Make my heart beat

Let him go!" Jemma screamed.They were beating her brother, Karl. He was the only family she had left since their mom died. Seeing him hurt made her heart pound with absolute terror.Their mom had passed away from a bad heart, leaving them without ever revealing who their father was. They had tried everything to save her, but it wasn't enough. Now, Karl was all she had."Well, well," a gruff voice echoed in the alleyway.The leader of the men looked Jemma up and down with a dirty, lingering grin. "What do we have here? A pretty girl to make our day better."Jemma felt sick to her stomach, but she forced herself to glare back."Hey, kid," the leader continued, squeezing Karl's jaw so hard that Karl spat blood right into his face. "Why didn't you tell us you had this beauty? We wouldn't have bothered you so much. Maybe after a night with her...""Jemma, go! What are you doing here?" Karl grunted through clenched teeth.Jemma knew he was in agonizing pain. Seeing him so miserable almost broke her, but she swallowed her tears. She couldn't show them she was scared. She refused to be seen as weak prey."I said leave him alone! You can't do this to him!" Jemma shouted, aggressively pushing one of the men away and ignoring her brother's plea."Oh, yes, we can," the leader sneered, stepping heavily between her and Karl. "Your brother owes us a lot of money. A lot. And until he pays, we're going to do much worse."He paused, his hungry stare scanning her body. "But since you're here, we'll have some fun with you first."His men suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Jemma, pinning her arms in place as the leader moved closer, his face twisted with malice. Jemma thrashed, trying desperately to pull away, but they were too strong."Run, Karl, run!" she screamed.But Karl was too weak to even stand. Even if he could, she knew he would try to protect her rather than run like a coward. All her brother could do was yell in frustration.Before the leader's hand could touch Jemma, a phone rang. The sharp sound cut through the air, freezing the man in his tracks. He pulled out his phone, his eyes still fixed greedily on Jemma as he listened to the voice on the other end.Suddenly, the leader's demeanor changed. The dirty smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, rigid glint of fear."The Kestrel wants us back. We need to return immediately," he ordered his men.Shoving his phone away, he turned back to Jemma and gave her a chilling smile. "Such a shame we have to leave. We'll meet again, candy."With a rough shove, they dropped Jemma and Karl, walking away until they disappeared into the shadows.Jemma let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her in waves. She immediately dropped to her knees beside Karl, helping him sit up. "Are you okay? Oh, Karl, what have you gotten yourself into this time? Who were those guys?"Karl pushed her hand away gently, his voice rough and strained. "I'm fine. This is nothing you should be involved in.""Fine?" Jemma scoffed, her voice tinged with disbelief. "You can't even stand up! We're going to the hospital, and you'll explain everything there."Karl forced himself to stand up suddenly, wincing in pain. "I said I'm fine! Leave me alone, and stop following me. I'm not a kid anymore!" he snapped. He started stumbling away down the street."Hey, wait!" Jemma caught up, grabbing his arm and gently guiding him toward their small home.Karl had changed so much since their mom died. He wasn't the carefree guy she remembered. Now, he looked like the weight of the entire world was resting on his shoulders. He barely came home anymore, and he was always hovering around dangerous people. Jemma had felt she had no choice but to follow him today—and this nightmare was what she found.She was furious with him, but even angrier with herself. She hated that she couldn't be there for him, or be a better sister.Once inside, she sat him down on the couch and carefully treated his wounds with their small first-aid kit."Done," she said softly, snapping the plastic kit closed and sitting down right beside him. "Karl, please. You're the only one I have left. Just tell me what's going on. We're responsible for each other. It hurts me more than anything to know you're going through this alone."Karl leaned back, his green eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling. For a split second, it looked like he might actually open up, but he caught himself.Jemma pressed on, her hope growing. "Who are those guys? And what did they mean when they said you owe them money? Even if you do, tell me the amount. I've saved up a lot. Plus, I applied for a job at a massive company. If I get it, the pay is incredible, and we can clear all your debts. So please, just tell me."Karl finally looked at her, his gaze deeply troubled. "You're asking too many questions, Jem. Don't worry about me. I can take care of everything. I have to go."He stood up, his tall frame pausing at the doorway for just a brief moment before he walked out into the night, slamming the door behind him.Frustrated, Jemma marched into her bedroom, threw her head back onto her pillow, and screamed into the fabric. "This kid is driving me crazy!"Fine. If he wasn't going to tell her, she would figure it out herself. Determination hardened her expression as she sat up.Just then, her phone buzzed. She smiled when she saw the caller ID."Hey!" Akila's loud, breathless voice filled the line the moment Jemma picked up. "Did you see the news?!"Jemma sighed, trying to calm her friend down. "What? Slow down, Akila.""The Kestrel just blew up Jetson Corporation! It's literally on fire right now!""Kestrel?" Jemma frowned, a cold shiver running down her spine. "I think I just heard that name a few minutes ago...""Of course you have! He's everywhere," Akila explained excitedly. "He completely rules the underworld. That guy is super dangerous! No one has ever seen his face because he always wears a mask. Just because the Jetsons didn't agree to his terms, he literally made their entire legacy disappear into flames. And no one can prove it was him!"Jemma's mind raced back to the alleyway. The leader of the thugs had said The Kestrel wants us back."So... where does this guy hang out?" Jemma asked, trying to sound casual."Nobody knows for sure. But rumors say he frequently visits the Oceanville Club," Akila replied. "Why do you ask, anyway? Oh! Did you ever send your application to CT Corporation?""Yeah," Jemma said, clearing her throat. "I'm just waiting to hear back from them.""CT Corporation is the best and most famous company in all of Blossom View!" Akila gushed. "And their CEO, Caspian Thorne? He is a rare beauty. Total eye candy. It only hurts that he's so cold. Everyone calls him 'the man whose heart doesn't beat'.""I see... then I wish I never cross paths with him," Jemma remarked, thinking of her current mess. "What if I get on his bad side? Besides, I really need this job. Karl is driving me crazy. I think he's in serious trouble.""Ugh, that kid," Akila sighed sympathetically. "Don't you worry about him right now. You're going to get that job. Let's meet up later, okay?""Okay. Bye."Jemma ended the call and stared at her blank wall. She quickly grabbed her diary from her nightstand, flipped to a fresh page, and scribbled in bold letters:Oceanville Club tonight. Meet Kestrel.Those goons from the alley were definitely his men. If she wanted to save her brother, she would go straight to the devil himself to get answers.