There was a good thirty people now filling the small area. And I had met every. Single. One. Of. His. Family. Members.

They were all very nice people, it was just a lot to take in at once. I found myself sitting in a corner, observing. Jennifer, Carter, and Tony's uncle seemed to be standing off by themselves in what appeared to be a very serious conversation. 

"You know that staring isn't very polite, right?" 

I jumped, startled by the sudden voice. "Don't you know it's not polite to sneak up on people Chase?" 

"Well, if you were aware of your surroundings, I wouldn't have been able to sneak up on you. You need to start paying attention to everything that's going on around you. Even if you think that you're in a safe place, it's better to be safe than sorry, and on your guard than dead."  Chase pulled out a chair and took a seat next to me. "Got it?"

I turned myself so I was facing him. "Can we please talk about how you had no intention of helping me and then pulled a complete one-eighty on me? What's that all about? And don't give me any 'I'm helping you from the kindness in my heart' because we both know you don't have one.". 

He put a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "Ouch Daytona, was me driving you here not evidence enough of my heart?" When I showed no signs of answering he carried on. "I have my own reasons to want to help you."

"Will I ever get to find out these reasons?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Who knows." He turned and followed the forgotten line of my gaze. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"Well I wouldn't know Chase, I'm sitting in this corner and they are a good hundred feet away. I don't have bionic hearing, sorry to disappoint. "

He cut his eyes towards me and the corner of his lip curled up. "After all these years, I'm glad to see you still have your spunk Daytona."

I focused my eyes back on the three cousins. "Yeah, me too. Anyways, why did you come over here? What do you want."

Chase finally stopped ogling at Jennifer's legs and turned back to me. "You need to keep your guard up at all times Daytona. You're not in Austin anymore. You can never fully trust people here."

"And this is coming from the Chase Jensen, right?"

He rolled his eyes, but the expression on his face never changed. "I'm serious. You can't trust anyone." His eyes flickered back over to the three cousins.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks." Dance music started to flow from the speakers and Chase turned to me.

"Care to dance?" He outstretched his hand to me.

I searched around for Tony but didnt see any sign of him.

"This offer won't stay on the table forever Daytona." As the seconds ticked by, he dropped a finger down.

I sighed and grabbed his hand. "Fine."

He led me on to the dance floor. It was just the two of us amongst the rest of Tony's family.

Sweat started to pool at the base of my scalp the longer we danced. I gathered my hair and pulled it up into a high ponytail.

Before I had a chance to even realize what was going on, Chase had me by my waist and pulled my back into his chest.

"What the hell Chase?" I let go of my hair and tried to pull out of his grasp, but he had an iron grip on my waist.

"What do you think you're doing showing off that tattoo around here? You cant trust these people. You see Jenifer, Carter, and their uncle over there?" He whispered into my ear. "They're apart of the Triad, the Chinese mafia. You didn't think they have all that money from just their day job did you?"

"It was a little suspicious but I didnt think it was the mafia." I continued to dance pressed up against Chase despite wanting to be anywhere else at the moment.

"If they saw your tattoo, you'd be as good as dead by tomorrow. They hate Colton and his gang. And they don't know, or care, how or why you have the tattoo. The fact is that you do." After he felt that I had got the point, he let go of my waist.

"I'll be more careful next time, sorry."

"Sorry won't keep you alive Daytona."

Before I could respond, he had vanished into the crowd.

"What was that all about?" Tony appeared at my side just as Chase disappeared.

"Oh nothing," I laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, "I stepped on his foot when we were dancing and he got irritated."

"Yup, that's good old Chase for you. The most irritable person on the planet. Do you want to step outside with me?" he outstretched his hand to me just as Chase had done not too long ago, but I didnt hesitate to grab it.

We walked around the building in silence a couple times before we sat down on a bench. For some reason, the guilt for lying to so many people crashed into me all at once.

"I'm-" I was almost apologizing to Tony before I even knew what I was doing.

"You're?" His eyebrow was cocked as he watched me from the corner of his eye.

"I'm really glad I could come out here with you.It's nice being back home." Sighing, I stared straight ahead.

Yet another lie.

"Me too. It's sad that we'll have to go back home tomorrow." His hand covered mine that was laying in the space between us. Unlike Jordan's touch, I felt a warm familiarity from Tony's.

"Actually, I was wondering, is there any way I could stay here longer? I was thinking of visiting some family while I'm up here for a few days."

"Yeah of course, that wont be a problem at all."

We stayed like that for what seemed like forever, and we probably would have continued to just enjoy each others company if it wasn't for Chase.

"Oh love birds~" he appeared from around the corner and slung his arm over our shoulders when he got close to us. "Its almost time to sing to your grandma Tony."

"We've got it Chase, you can let go now."

Following Tony's orders, he let go. I followed behind Chase and Tony followed behind me as we made our way back into the party.

Sure enough, most people were sitting at their tables and Tony's grandma, who I had previously met, was sitting in a chair designed like a throne. She even had a crown on her head.

"Your grandma really is the cutest Tony. I love her." I sat down at an empty table between the two boys.

Tony rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "She's only nice because you're my girlfriend. She's a lot meaner to her family."

"Isn't everyone's?" I mumbled under my breath thinking back to my dad.

I hadn't thought about the piece of shit for so long and the moment I did, I felt my heart close off again, almost preparing itself for the abuse.

Soon it was time to sing to Tony's grandma and after, the party resumed as it had previously, this time, with the addition of cake.

After a couple more hours of dancing and socializing, we headed home. I wasn't quite prepared for the toll that this party would have on me, and the minute we got in the car, I passed out.

When we got home, I immediately jumped in the shower and enjoyed the feeling of the hot water washing over me. I washed my hair and washed my body, trying to postpone getting out.

The shower was safe.

The shower was warm.

But I could not delay the inevitable any longer. I turned off the water and stepped onto the mat, wrapping the towel around me and using a second one to dry my hair.

I opened the bathroom door and walked out into the bedroom, still drying the ends of my hair with the other towel.

"Damn, didn't know I was going to get a show today."

My eyes shot up to where Chase sat on his bed with his signature smirk plastered all over his stupid face.

"What the hell Chase? Get out!" I threw the towel that was not around my body at him, but he just caught it and tossed it to the side.

His eyes slowly trailed from my collar bone all the way down to my feet and back up. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"You're a pig, you know that?" I quickly grabbed a pair of pajams and returned to the bathroom to change.

When I came back out, he was still sitting on his bed, but looked a little dissatisfied that I was now clothed.

"Is it safe for me to put my hair up?" I asked, brushing through it just enough to detangle it.

"Yeah there's no one here but his immediate family and they aren't involved in anything." I noticed for the first time that he was twirling a pocket knife in his hands.

"How do you know about all this anyways?" I asked, throwing my hair up into a messy bun.

He turned and gave me a cold look. "That's none of your buisness."

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "Jeez, I was just asking."

We sat in silence for a few more moments before he stood up and started to head out.

"Are you okay Chase? You're not your usual annoyingly cocky self?"

"That's where you're wrong," I followed him out of the room and into the kitchen, "I'm always cocky."

"Chase! Daytona! So good to see you guys again." The exposed tattoo burned at the back of my neck, but I was frozen in my spot, unable to move.

Luckily for me, Chase reacted quicker then I did, slinging his arm over me and pulling me into his side before turning us around.

"Hey Jennifer, I didn't know you were stopping by." There was a smile clear as day on Chase's face, but his tone didn't match that at all.

"I was just stopping to see my little cousin before he goes back to Texas, is that a problem, Jensen?" Jennifer's friendly persona from earlier completely disappeared. It was no where to be seen. Instead, in its place, was what appeared as someone who could be apart of the chinese mafia.

"He's out back." Chase turned to the side to let her pass, but didn't let go of me.

Jennifer walked past us, and I felt a cold draft follow her.

"You know, Daytona, for being my cousins girlfriend, you do seem to be awfully close to Chase." And with that she floated out the back door.

"Shit. She was scary. Do you think she saw?" I covered the back of my neck with my hand.

"No. I think if she had then we'd have had a very different conversation. I think she doesn't like me is all. But even if she did, I'll make sure nothing happens to you tonight."

"I'm more than capable of looking out for myself thank you very much!"

He looked down at me and rolled his eyes. "No you're not. Not while you're sleeping."

"Oh what," I crossed my arms, "and you are?"

He dropped his eyes down to catch mine again and said with steel like clarity, "I was trained to stay up for days on watch, and to sleep lightly that even the slightest guts of wind outside will wake me up. So yes, Daytona, I am."

He walked back into the room and I was left standing out in the kitchen by myself.

Just what happened to Chase after he left? What did he go through? Is the Chase I'm sharing a room with now really the same Chase I knew all those years ago?

There was so many questions and not enough answers.

I was pulled out of my head by my phone ringing. Pulling it out of my pocket I glanced at the caller ID and my heart dropped to my stomach.

Jordan:) is calling...

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Tbh it's been almost five months and I dont think anyone actually reads this book anymore because I've been so inactive but, uh, here's chapter 10!

Im really excited to write the next chapter! It's going to be different and I'm hella ready.

Anyways, this chapter is unedited as always and I hope you guys enjoy it.

Until next time,
May C.😘❤