Hallows: Black Death

Only Four Chairs

Drake- 0 to 100/ The Catch Up

B.B.:

I take the iPad up to my room and shut myself in with it. I plugged it into my PC and began to download all the files and take notes. Six stones, each with nine pieces. This means there are fifty-four of us just on the West coast. The ring goes perfectly around the areas where California, Oregon, and Nevada meet. She only has all the reapers and devils on here. She didn't get a chance to finish the investigation.

There is information about the ritual books and where to find the book. It's outside under the tube that led us to what's my lab now. It's safe there for the moment. The names on the lists are all positions that the Hallows want to take over in order to gain control of Hellbourne and the surrounding cities that are affected by the stones.

This looks like they're trying to form a circle. For what? I'm not sure yet but it all connects. She has newsletters and articles about the crime rates in certain areas that all connect to one another but they're not in the same state and the events aren't recurring so I'm going to assume no one other than Delilah has made the connection. The spikes in murder and disappearances in those areas are as of right now, the highest they've ever been.

I'm taking in all of the information she's given me and I've watched all the videos. I'm breaking them down needing to take in the smaller details. It all seems to start with this Alexie Reaper. He's the oldest, he's as old as my dad. It says here her never had children so he looks to be in his early thirties but sneaky little Dilly-Dilly has all of his records and the records of all the names she's given me.

They made the first move against Mayor Halestorm. Kaylee's name was on there because she's not his biological daughter. She's the daughter of the chief of police and they were going to use her to get to him. My guess is that she fought or the chief of police ignored the threats. He's next. Delilah calculated six different options and I'm choosing the one that best suits Mariah Thompson's personality. She's not going to have the same patience as a reaper and there is no way Alexie is going to come out of his mouse hole this early in the game. I doubt he'll show his face.

A tap on the door interrupts my thoughts. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before getting up to open the door.

"f**k," I growl when my headset pulls me back. I laugh taking it off and set it back on the desk. I rip the door open to find Lucien and Carson standing there.

"Are you okay?" Luc asks.

"Yeah, I got up with my headphones on," I press the palms of my hands to my eyes feeling tired. "What time is it?"

"It's seven,"

"Barely?"

"In the morning," Carson adds. I look around and laugh.

"Yeah, that makes more sense. I'm sorry I needed to focus. Let me take a quick shower and I'll come down to show you what I found?"

"Yeah," they both nod but they don't look too happy.

"What's going on?"

"Shower," Luc smiles tightly. The two of them go back down the stairs.

I get ready for the day still feeling wired over the information I just got. It's all running around in my head nonstop. I put something casual on and grab my notes before rushing downstairs. James is serving breakfast in the dining room. Everyone is here including Damian, Victor, and Rodrigo.

"Holy s**t," I say under my breath when James takes my notebook and motions me to sit to my dad's right. I sit down obediently. "Hello everyone,"

A series of heys and sups greets me. I laugh looking over at my dad who has a grin on his face. This is somehow his fault. I just f*****g know it is. He is not going to stop being an asshole to save his own damn skin, is he?

"Are feeling better?" he asks.

"Yeah. A lot better. I have something to do right now. Something to focus on," I say ignoring all the eyes on me.

"Good, breakfast first. Business second," he points at me with a fork.

"Let's eat," I agree.

The tension in the room can be sliced with a knife and not a butter knife like at the Hacienda. Everyone is reluctantly eating. My dad is having way too much fun right now. Carson, Lucien, Victor, and Rodrigo are silently stewing but no one is saying a word. Did something happen while I was in my own little world upstairs? I regret leaving my father completely unsupervised every time I take my eyes off of him.

I have to admit that it's a little surreal to have all of them under the same roof much less in the same room. They're beautiful it's the only thing I can think of. All of them are different, set with their own styles and personalities. The four of them broken and pieced together in various shapes, sizes, and colors.

Lucien with his pretty ash blond hair and pretty golden eyes that burn. Carson with his dark hair, cold eyes, and hardened demeanor. Rodrigo with his buzz cut, lonely hazel eyes, and pretty boy swagger. Victor with his reddish brown hair, dark almost black brown eyes, and his scowl. Christ.

Stacy is sitting across from me trying really hard not to laugh. My eyes meet hers and I shake my head slightly. She presses her lips together tightly. Her face is turning bright red.

"Excuse me," she explodes running out of her seat. I scoop a piece of my waffles into my mouth as I hear her laughing in the next room. A text comes through my phone. I know better than to glance at it but I can't help it.

-b***h! Ur Cray-Zee! (several laughing emojis)

I ignore it shoving the phone into my back pocket trying not to laugh. I didn't bring them here. I know better. I know that they're eventually going to f*****g snap. They're guys. Guys driven by the demons inside of them and I'm kind of forcing them to share the one thing they have in common. How do I even begin to deal with this? Why am I enjoying this so f*****g much? My father has brought absolute chaos into my house and I am seriously enjoying it. There has to be something very, very wrong with me.

"This is f*****g weird," Dylan breaks the silence. I smile at him when I reached for my orange juice. He averts his gaze knowing it's a warning.

"If we're not talking business, I'd like to address the elephant in the room," Nat smirks. "Bro, your mans are all sitting here with us having breakfast,"

"I know," I say taking a sip from my glass.

"Are you just going to f*****g ignore the fact that there's a murderous tension between the four of them?" she asks. "Tension you could slice through with something sharp,"

"Alexa, play a Drake Station," I call out. Passion Fruit begins to play and I laugh. "Yes, I am,"

"I like this beat," my dad smirks.

"I love this song," Stacy comes back into the room wiping her eyes.

"Come on, you're not going to say anything?" Nat presses on.

"What would you like me to say?" I ask. "Do you guys want to say something?"

A collective no passes between them. I look over at her challengingly but I can tell she's not ready to drop this. Between Natalie and Stacy, Nat is the wilder one and she's feeding my dad's asshole sense of humor.

"How do you guys feel about this?" she asks. My dad laughs looking between us. "B?"

"How do I feel? Right now?" I ask.

"Yes," my dad answers following her lead. Victor cracks his neck loudly before he starts working his knuckles frustratedly.

"I feel like someone unnecessarily created this entire scenario to f**k with me to keep me distracted from something else," I admit and look over at my dad. "They probably think I'm going to let it go because this is fun but I'm not. In fact, I feel just as murderous as they do,"

"Aww, it's not all bad, Pinky. I'm doing you a favor," he grins.

"You're really not. You're being a f*****g d**k. Why are you all in my business?" I demand. Everyone shifts away from us when he meets my challenge head-on.

"Where else am I supposed to be?" he quips. Hold On We're Going Home starts up.

"This song," Stacy whispers to herself as she wiggles her body in her seat.

"How about you worry about your assignment here?" I suggest. "The toad, the f*****g demon in my sister's room. You have better s**t to do than f**k up the little piece of mind I have,"

"Look, I just want you and your harem of men to be on the same page. They need to get along," he smiles innocently.

"Do they now?" I scoff. "Why? What if I don't want them to get along? What if I like them exactly where they are?"

"Do you?" Carson asks.

"I feel we're getting mix signals," Victor adds.

"I don't feel that at all," Rodrigo smirks as he drinks from his mug. "I got a pretty clear answer,"

"Why don't you shut the f**k up?" Lucien growls gripping his fork tightly. Hotline Bling starts. Stacy lets out a little excited squeal.

"Don't talk to each other like that," I sigh sitting back. They all turn to look at me. "I'm not asking you to get along. I'm not even asking you to be friends. This is new to me and I'd like to figure out how this is going to fit into my life. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in this big ass house by myself and now there are only four seats available at my dining room table. So, until I decide what I'm going to do, don't f*****g address one another like my lovers. We're all in business together, right? Let's focus on that,"

"Very mature of you," my dad smirks. I look over at him with a glare.

"You do need to shut the f**k up, dad," I sigh. He laughs.

"This is an easy fix, Bella," he starts. "Lucien was your first. You seem more emotionally involved with him than the others. It's why he's as possessive as he is. You should start there. Lucien, why don't you tell B.B. how you feel?"

I shut my eyes gripping my fork in my hand as tightly as Lucien was just a moment ago.

"It took me a long time to get used to the idea of me having to share you with Carson," Lucien begins, unexpectedly. I open my eyes to look at him. He looks sad. "I still don't like it. I told myself that I wouldn't let you come between us but you did and it was so easy for you to do it too. I understand that we forced you to do what you did but it showed us just how much power you have over us. Even now, I know you're trying to distance yourself from us. From all of us,"

"Not just us two. You've known Victor for a while and you've been postponing a meeting with him. I'm not complaining for all I care he can eat s**t. I just want to know where you are," Carson adds. "What you're thinking,"

"I didn't want this," I admit. "None of it. I've been in love with Lucien since I was eight years old," he tenses up because neither of us has talked about that. "Then Carson and things seemed to be okay between the three of us at first. So much that I felt and feel guilty about it.

"I don't want to be with Victor or Rodrigo because it feels a lot like betrayal. Like I'm doing something overly f****d and it's f*****g killing me that I have no way of fighting against the draw I feel towards them.

"This isn't easy for me. I get that you guys feel s**t about this too but I don't know what I want right now. I don't know what to do. I'm running on f*****g instincts I didn't know I had. Before this, s*x wasn't even a part of my thoughts. I didn't crave it or want it. It was a moot point for me. It still is.

"It's been happening and I want it at that moment. It doesn't matter. I don't sit around thinking about any of you. I feel that I'm fine with it for now because I'm not emotionally involved with any of it. It doesn't seem real to me. It sounds f****d up even as I'm saying it but that's where I am. I'm not worried about you I'm worried about myself and the tasks at hand. Whatever you want to do with that, it's up to you. But I'm not going to sit around to baby any of you. I don't even baby myself," I turn my attention to my dad.

"You just can't help it can you? All you do is cause chaos. From the moment you've been back, it's been one thing after another. You make me f*****g crazy. I wasn't but I am really looking forward to you not being here anymore. Between this and what you pulled yesterday at Ro's Hacienda. I am f*****g done. I'm not Ashley. I might look like her and I might dress like her but we're not the same person. I don't have to put up with your s**t like she did. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, Dante. Go f**k yourself,"