Page 59 of Fatal Scheme

She’s been gnawing at the bars, desperate to feel a sense of normalcy, and of course, Massi can never say no to a few drinks.

Watching her dance is hypnotizing, the way her body naturally moves with the music, and the smile on her face is genuine, one of the many things I adore about her.

Surprisingly, Massi has let her a few feet away from him, and I’m shocked that hasn’t cut in yet, his hands always itching to be on Carter.

“Hey, you’re Jasper, right?” A kid approaches us, beer in hand as he smiles.

“Massi. Who are you?” He states, his eyes narrowing at the stranger, likely sizing him up.

He hasn’t glanced in my direction, but I take him in, noting that he’s almost as tall as us, muscular too, and something about his energy seems off.

He’s not from the frat, that much I know.

“Nick. I’m from the neighborhood, but you were a few grades ahead of me. I know your father,” he says, and Massi’s eyebrows raise, the mention of his dad throwing us both off guard.

“What do you want?” I ask, not liking where this is heading, and certainly not looking for a fight.

“Just saying hello. You’re Tyson, right? Tyson Kelly?”

“You’ve got about two seconds to walk away, before I let my brother kick your ass.” I step toward him, my protective instinct kicking in, the skeptical part of my brain not trusting this idiot’s motives in the slightest.

“Shit, okay man. Sorry.” He swigs from his beer bottle, a smug smirk on his face but before I can give Massi the green light, he’s walking toward the middle of the room.

“Ty! Carter’s gone!” He shouts over the music, and I race to where she was dancing, a red solo cup lying on the ground.

Where the fuck is she?

Someone took her, right from under our noses, and I feel my anxiety spiking, the panic taking control over all else, but I push it away, needing to help my brother find our girl.

Massi pulls a gun from his waistband, not wasting a fucking second, and I do the same, my heart racing at the thought of losing her.

In a split second, he aims at the ceiling, shooting off a round as screams ring throughout the house.

It’s a bit dramatic, something we’d never usually do, but drastic times call for insane fucking measures, and I’ll wring every person’s neck if it means getting Carter back.

“Turn the fucking music off!” he orders, his voice booming off the walls as the kid running the DJ table immediately complies.

“Everybody on the ground. Nobody leaves!” I yell, watching as each person slowly crouches down, but none of them are Carter, or her friend.

With each passing face, the disappointment morphs into rage each and every time I realize that it’s not her.

Painstakingly slowly, the sea of people reduces, the sound of crying filling the otherwise silent room, and suddenly, the front door swings closed, the slam of it causing blood-curdling screams to ring out, but amid the chaos I call out to Massi.

“Door! She’s outside.” We both run, guns aimed as we yank it open, scanning the front yard, and relief floods my body when finally I see the blonde from earlier helping Carter walk, her feet dragging through the grass.

“Let her go, or I will fucking shoot you!” Massi stands on the porch, not moving an inch as the girl jumps at the sound of his voice, her steps slowing gradually.

While he takes aim, I stalk closer, scouting the surrounding bushes and trees, fairly certain that this bitch isn’t working alone.

Normally, I don’t get violent, but I’d end a thousand men tonight just to stop that girl from taking Carter anywhere besides back into our house.

Our fucking house.

Someone came into our home and took our girl, like they had any fucking right, and when I find who sent them, their death sentence is already signed, dated, ready to be delivered.

Just as I’m about to slip to the side of the house, I see a shadow in the grass, and I peek back at Massi, still standing firm with his finger on the trigger, aim pointed at the girl holding onto Carter.

“Drop it.” I press the barrel of my gun into the back of a man’s head, catching him lurking behind a tree, and silently, he tosses it on the ground, raising his hands.