays quiet for a few more seconds, before replying with a raspy, raw voice, "Believe it or not, but I'm a reader. I love Jane Austen and a lot of other books. I'm not your typical all muscle no brains guy. I know I'm not always as focused, but I enjoy reading."

I want to ask him what this has to do with Myra, but after a second or two, Owen asks, "Have you read the book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower?"

"I've heard of the movie," I answer.

Owen nods while looking straight ahead and says in the same ruined voice, "There's this wonderful quote in the book. It says: we accept the love we think we deserve."

I let the words sink in.

So...

Myra thinks she deserves someone shitty.

Damn.

I find myself wondering what made Myra Abston hate herself so much to think she deserves the worst.

A few more minutes pass before Owen lets out a shaky sigh and says, "Nessa and I drove to see my family. I wanted, needed a break. When I got there, my parents were dead and my sister missing. Turns out Jane didn't like my disappearance and sent people to murder my parents and kidnap Kelly. She's going to sell my little sis to the highest bidder if I don't cooperate."

Owen's voice is so soft and ruined after all the screaming, I have to focus to understand what it is he's saying.

Understanding, results in a heaviness I've rarely felt sinking onto my soul. Immediately, I'm reminded of the way I felt after my Father and Brother, Kyle, got killed. I understand the pain Owen is feeling so much, that I feel my own voice flake away.

Just like me, he has no one now.

Worse, he has a sister that could be sold.

"Owen, I promise we are going to kill Jane. Maybe not now, maybe not in a while, but when the time comes, she will die slowly and painfully. I swear on my life," I say.

Owen doesn't reply and instead just continues with his nodding.

From the corner of my eye, I notice fresh tears lining his eyes again.

What should be a ten hour trip with a fast car, I drive in four hours. Passing cities and towns is at least interesting because I get to play: let's-see-how-fast-I-can-dodge-cars-and-not-crash-while-being-four-times-the-speed-limit. I'm excellent at the game considering we don't die.

When I get to the town called Regn, I start slowing down. We pass a few stores before getting to a residential area with similar looking houses. Some differ with wooden fences and some with wired fences or different colored paint. They all have the same structures though.

I stop outside of the wooden fenced house with plants overgrowing in the front garden and the number 1604 on the mailbox.

"Where are we?" Owen asks while getting out of the car with me. "I can't stay away too long. Jane will do something to Kelly."

"This is important," I reply, "Put your hood up in case of spies."

Owen puts the hood attached to his coat up - covering most of his face while I grab a cap in the car to hide my own face - the leather jacket doesn't exactly have a hood.

I get to he fence, unhook it and walk in with Owen following. We cross the stone path - avoiding shrubs and recently tended flowers. I feel weird when I step up to the front porch and stand before the front door. Like, what's coming next will be so alien.

With a heavy release of breath, I knock.

Nobody answers.

I knock again.

Still no answer.

A little worried, I reach for the door handle, and sure enough, the door is unlocked. I look over to Owen and he shrugs. Deciding that's enough confirmation, I slowly open the door and step inside.

Owen follows and whispers, "Where the hell are we?"

"Shush," I quiet the ex Eastern leader.

Nothing happens and we both stay frozen in front of the stairs. To our left is a living room and to our right is a kitchen.

"Something is wrong..." I whisper, "This is too quiet..."

"Maybe-" Owen tries saying before chaos suddenly explodes next to us.

"ATTACK!" a force yells and sends a flying kick to Owen's head - shooting him to the floor. Something rips at my legs and I look down to notice a dog is attacking me.

"What?" I ask myself in confusion - the dog isn't doing much damage.

When I look up, I'm greeted with a slipper to the face - slipper attached to a leg - attached to a very aggressive body.

Before I can even react, I'm knocked to the ground and fall right on top of Owen. Stars dance in my vision and I feel more disoriented than I've ever felt. We must have walked into the wrong house!

Still not having full control over my body, I realize a little too late that someone is pressing down on my back with their knee and holding my arm in an uncomfortable position over my shoulder - creating the world's first Blake and Owen sandwich. 

"Who are you and what do you want? Answer carefully or I'll beat you to a pulp with a wet sock," the attacker growls. All the while I feel tiny animal teeth trying to bite my leg.

Oh, this is the right house.

"Amber, relax!" I yell.

"I'm Melissa! Who's this Amber you speak of?" the person growls further and pushes my arm down harder - threatening to break it. But I've dreamed of that voice too long. Of course it's Amber. The smell of wildflowers and paint is so clear, I smile despite the situation.

"Amber, Darling, it's me! It's Blake!" I try again.

Amber doesn't let go, but the pressure lessens a little.

"Blake?" she asks.

"And Owen," the sack of meat grumbles from under me.

"And Owen? What are you guys doing here!?" Amber asks while stilling pinning us down.

"I can't breathe," Owen wines.

"Oh, right," Amber says and gets up.

Owen and I inhale air simultaneously and try getting our bearings while still on the floor. With enough air and energy, we slowly get up, stumble, and then stand straight to face Amber.

Oh God...

This... Now this is Amber.

The woman standing in front of me has gained her original body figure with the right amount of curve that I remember. Her hair is back to a golden so bright and alive, I have to blink to be sure. Her ocean eyes are as wild as the first day I met her and her skin is tanned and perfect and oh God, that's paint on her banana pajamas.

"Amber?" I ask, because I feel like whoever I've been talking to for a year now is someone else completely. A replacement while the real Amber took a break.

But even with the thought going through my head, I notice there's something more. A hardness that wasn't there.

Golden girl with silver armor.

Something barks and I look down to a baby golden retriever in attack position in front of me.

"And dog?" I ask.

"That's Pollock," Amber says.

I look back up and forget everything I came here to do.

"Glad the plan worked. I'm... I'm sorry we're putting your safety at risk. I didn't know we'd be here," Owen  says with a pointed look at me.

I ignore it.

"I'm... I... Can I make you some tea?" Amber asks.

"Yes," Owen and I answer simultaneously. 

Amber nods and gestures to the living room while passing us to get to the kitchen. "Make yourselves comfortable," she says.

Owen and I have to give a long, knowing look to each other before managing to walk over to the mismatched living room and find a seat on the couch. We both look around. I note the vintage looking carpet, the second hand couch, the shelf with rows of books, the many, many plants... And the dog bed on the corner covered in newspaper shreds. I didn't know Amber decided to get a puppy.

A minute or two later, Amber returns with a tray of tea. The cups are all mismatched too. One is a pattern of yellow, another the same rich brown as most of the furniture and the third looks like some sort of famous painting.

Amber sits on the chair opposite of us and sips her tea while we take our own cups from the coffee table.

"I thought you guys were going to leave me for good? I'm supposedly done with the gang life," Amber says to break the silence.

"That was the plan," Owen says.

"Why did you come for me? Are you guys here to take me back? I'll have to figure out what to do with Pollock. He's a little young to march right into a fight. I'll have to drop him off at Isabella's and then we can go kick some ass. I still got my skills and I've been working out every morning," Amber says - rambling without even realizing.

"No," I interrupt, "We aren't here to take you to a fight. I'm here to tell you something and then leave. You have to hear this first before I make it known to everyone else."

"Oh," Amber says. She takes a slow sip of her tea and then frowns. "What made you decide to tell me this 'big secret' now?"

"I had to get Owen away from Jane's place," I answer carefully.

"Why?"

I don't answer.

But Owen does the job for me when he speaks up to say: "Jane killed my parents and kidnapped my sister. I was going to kill her before Blake forced me into my car and drove me here."

There's a beat of silence before Amber sets her tea down, walks over and then goes to hug Owen. She doesn't let go for a while. After what feels like forever, she whispers, "Nothing I can say will make this better. Just know, that I understand." She lets go to look at both of us. "You have people who's been through similar and though it's not the same, know that you have friends to talk to... And Jane... Jane will pay."

Owen can't answer and goes back to nodding while holding back the tears in his eyes. He can't even drink his tea.

Amber is horrible at making tea I've just learned, so I don't blame him.

We spend half an hour drinking tea and talking about nothing much. Amber mentions her paintings and talks about Pollock. Owen says his sister would love to meet the puppy. Amber says she will. She promises.

"Owen, Blake... We've been through a lot," Amber starts again, "But know that after everything, after the good and the bad, being here alone makes me appreciate it so much. I miss both of you. I miss even fighting with you guys. I've... I've come to care for you both so much... It really sucks not seeing you guys. I guess it's true that you only know what you have when it's gone. You're both still idiots, but your my idiots and I'm sorry things turned out like this. I'm more sorry for myself really and it's selfish, but it's true."

My heart feels warm knowing she misses and cares about me... But something deeper goes a little cold knowing she means both Owen and I and she maybe means it in the friends kind of way.

You did drug her, I remind myself. Of course after everything she won't actually be romantically interested. Thank your lucky stars she still sees you as a friend.

Then why am I still so in love?

After a few more light sentences, Amber turns back to me. "What did you come here to say?" Something about the way she asks makes it sound like she doesn't want to know. Maybe because she knows if I do what I came here to do, I'll leave soon. Both Owen and I will leave.

I let a dramatic pause pass before standing up.

This has to happen now. It's getting late.

"I'm going to tell you and then I'm going to leave. We cant let Jane get suspicious," I explain.

Both Amber and Owen stand and we head to the door and go out to the front garden. At the gate, Owen and I stop while Amber has the gate ready to close after we leave.

"Now what is it?" Amber insists. A note the sadness in her eyes. She's scared to never see us again.

No, she's scared to never see the gang life again.

"I know who one of the Southern leaders are," I start, "But Amber, understand this man has killed so many people... He's not a good guy. He's the reason Owen and I had a shoot out and ended up killing my brother and father while Owen's dad got crippled. I always thought it was the North, but through all the meetings Jane has and the reports I've heard... This guys is not who you think he is," I explain.

"Who is it?" Amber asks slowly, even Owen leans in closer to hear.

After he told me who he is and who he is to Amber at that masquerade... I couldn't believe it. I still don't know how Amber would react.

"One of the men who helped shaped the person you are today," I reply.

An ominous wind blows over - bringing clouds closer. When I know there's no