It was around nine pm when Damon returned home, finding his sister in a dark purple dress holding a glass of red wine. He took his jacket off when she turned her head, looking at him with a smile. "Jame's coming; thanks for not being late," she laughed, pinching his cheek as he scoffed. "Where's Abigail?" he mumbled, looking around before pushing his jacket lazily over his shoulder. "Upstairs," she tasted the wine again before walking away. Damon glared at the stairs and started walking upstairs with steady steps. "Oh, Damon. She's not a threat," Deetra laughed after finishing the bottle of wine. Damon scoffed, irritated, letting his half-drunk sister behind.

He knocked on the bedroom's door, a soft voice answered back. Damon smiled, hearing his lover's voice as he walked in.

"Are you ready?"

"Almost."

Abigail was combing her hair when Damon grabbed her arm, making her turn around. He left a small black box on her palm and closed her fingers over it before sitting on the bed.

"Go ahead, open it."

Abigail opened the box, coming face to face with a white gold ring. On top of it, there was a pastel blue sapphire glowing under the room's lights. She put it in her middle finger and stared at it from different points of view.

"This is for me? It's wonderful, Damon."

She sat beside him, still looking at the ring. He laughed, having his arm around her waist. "Of course," he whispered before kissing her. She giggled happily, hugging him with force, making his back hit the mattress. They burst into laughter, looking at each other before Deetra interrupting the moment as she walked in. She cleaned her throat, eyeing her brother.

"The guest is here."

"Ok, we are coming."

Damon fixed his shirt, gazing upon Abigail's beauty. "Are you ready, now?" he hugged her from behind, leaning his chin on her shoulder. He looked fine in the mirror, clean and not tired. But over everything, he looked happy. "I'll join you in a second; you can go to your guest, dear," she cursed, trying to put some perfume on. Damon nodded and rushed downstairs, facing a smiling James holding a bottle. He lifted the bottle showing it to Damon as he smiled back, seeing his favourite whiskey.

"Oh, you shouldn't!"

He laughed, grabbing it and hugging it. James chuckled, rolling his eyes, bringing his lips to his ear.

"So, where is she?"

"Coming downstairs soon, I didn't tell her who the "secret" guest is."

James smirked, fixing his tie and receiving a dirty look from Deetra. She still didn't know what kind of relationship these two had back in school. The curiosity was eating her alive as she dragged her brother by her side, mumbling.

"How do they know each other?"

"He was helping her with homework or some shit. Calm down, just this. As far as I know, at least."

Deetra growled when she heard Abigail walking downstairs, her high heels echoing through the mansion. She was moving fast but stopped a couple of steps before she came face to face with James.

"... James? Is that... you?"

"Abigail. Still pretty."

He raised his arms, waiting for a hug as she rushed towards him, hugging him tightly laughing. Deetra frowned secretly and crossed her arms, seeing them like that. On the other hand, Damon was laughing at his sister's stupidity and jealously. His laughter was cut, though, when he saw James spinning her around, filled with excitement.

"Still pretty?"

"Pretty STUPID."

James grinned, and Abigail punched him on the shoulder playfully. Damon slid between them quickly, laughing along and put his arm behind Abigail's waist. He pushed her gently towards the dining room, making her look at him.

"Let's have dinner; I am already too hungry! Plus, you two have so much to catch on to after all these years!"

"Oh, of course, we have."

James followed Damon with Abigail, Deetra behind them, trying to hide her anger by smiling and biting her upper lip. Damon tried to pull Abigail's chair, but James was first. Abigail sat down, thanking him as he grinned.

"Seriously, you are still gorgeous."

He whispered; Abigail giggled with Damon's eyes fixated on both of them.

"You, on the other hand, got even more handsome and oh, muscular as it seems!"

He pushed her chair before taking a seat opposite her, beside Deetra. Abigail sipped some white wine from her glass, leaning her chin on her other hand on the table.

"It's been long, James! How's life treating you? Family, kids? Job?"

"Slow down with the questions...!"

He laughed as the meal was being served. James looked at his plate, a soft smile taking over his smile as his eyes fell on Deetra.

"Deetra?"

"Duck Breast with Pomegranate-Citrus Glze."

"Thank you, dear."

 Deetra waved her fork around with a smile. Abigail tasted the dish, closing her eyes. James laughed, seeing her reaction to the meal as she chuckled back.

"So... Life's good, I am single, and I don't know if it's a good time to talk about my job."

"Why?"

While James was cutting the tender meat, Damon decided to hop in the discussion.

"He is a hitman."

"Damon!"

James looked at him, surprised, letting down the fork and the knife. He sighed before staring at an equally shocked Abigail. Abigail flinched and turned to James with a severe glare.

"Is it true?"

"Oh, yes. I kill only bad people, though. Most of the time."

He scoffed as Damon looked away, whistling almost silently.

"That's why you are so muscular...! It makes sense, having to travel around and get your hands dirty."

James gulped that Abigail's reaction wasn't bad; she didn't seem scared or strange. She acted like his job as usual. This fact pushed him to ask her a specific question.

"How about you? Family? Job?"

"I am fine, not having kids or anything."

She didn't answer the question, ignored it entirely. She didn't say where she was working or if she had a partner. In her mind, Damon wasn't officially her boyfriend. Her brain was a mess, anyway. Seeing James for the first time after this long was amazing; he was like an older brother to her in high school. He had started helping her with homework but then started being friends and hanging around sometimes. He was a kind soul, and she was surprised by the fact he ended doing such a fucked up job. It wasn't like him, but who knew, maybe he had changed a lot.

"I can say the dinner was more than amazing."

James looked at Damon as he chuckled, mumbling, "Whatever," but James heard it, though. He couldn't understand Damon's nerves or his sudden change in his attitude. He just wanted to see his old friend in exchange for a murder.

"There was another boy in your classroom that you were hanging with... I can't place my finger- What was his name..."

"Mason?"

"Oh yes...! How is he? Do you two still have any contact?"

Abigail opened her mouth but closed it immediately. She glared at Deetra, who was staring back at her with no expression.

"Yes, we actually do. Still good friends!"

"Oh, that's so nice! I am a sucker for friendships that last long!"

He gave a close-mouthed smile taking his suit jacket off and letting it on the wooden chair. He rolled up the blue shirt's sleeve on his left arm. Abigail raised her eyebrow, seeing the bruised arm.

"What happened to your arm? It seems badly injured."

"Hm?"

James looked at his arm, facing the purplish bruise. His mind connected to that night and Felix's face. Right after, he remembered Damon and Deetra all over him. He gulped harshly, trying to push the image at the back of his head and enjoy the evening. He couldn't, though. Deetra was trying so hard to seduce him and get what she wanted that it seemed so accurate in front of his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a pinch on his other hand. He groaned in pain and looked at Deetra, who giggled softly with her palm in front of her lips. He sighed, turning his attention back to Abigail. He had understood that he had lost every connection with reality for a few seconds, which was her way of bringing him back.

"Just an accident, nothing serious."

"If you say so."

Abigail continued tasting the alcohol and enjoying it. Deetra was enjoying the silence that had taken over the table; on the other hand, Damon wanted to say something, though. Just to take Abigail's attention off James for a bit. He grabbed her hand, lifting it and showing off her ring. "Do you like it, James? I got it for her, real sapphire."

"It looks wonderful; good choice Damon."

Damon wanted to show off his money, not the ring. He was getting jealous of James for the first time in his life.

On the other hand, James was unproblematic as hell. He was never jealous of Damon, even if he had all the money and got all the chicks. James didn't have anything that was missing from his life. Or that's what he was at least believing. Sometimes, he was feeling lonely in his apartment. Sometimes, he wished he would have someone to hug to sleep. He knew he could not have a regular girlfriend. He needed someone that could handle the danger and repel it. He had no time for a whiny bitch. He wanted someone who would travel around with him and don't use him for the money, someone who had the nerve to kick someone in the balls.

He looked for a brief second in Deetra's eyes before turning back to Abigail. She was jealous of Abigail; he could see it. She wasn't jealous of the attention she was receiving from her brother; she was scared of the attention James was giving her at that specific moment.

She probably thought James looked at Abigail from a different perspective, one more erotic like her brother. James didn't have any romantic interest in Abigail, though, for various reasons. First, he knew nothing about her; she could be lying. She could be working with Mason and wanting to hurt all of them. Secondly, Damon was madly in love with her; he couldn't hurt his best friend's feelings. Lastly, but most importantly, he liked Deetra, maybe more than usual. Perhaps this "flirt" with Abigail was to his advance. He could see if she liked him back at that level. Maybe after all these months, he could get in a relationship with her. The night went on and on until something popped into James' thoughts.

"Oh, I forgot! I got you a gift, Abigail. Give me a second; it's in my car."

"Oh, thank you so much, James. You shouldn't!"

"Oh, it's fine! Be right back!"

He rushed to his car, returning back after a few minutes. Damon's anger was over the roof and quite visible. Deetra appeared calm, but James knew she wasn't at all. Her cheeks were redder than usual, and she was biting her tongue.

"Here, darling."

"Oh, James..."

She opened the grey packet finding a long white box. She raised her eyebrow, opening the box and seeing a silver bracelet. James helped her put it on as she stared at the hanging charm, a small reddish elephant made from tiny rubies. She gasped, seeing it shining before hugging him.

 "Oh, it's lovely! Thank you so much, James!"

"You are welcome, dear."

"I didn't know- I should have you got you a gift!"

"Oh, your existence in tonight's dinner was the best present, believe me, darling."

He flirted. Deetra was looking outside at the garden before sighing softly. She had wrapped her arms around her chest, almost defeated. She was close to tears. James had seen her when he stopped talking.

"The night was wonderful, but I fear I have to go to bed soon; the wine was too strong for my taste."

Abigail laughed, holding the charm between her finger; James held her hand with both hands and kissed it gently.

"It was a pleasure to see you again, Abigail. I hope we'll meet again. Good night."

"Good night, James."

She smiled, staring at him until Damon grabbed her free hand.

"Let me escort you to OUR bedroom, love. You look like you need some help with those steps."

"Thank you a lot, Damon."

Damon helped Abigail go upstairs while staring at James at the same time, his head turned back. He was more than mad and seemed like he would give him a "good lesson" the moment he would walk around downstairs. Deetra looked at James, this time disappointed. When the bedroom's door closed, she sighed softly, feeling the silence more than anything. James wanted to tell her how much he actually wanted her but decided to wait a bit.

"What was that all about?"

She broke the silence, making him move his shoulders up, acting all confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Spinning around? Flirting with the target? A god damn gift!?"

Deetra started rising slowly and painfully her voice. The nerves started coming back, along with the red colour on her face. James was still looking at her, confused like he did nothing wrong. Damon returned back, sighing softly with his hands in his pockets.

"What was that, James? Flirting? I don't care what she is; you know I love her."

"I WASN'T FLIRTING!"

"You bought her a whole arse silver bracelet with rubies, fucker."

James rolled his eyes, starring at both of them. It was the first time he had seen the twins so angry, both with him.

"Let's say I understand why Damon is mad; he is in love. Why are you angry?"

He turned his eyes on Deetra as her face eased up. She sighed, glaring at her brother. Damon got the signal and left the room behind, going to the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes, trying to remain calm. James leaned towards her holding her face between his fingers. He whispered low, not wanting to get Abigail's attention on who was upstairs.

"You know why I am ....."

"I don't."

"You irritate me a lot."

"Why, exactly?"

"Because... Because... Oh, fuck this."

She grabbed his chin with force, kissing him passionately. James stopped in his tracks, more than confused but kissed back, holding her waist. He couldn't believe that he made her kiss him. She pulled away, rubbing her lips, acting disgusted. James chuckled, looking at her with a flirty look.

"You could say that you like me romantically."

"You don't like me that way, James."

He laughed, pulling her by her waist closer to him. He pushed some tuffs off her face, still laughing before pulling back to a soft kiss.

"I like you, Deetra, a lot."

"Wait, for real?"

"Yes, I wanted to tell you but didn't have the balls."

She laughed softly, hugging him. James was spinning her around when Damon returned to the living room, pretty confused.

"What's going on?"

"Your sister's got a boyfriend!"

"James? Who would have known."

He fake yawned, sitting down, receiving glares from both of them.

"Wait, you knew?"

"Of course I did; I'm not an idiot! James brought you gifts from each trip, and you would call him and be all happy and giggly. I was sick of you; it was time you two get along or something."

He rolled a cigarette pressing it between his lips; James chuckled softly.

"This doesn't mean I won't harm you if you hurt her. I'll kill you, dry you out and roll you like a fine cigarette."

"At least, your threats are creative."

Damon lit up his cigarette and opened the window so the smoke will go out. Deetra would kill him if he destroyed the mansion's walls.

"The bracelet had a chip on it."

James had both Damon and Deetra's attention now on him. 

"If she goes anywhere alone, we'll know it. If she talks with anyone, we'll know it. You can sleep a bit easier in the night now."

"Whatever you say..."

"It's not a bad idea, brother. It's for our own good, and you know it."

Deetra smiled, rubbing Damon's back gently as he sighed worriedly. He didn't want Abigail to end up being a scam; his heart couldn't handle it.

"If you say so... I trust you. You usually know better than me." He cursed under his breath finishing his cigarette and throwing it off in the garden. Deetra frowned and sent a security guard outside to pick it up and throw it away before they catch up a fire because of Damon's littering habit.

"I'll get going; I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, James."

"Have a good sleep, love."

James waved and kissed Deetra goodbye before he returned to his car and eventually to his apartment. Damon rubbed his face, anxious and filled with fear. He didn't want Abigail to be the bad guy. He gulped loudly, looking at his sister, who was going to her own bedroom.

"Tomorrow is a different day, possibly a good one. Don't hurt me, Abigail. Don't disappoint me, James."

A/n: Remember to comment, like and add the book to your libary if you liked it :)