Hit

As soon as my foot hit the last step, I called everyone into the kitchen.
“I thank you all for taking, great care of me, but I can’t stay here. I’m leaving in the morning.” That feeling in my stomach gathered, than shattered.

“Where are you going to go? You don’t have anyone left?” Brian asked with an extreme amount of concern and confusion residing in his eyes.

“I know…I’ve, I’ve always wanted to go to Germany?” I said trying to reason. They all sent unconvincing looks that slapped the idea of traveling to the floor. “I am not a safe person to be around right now. If I stay, all of you will be in danger, you can get into a shitload of trouble by helping me…I’m not taking that risk. You guys saved my life, my departure is my thanks.”

“Katie, the boys brought you back here because they knew that we could keep you safe. There is not a better place for you to be, except here…with us.” Matt said, the wisdom in his voice was extremely comforting. I slowly exhaled.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to put anyone in danger, I don’t want to burden anyone. I know your guys are trying to help, but I don’t belong here. I’m a German hit woman, I’ve made more enemies then friends in the past six years…I’ll call a cab in the morning.” I finished. No one said anything, we sat in silence, but they continued to stare at me, trying to figure out what to say to make me stay.

“Well, I assume you are tired. I’ll take you to your room.” Val said, finishing and finalizing the conversation. I slowly nodded.

“Good night guys.” I said as my eyes skimmed their faces. They nodded and whispered ‘night’ as I left the room. However, they stayed behind to conspire something.

Val waited for me at the bottom of the stair, and sent a warm smile when she got a glimpse of my tired, exhausted, concerned face. We started to walk up the stairs when she broke the silence.

“They are just trying to protect you.”

“They shouldn’t, we should be killing each other. We are enemies. You guys have no idea who I am.”

“Just think about it.” She said as we stood in front of a door, which I assumed was the room I woke up in this morning. “Goodnight.”

I smiled and entered the room to see a bed that was calling my name. Even though, I slept almost the entire day, my wound wiped me out. I slipped into the blue sheets and pulled the blanket up to my chin. I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to think about the boys. I should not be here, they should not be protecting me, and they should not care at all for me. Why do they want me to stay? We just met. I’m sure I can say or do a few things that would make me unwelcome in this house. But the more I thought about them, the more I wanted to stay, they do comfort me and they are extremely open to me. I rolled over and tried to sleep, confident that for the first time in a long time, I would actually sleep through the night.
I woke up and looked at the clock, 3:30am. I rolled to my back and listened. There was a storm above. I could hear the rain thudding on the roof and the low, deep roll of thunder followed by a clap of lightening. I got up and walked to the window and traced a raindrop as it slid down the window. The street lights seemed so far away as the massive amount of rain blurred my vision. I remembered there was a bigger window down stairs in the kitchen, so I slowly opened the door and made my way down the stairs. A shiver ran up my spine as my feet skimmed the cold, tiled floor, but I jumped up on the counter in front of the window and watched the storm. Dark blue clouds rolled as they released shivering cold rain. My attention completely broke off the weather when I thought I saw a figure run across the yard. I shook my head, sure I was just seeing things. I strained my eyes and skimmed the yard again and quickly leaned back when I saw a big rock come flying at the glass. The glass shattered past my turned face but nicked my left cheek. Before I could recover, a man in black jumped through the window and wrapped his arm around my neck, forcing me to stand. I heard frantic footsteps up stairs make their way down to me. In a matter of seconds, the boys and Val stood in front of me and my captive. Alarmed with the fact that he was severely outnumbered, he took a few steps back, causing me to stumble. He reached into a draw and pulled out a sleek, silver knife and held it to my neck.
“Come any closer and I will kill her.” He said sternly as he tightened his grip. I rolled my eyes with a laugh.

“Guys, come save this damsel in distress.” I giggled, not giving this guy an ounce of seriousness. Zack took a very small step forward, but quickly returned to his spot with his hands up when my captive made a jagged cut along my collar bone through my shirt. I could already feel the blood start to drip.

“I told you, to stay back.” He warned again as he raised his knife at the boys. I quickly grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back causing him to fall to his knees and drop the knife. Without a thought, I took his head firmly in my hands and effortlessly snapped his neck. My head fell back in frustration as his limp body fell to the floor.

“This is exactly why I should not be here. Whoever sent him knows you are helping me and obviously knows where this house is located.” I tell them as seriously as I could. Matt waved his hand at me with a smile, like what just happened was nothing. I rolled my eyes at him, than inspected the shirt that I just ruined.

“Okay, um, Zack clean her up, and Jim please, help me with the body.” Matt said as he gave Val a quick kiss on the cheek then walked over to the body. Zack and I walked up the stairs and straight to the ‘hospital’ room. I sat on the table and removed my shirt without any help, I smiled to myself. He started to clean the bloody slit on my cheek, than came at me with the alcohol. I turned my head.

“Really?” He asked with his hands on his hips, head tilted to the side. I groaned and threw my hands up in the air, giving up…again. He smiled in victory.

“You do know, that now I expect another super hero band aid?” I said with a serious tone in my voice. He smiled as he wiped my cheek one last time.

“Of course.” He pulled out a Spiderman band aid and I nodded in total approval. “…like a child.” I heard him laugh to himself. I made a face as he placed the band aid on my cheek. Then started to wipe the blood from my chest.

“Aw, you look like Nelly.” Zack chided. I sent him a disgusted glare.

“You look like Matt when you make that face.” Val said from the doorway.

“She always looks like Matt, hell, she even acts like him.” Zack laughed as he started to put his supplies away.

“I don’t look like Matt at all, and how can I act like him? I don’t even know him.” I defended myself. Val sent me a look. “What?”

“Just a theory I have…” She said as she took a few more steps into the room.

“Please explain this theory.” I simply asked as I folded my hands on my lap, awaiting her response.

“Oaky, since you got here, have you felt at home, or safer, or uh…like you found your other half or something like that? It’s hard to explain, but, do you feel a connection to Matt?” She asked as she sat next to me.

“I do feel safer, protected.”

A smile spread across her face.

“Whoa, Val, where is this going?” I ask with outstretched hands. She was about to speak, but Matt entered the room.

“Body is gone!” He said with pride. “I’m gonna take a shower, like my mother always said “It takes scorching hot water to wa..”

“To wash the sins away.” I finished his sentence. He looked at me with complete confusion.

“Where did you hear that?” He asked.

“My father…” I trailed.

“See!” Val almost screamed as she bounced in her seat. I looked at her with questions.

“Val, you still haven’t explained your theory to me.” I push at her.

“Okay…uh, I’ll be right back.” She quickly left the room and was back in a matter of seconds. She held a gold locket in her hands. A soon as I saw it, I froze, my body chilled over and my heart slowed.

“Do you know what this is?” She asked with anticipation as she held the gold locket up in front of me. I didn’t answer, I just stared at it as I reached towards my neck. “I know you have one.” She said softly as she opened the locket that lay in her hands. “Do you know these people?” She put out her outstretched hand so I could see the faces of the two people that lived in the locket. I remained silent as I reached towards my own locket and unclasped it. I opened it and looked at the pictures. They are the same people that lay in the locket Val is holding.

“That’s my mother and my father.” I said just above a whisper as my eyes darted between the two lockets. Finally, Matt walked up and softly took the locket from Val’s hands.

“This was my mother’s…and that woman is my mother.” Matt said as he stared down at the locket. “I never knew who that man was…I know now.” He whispered as he looked up at me like he has known me forever. The only feeling I felt was confusion…Matt and I are…siblings? I looked at Val and she nodded with a smile. I looked back at the lockets, then at Matt.

“What happened to them?” Johnny asked from his spot at the doorway. I looked up to see all the boys in the room, everyone had wide eyes, wanting to understand what was happening.

“Well.” I began to answer Johnny. “Our father Erik, our mother, Maria. Mom’s father was the Italian mob boss. Our father was the German boss/founder. When Mom’s father found out about our parents, he killed her. Then dad killed our grandfather. Then dad was killed. How come we never met?” I asked as I looked to Matt again. He smiled and looked down.

“We did…once, I remember you. I was ten, it was the year mom was killed.”

“I was five then. Why didn’t we live together or, at least…I don’t know, be near each other?” I questioned him.

“Protection, I suppose.” He shook his head. We sat in silence.

“Wow…This is like West Side Story shit.” Jimmy sighed from the hall.

“Well, guys, it’s pretty, late, we should head off to bed.” Val said, trying to wipe the confusion from the room. We all nodded and slowly made our way to our rooms.

I laid down, still in a daze. He’s my brother. I rolled to my side and squeezed my eyes tighter, begging for sleep to come. I finally fell asleep but was awakened when I heard my door creak open. The figure tip-toed over to my bed and looked down at me.

“I know you are awake.” He said. I recognized the voice.

“I’m sleeping.” I rolled over onto my back and squeezed the blankets to my aching chest.

“I can’t believe this.” He replied as he sat on my bed. I struggled to sit up, but I succeeded and leaned against the head board. He did the same.

“I know... Why isn’t your last name Costello?” Even in the dark I could see his dimples when he smiled, possibly at the thought of his mother, I mean our mother.

“Mom wanted me to have nothing to do with her father or the mob. She gave me her mother’s maiden name.” He shrugged. “I know that we know this, but I’ve never said it out loud. Our grandfather murdered our mother. Our father murdered our grandfather…and then someone murdered our father. Shit, our family is fucked up.”

“Well, the apples don’t fall too far from the tree, big brother.” I add. We, especially myself, are just as bad. “Do you think she would be disappointed in us?” I didn’t really know her, but the thought of my mother torn up by my actions stabbed me right in the chest. Matt sighed.

“I don’t think ‘disappointed’ would be the right word. I think she would be upset, but she would understand why we do what we do. Honestly, it’s in our blood. We both know this job is something we are good at, if we weren’t, we would be dead by now.”

“That’s almost hard to take in. I keep myself alive by killing others…” I mumble.

“I know, I know. That’s just the way things are, I suppose.” We stayed silent for a few moments. He then loudly clapped his hands. “Well! There is no need to think about that. As the older brother,” He pounded his chest with a closed fist. “ I have made the decision that you will be staying with us.”

“Oh don’t play that big brother-little sister crap!” I whisper loudly as I smacked him.

“Well I just did…” He chuckled and got off the bed as quickly as he could so I couldn’t slap him again. “Night Kate.” He said, the smile was completely visible in his voice. He closed the door, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I lie back, the smile didn’t stay long. By definition, they are still my enemy. And I have broken every personal rule when surrounded by them. What have I gotten myself into?