Leaving Echo alone at my house felt like a gamble, but I didn't have time to babysit her. Not when I had bigger problems to deal with. Doom pulled up outside the jail, his usual calm demeanor replaced with a tense silence. The drive had been quiet, save for the occasional grunt or sigh from him. I could tell he was worried about Kash, though he'd never admit it outright.

We walked through the security checks, the fluorescent lights overhead casting a harsh glow on everything. When we finally reached the visitation room, Kash was already seated, his head hanging low. He looked up as we entered, and for a brief moment, I saw something in his eyes I hadn't seen in years—vulnerability.

"About time," Kash muttered, though his voice lacked its usual edge.

Doom sat down across from him, his hands clasped tightly on the table. "You good?" he asked, his voice low.

Kash let out a humorless laugh. "Do I look good? I'm locked up while everything falls apart out there."

"You're not alone in this," Doom said, his tone firm. "We're holding things down."

"For how long?" Kash shot back. "Noah's betrayal hit us hard. Nash's crew is running wild, and Blake—" He stopped, his jaw tightening.

"That's why we're here," I interjected, taking the seat next to Doom. "Noah might've done something to Blake. She took off with one of Nash's guys last night, and we haven't heard from her since."

Kash's expression darkened. "Noah. That little rat." He slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "First he snitches to the cops, and now this? And he has the nerve to call himself a mob boss? Tch."

Doom placed a hand on Kash's shoulder, his usually stoic face softening. "We'll find her. But you gotta keep it together, man. We can't do this without you."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, to my surprise, Kash's shoulders began to shake. Doom leaned forward, resting his forehead against Kash's, their bond evident in the unspoken words between them. It was a rare, raw moment, and I couldn't help but feel like an outsider looking in.

"You're the closest thing I have to a brother," Kash said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Don't let me lose this family too."

"You won't," Doom replied, his voice steady. "We've got you."

I cleared my throat, breaking the heavy silence. "There's something else you need to know."

Kash pulled back, his red-rimmed eyes narrowing at me. "What now?"

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. "Noah and I...we hooked up."

The room went still. Doom let out a low whistle, leaning back in his chair. Kash, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to explode.

"Hooking up with the enemy? What the hell, Sis?" he snapped, his voice rising. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was?"

"I know it wasn't smart," I admitted, my cheeks burning with shame. "It was a mistake."

"Mistake doesn't even begin to cover it," Kash shot back. "Do you even realize what he's capable of? What he's already done to us?"

Doom held up a hand, his voice cutting through the tension. "Enough. What's done is done. Yelling about it isn't going to fix anything."

Kash glared at me, but he didn't say anything else. Doom turned to me, his expression serious. "You need to think before you act, Val. This isn't a game. Every move we make has consequences."

"I get it, okay?" I snapped, crossing my arms. "Can we focus on finding Blake now?"

Kash leaned back in his chair, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Yeah, let's focus on that. And when we find her, we're dealing with Noah. For good."

The weight of his words hung in the air as we left the jail. Doom and Kash's moment of vulnerability had been brief, but it was enough to remind me of what was at stake. Family wasn't just about blood—it was about loyalty, trust, and the lengths you'd go to protect the people you cared about. And right now, our family was on the verge of falling apart. It was up to us to hold it together.