An Ember's Touch

Secrets

“How’s he doing?”

Kassandra brushed her fingers along the side of her coffee cup. If she hadn’t met Sebastian in the first person, she’d be clueless and find herself speechless why her brother got attacked behind his favorite bar. He’s been going there for years now and there has never been a conflict that he was in—which shocked her by how stupid he was sometimes. But still…why was Balter running around with the people from the System? How’d he meet Vincent? How’d he meet Sebastian? She blinked and chewed on her lip, fluttering her eyes when Catherine called her. She sniffled and sat up, leaving her best friend to frown at her. “What are you thinking?”

She sucked a breath in, hesitating to choose the right words. “Balter’s stupid but what did he do that was so stupid enough that he got attacked for it?”

Catherine shrugged and picked up her cup. “Maybe he’ll remember something.” 

“Yeah.” Kassandra picked up her cup, glancing over the empty cafeteria. For a moment, she thought back on how different Sebastian felt when he left. He felt…lifeless. “So if anyone asks, I was with you earlier.” She hugged her cup with both hands. Catherine paused from taking a drink, causing Kass to nervously shift in her seat. In the back of her head, she reminisced into the treehouse s*x that it made her press her knees firmly together. “Please. I was…I was with a guy earlier.” 

“A guy?” Cather slowly grinned. “Spill it, you never lie to your parents let alone hide a boy from them. Wait, is he a transgender or something?”

Kassandra could only stare, snapping out it by shaking her head and fluttered her eyes. “Uh—no, wait—what? Wait, no-I don’t think so.” She shifted again, picturing his defined V-lines. “No, he’s not. I’m pretty sure not. But he’s uh, the not the nicest guy.”

“Oooo.” Catherine perked up, having a cheesy smile. “A bad boy, huh?”

“Sure.” Kassandra eyed her coffee. “Just promise me you won’t tell anyone about him, okay?”

“Alright, alright, got it.” She raised her right hand. “Promise on our friendship. Boy, he must be really hot or something to make you bend your ways.”

“Something like that.” She gave in a little. She squeezed her coffee cup at the thought of Sebastian exploring her body. She sucked a breath in and pushed her hair behind her ear, “Anyways, just if anyone asks. We were going out for lunch.”

“Right.”Catherine smiled at her coffee ironically. “Class is tomorrow, you gonna be there or you gonna be playing hooky for a boy again?” She teased, giggling when Kassandra pushed her arm. “Kidding. So how’d you meet this guy anyway?”

“I, uh.” Her mind went blank. She wasn’t just going to blabber out that she had a one night stand which turned into a deal thanks to her brother who's laying up in bed now. She blinked a few times, Catherine raising a playful brow and waved her on. Kassandra’s shoulders slumped and smiled, half lying. “Balter introduced us.”

Catherine suddenly grimaced. “Please tell me it’s not Reagan, is it? I’ll understand why you don’t want anyone to know.”

Kassandra instantly grimaced then laughed. “Ew, no. He’s too hyperactive for me.”

Sebastian gently knocked on the door and glanced over the hedges to the luxury neighborhood. Another place I didn’t enjoy being at. He hooked his thumb into his pocket when he heard a parade of barking storming closer from inside, seeing through the foggy glass to see three dogs run over to the door then someone walk over swatting their hand at them. The door opened to Vincent, his black hair damp against his forehead. He swatted at the Doberman to back up when it tried to squeeze through, whining with excitement. “One second.” Vincent held his finger up then shut the door. Sebastian leaned against the door when Vincent yelled at them, “Kennels! Ma-Maria! Call them into the kitchen!”

Amused, Sebastian watch him wave off and herded the dogs out of view. A moment later, he came back and wrenched the door open. He left it open and rubbed the back of his neck, Sebastian stepping in the luxury home. He shut the door behind himself, watching Vincent walk towards the kitchen. “Glad I caught you while you’re running around.”

“I wish I wasn’t tonight, I got a lot to deal with when I get home.” Sebastian murmured, following after him. Before they even reached the kitchen doorway, the sweet aroma hit their noses and made Sebastian’s stomach grumble a little. “Maria home?”

“Yeah.” Vincent softly agreed and gave him a warning look over his shoulder.

Sebastian rose his hands as they entered the kitchen, spotting a heavily pregnant woman in the fridge. When she spotted them, she broadly smiled at Sebastian as she settled the milk jug on the island. From what Sebastian knew of Maria, she was probably the best thing running for Vincent than his gambling problem. Sebastian had first met her shortly after Vincent about four years ago, being including in a quarter of planning his heist or has come over to her cleaning the boy’s guns out of niceness. She has held high respect from everyone for being true to herself and the system. “Oh, hey Bubby.”

“Rude.” Sebastian dropped his hands to his pockets, “I see you’re ready to have those kids.” Vincent backhanded Sebastian in his chest, making him grunt from the surprise. He rubbed his chest and smirked, ignoring Vincent’s warning dagger look. “You look gorgeous, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Maria smiled at him then Vincent, uncapping the milk. “Dinner will be done soon, am I still getting you for date night?”

“I won’t be long, I promise.” Vincent wandered over and pecked her forehead. He walked down the hallway then, Sebastian saluting her and followed him.

Vincent rustled up his hair as he shut the office door behind Sebastian, “So when am I getting my guns?” He brushed past him, plopping down in the computer chair. Sebastian glanced over Vincent’s officer, always feeling like a sore thumb. Everywhere were pictures and awards of accomplishments, but Sebastian found himself staring the longest at the picture behind Vincent. It was a black and white picture of three young boys in school uniforms standing in front of a man whose hands were on the two on the outside. Sebastian felt a little relieved that Vincent had ripped the top of the picture off, not seeing the man’s chin and up. He stared long and hard at the hourglass tattoo over his throat, ignoring his goosebumps. Sebastian walked closer to it, feeling his heart thump painfully harder. Vincent crossed his arms and watched his blank expression then trailed it to the picture of their younger selves. His throat went dry then, gently saying it. “Yeah…I kept it.”

Sebastian croaked. “Why?”

Vincent watched Sebastian’s jaw tightened, his voice went softer. “…Where are my guns?”

“I can get them, but you’re coming with me.” Sebastian’s spoke low, stepping back and tossed him a dark look as he turned around. “They have to see you.”

Vincent snorted, scratching his jawline. “I let Balter walk, why?”

“Let me finish.” Sebastian turned back to him. He gripped the chair and leaned on it. “They will see you, yes. In exchange, they will tell me what day those guns are heading back to the Military base where they were stolen from in the first place. Agent Zeire was there, she was the only one who didn’t buy my deal.”

“With good reason.” Vincent blinked. “Not surprised the Feds are included on this.”

“Which means we have to plan steps ahead of them.” Sebastian stood up and leaned his hip against the chair. “Send one of yours in to watch the department, make sure no big trucks come in and out of that place. Have another bug the evidence room, make sure those guns don’t even leave that room. If they lie, we’ll know. I say Nate and Chase to be the perfect pair to do that part. They’re going to give me a date, I say we take them a week before that date.”

“And if they expect that?” Vincent blinked.

“They will.” Sebastian began to talk with his hands. “Which is why we have multiple diversions across the town, stretch out their numbers. And I know you got those numbers, I don’t care what you do. As long as you lure them out.”

“And if they expect that too?” Vincent doubtfully questioned, making Sebastian smirk like a devil. His brows twitched down, “What card do you have up your sleeve?”

“I have a couple of parties who are also interested in letting loose that day. All we have to do is walk into the police station and open the evidence room and we’re golden.” He slipped his hands into his jean pockets. “So now that is explained, you wanna explain while Balter is up in the hospital with his face bashed in?”

Vincent fluttered his eyes, taken back by the accusation. “Trust me, if I wanted to send you a message or threat to plan faster. It wouldn’t be with what you bargained for, so it wasn’t me.”

“Why should I believe that?”

“Because that guy is wrapped up in a lot of s**t. Not just mine.” Vincent thumped his finger on the desk. “The kid knows things, has done things. I don’t think you understand, Sebastian…he wants to be a member.”

Sebastian’s heart thumped, stiffening up. “Of the System?” When Vincent nodded, he turned and bit his lip. Kassandra is not going to like that. “So he’s doing favors for others…Charlie too?”

“Not that I know about him, but Alice too.”

“Alice.” Sebastian darkened his gaze, Vincent ran his tongue over his teeth. “Why is he running for that b***h?”

“Beats me.” Vincent shrugged, hearing a knock on the door. Sebastian moved away and gripped his hip, rubbing his mouth as the door opened. Maria poked her head in and frowned at Sebastian’s stiff back then Vincent who tipped his chin up, “Dinner done?”

“Yeah. I’ll pick out the movie.” the door clicked shut behind her.

Sebastian cursed under his breath and huffed dramatically. Vincent got up and groaned, stretching his arms over his head. “I heard those pricks who been clogging your drug runs are dead. Frey boys, right?” He walked over to the door, getting Sebastian undivided attention. He opened the door and rose a brow, “Ask Balter about them.”

~~~~~*~~~~~

It was going on after ten when Sebastian got back to his house, spotting his sister’s Escalade. He squeezed his car keys same time heavily exhaling with frustration. The more I find out, the more deals I’ve gonna have to rake over. He completely forgot to text her about postponing this till tomorrow. He ran his hand through his hair and pulled the screen door back and stepped inside. First, he spotted was a woman sitting at the island, digging into a tub of ice cream while scrolling on her phone. She stopped with her spoon in her mouth when her grey eyes found him, perking up. She moaned and pulled the spoon out, settling her phone down. “Took you long enough.”

“Don’t remind me.” Sebastian placed his hands on the wall and slipped his shoes off. “Nate said you got a collaboration offer. With someone, I don’t like.” He pushed off the wall and turned back to her.

“I have two, I just told Nate one of them.” She flicked her jet black hair off her shoulder and smiled, stabbing the spoon into the tub. She slipped off the barstool and walked over to her purse which was on the recliner. Sebastian was happy Randall didn’t have any pictures of Anna, let alone, mentions her when they’re together. If he did, she labeled Anna as the only one who got away. It pissed Sebastian off deeply, same time, making sure she didn’t know any of his dark business no matter how much she pressed him. Sebastian watched his sister, always getting sick to his stomach from how much his sister looked like her mother. From her black hair to her grey eyes, cheeky smile, and polite personality. How he saw it, she was a rare china doll. He leaned against the door as Anna held the folders out and smiled, “One, you might like.” She waved them around till he mocked her smile and grabbed them, Anna slapping his arm and walked back over to the island. “You get a girlfriend yet?”

“You get married yet?” Sebastian pushed off the door and went through the first offer, freezing when he saw it was from Coach. “Coach.” He stated out loud, glancing up to Anna smiling bigger. “They contacted you or you contacted them?”

“I contacted them.” She slipped back into the barstool. “The other you don’t like contacted me this morning.”

Sebastian slowly walked over to the island and settled the folder down, intently reading it. Anna watched his eyes and listened to calm breathing. When he began thumping his finger on the island, she moved the ice cream tub aside. “You don’t agree to their terms.” Sebastian glanced over to her, making her nip her lip and nodded. “You tap your finger when you’re thinking of a better idea.”

Sebastian shifted in place then leaned mostly on his right foot, flipping the page. He said it gently under my breath. “Stay out of my head. One characteristic that I hated you got from mom.”

Anna ducked her head down and swallowed, pinching her hands between her knees. He brushed his insult off her shoulder. “I typed up a counter offer. Next page.” She tipped her chin up, exchanging looks for a second before he did. He groaned and leaned more over it, tangling his fingers in his hair as his eyes moved. Anna slipped off the counter and grabbed the ice cream tub. “I countered with a four-month contract, 40% royalties, and a future six-month contract, 45% royalties.

“Three months,” Sebastian stated. “I want it to be a three-month contract.”

Anna shut the freezer door and turned to him, “A four-month contract will run to the end of the year. With Christmas included in that time-space, sales will skyrocket.”

“Or cut out December with a three-month contract and it will push more people to buy it for Christmas.” He glanced at her. “Limited Edition items for Christmas are even more special, especially when it runs a short time. We are guaranteed a sold-out item for sure.” He closed the folder and stood up. “Do a three-month contract and we throw out something incredibly rare and limited in number for Black Friday, we get that extra money for December if we did a four-month contract.”

Anna frowned, joining her fingers against her stomach. “They originally wanted a six-month contract, cutting it in half is risk-taker of them dropping this collab in all.”

“If they take this deal, we’ll give them a seven-month contract and a 48% royalties.” He thumped the folders. “We’re talking about Coach here, Anna. One of your favorite brands and sickly, I don’t even know why.” He shrugged.

Anna snorted and crossed her arms, “Ouch. But yeah, we’re talking about a highly known company that is willing to work with us. I’m surprised they even answer me this quickly.”

“They weren’t there for us when this brand started, were they?” He rose a stern brow, Anna puckered her lips and glanced to the living room with annoyance. “I feel we’re at a point that we know what we’re doing, Anna.”

“Sebastian, this is Coach-”

Sebastian raised his voice, “I don’t give a s**t if it’s the president of the United States, okay? I’m not bending my entire business over to another f*****g business just because they hold a high reputation.” He slid the folders over to the edge of the island “Now, this is my final offer, so write this down.”

Anna huffed and walked over, grabbing a pen from her purse and clicked it. “Fine, what is it?”

“December 20th is the cut-off.” He started, watching his sister hesitate but write it down in the margin. “45% Royalties. The future contract if they agree to these terms now, will be 49% and seven-month contract. Sound fair?”

“Yeah.” Anna huffed and clicked her pen, closing the folder.

“Good. Take Nate with you when and if you meet them, he can whip up the idea of a limited edition item.” he slapped the counter and went into the fridge.

“Alright.” She ran her hand through her hair and stared at the folders. “Did you want to see the other one?”

“No.” Sebastian shut the fridge harder, giving his water bottle a squeeze. He leaned against it as he uncapped it. “I got another meeting after this. Anything else?”

“No. Well…actually.” Anna played with the corner of the file. “Evan really wants to meet you.”

“Why?” Sebastian twisted the cap on and off, studying her nervous fidgeting. She sucked a breath in and shrugged Sheepishly, which made him say it flatly. “Are you pregnant?”

Anna grimaced and quickly shook her head, “What? No.”

“Just curious, you rarely fidget.” He took a couple of gulps.

Anna scoffed and smiled at the island, gently shaking her head. She hesitated for a moment, enthusiastically nodding off to the folder. “I love how you hate that we carry the same talent mom did.” She smiled at him, watching Sebastian frown at her and twist the cap back on. He calmly pushed off the fridge and sniffle, muzzling his anger as he started off to his bedroom. She groaned and cursed under her breath, calling after him.

She stepped in while he tossed the water bottle on the bed and strip his shirt. “Evan just knows I see you nearly every week and with how our family is…” she trailed off when he shot her a blunt look, crossing her arms and shrugged. She frowned when he aggressively tossed his shirt into the closet and gripped his hips, cracking his neck side to side. “He told me…he wanted to meet you since you watched over me all these years.” She eyed the great white shark tattooed along his right rib cage, frowning deeper from the though of what it was covering it up. She cleared her throat and ducked her head down.

“…When?”

Anna snapped up, seeing him stretch his arms over his head and groan then drop his hands to his side. “Seriously?”

“You really must like the guy if you’re asking me to meet him.” He gave a dull look, walking into his closet. “So when?”

Anna smiled big, jogging into the closet. Sebastian grunted and stumbled a little the second Anna flopped against him, hugging his waist. “Thank you, Sebastian!”

“Yeah.” Sebastian dialed his brotherly love back with a single-arm hug and kissed her head, “Can I get a shirt on now?”

“Of course.” She ripped herself off, clapping her hands. “Thank you so much, Sebastian. This really means a lot!”

“Why? I’m not sleeping with him.” Sebastian grimaced at the shirts, plucking a tank top off and pulled it on. He pulled sweat pants off the shelve and waved her out, getting the message.

Anna walked out and spun around, smiling around his bedroom. “Well, I really can’t have him meet mom…but I don’t want him meeting…”

Sebastian pulled the sweat pants over his checkered boxers and stared at the door, knowing where she was going with that. He huffed in defeat and opened the door. Anna was flopped flat out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. From the dead look in her expression, he knew what she was thinking and attempted to change the subject. “I’m surprised you’re not telling me to be nice.” He came over and flopped next to her, too staring at the ceiling.

Anna surprisingly snorted, joining her hands on her stomach. “I guess it’s a test to see if he handle the other side of my life. But I’ll let you know when about meeting up with him.” she smiled at Sebastian who continued to stare at the ceiling. “…I’m so close to the System.”

“Don’t remind me.” Sebastian painfully swallowed and sat up, slapping her knee. “Get out of here, it’s getting late. Don’t want your hoochie to think I’m planning to kill him or something.”

“Fine.” She sat up. “We need to have a sibling day soon.”

“I’m gotta go up to the barn tomorrow.” He scratched his neck and stood up. “Just offering.”

“I’ll be here.” She sat up and swung her feet.

“Fun fun.” He sighed heavily, “I’ll walk you out.”

~~~~~*~~~~~

“I don’t f*****g trust him as far as I can throw him.”

“Frankly, I don’t think you can throw anyone from just looking at you.”

Zeire gave Randall a smug look, dropping her hand from her cheek to the table. Lutinent Grant straightened his papers up, “We already released the guy because he was supposedly the wrong guy, which we all assume that he wasn’t and Vincent somehow pulled his damn strings.”

“We have Sebastian on our leash still.” Lutinent Trad pointed out, Zeire rolling her eyes.

“He’s a conniving, sarcastic, son-of-a-bitch.” Zeire slapped her hand down. “He’s going to pull something like he always does.”

“That would be no surprise.” Randall agreed with a frown.

Zeire and Randall stared at each other, “I always wondered, Oxen. How’d you find out that Sebastian was a member of the System?”

Randall remained quiet, feeling all eyes on him. “I stumbled upon him in a report about a car accident. It was stated that the girl’s final words were “the System” before she died in the hospital, we traced the car back and it was in Sebastian’s Klause’s name.” He swallowed. “Soon after that, we learned others of the System have taken the last name Klause.”

“And Sebastian is willing to rat out the others?” Zeire rose a brow.

Randall went to join his hands, Lutinent Grant idly watching him. “To keep our nose in The System, he gets to keep his nose in our business.”

“Sounds immature.” Zeire drummed her nails, everyone looking to her. “The System has killed many. We don’t make deals with crooks.”

“We needed a way in.” Lutinent Grant broadly announced. “This was our ticket. If Sebastian doesn’t cooperate, there’s evidence that we can trace him to second-degree murder.”

Zeire snorted and smiled at the wall, “Then why is he still walking around freely if you have evidence, you can bring a member of the System down.”

“The system is tightly knit.” Luitinent Trad. “They’re not going to let a member stay in our possession long. Alive that is.”

Zeire joined her hands on the table, saying it coldly. “I’m just saying we have a fish on a hook….why aren’t we using this small fish to bring in bigger fish? If I wanted to, I can make just a federal case and drop all of you. We can destroy the system.”

“Careful, agent Zeire.” Randall swallowed, “From what little we know of the System of what Sebastian has mentioned, they’re bigger than you can imagine. It’s a pyramid scheme.”

“We’ve collapsed pyramids before, Officer Oxen.” Zeire snorted, pushing her chair back and stood up. “If Sebastian Klause and Vincent Klause isn’t arrested, I will turn this entire case over to us. You guys have had this case for years but seem like you’ve done nothing but let them play in this city.” She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on. “You got till the end of the month to locate them both and arrest them.”

Lutinent Trad and Grant exchanged looks while Randall glared at the table, calling her. When he glanced up, she had her hand on the doorknob and staring at him. “You’re forgetting one of them.” He blinked. Zeire glanced at the other two Lutinents then him, she dropped her hand from the knob and slowly walked over. “You forget one of them, they’ll come back stronger than ever. You have to strike them all out.”

“You seem to know more than you lead on.” She tapped her nails on the table.

“We’ve had this case for years, yes.” Randall nodded proudly, “But with those years, we’ve learned a lot about our playmates like you label them.”

“Fine.” Zeire smiled, twisting her torso a little. “You have a month to find all three of them or the case is handed to us, but if it is as you say then I doubt you can do it. As you said, you’ve had this case for years, yes?” She pointed and stepped back, “Have a goodnight, gentlemen.”