Chapter 1 - ''I will kill you.''

The vicious knocks on his front door were impossible to ignore. All he wanted to was to sleep after the constant travelling he had done these past few days. Besides, this entire change of scenery wasn't fair to him, but it wasn't as if his say even mattered. Sleeping was the only illusion of being in his old bed, in his old home with parents.

Not alone in this brand new apartment.

"Open this god damn door—!"

"Alright Aunt Judy, stop screaming," he grumbled, dragging his feet to the front door, barely able to even widen his eyes, still puffy from the long night sleep. He hadn't even thought to put on a shirt, but he didn't really care since technically, this was his home.

Although, he knew she would say something about it. "Get those pecs out of my face," Aunt Judy scoffed before storming past him, heading towards the kitchen. She revealed two BLT sandwiches and he rolled his eyes when he saw her plop a bottle of Jack Daniels on his kitchen counter.

He glanced towards the time on his microwave. "It's eleven am."

"Nate, it's almost lunch time, we're late," she cracked a smile, pulling his cabinet with all the shot glasses she had bought him, even though his parents had forbidden her to do so. "It's your first day in town alone—that's grounds for drinking all day."

He exhaled a long groan, rubbing his eyes and sending his fingers through his ginger curls. They were spiralling out of control from the long sleep, strands falling from every sides in massive disorientation, and the fingers rubbing them each direction weren't helping. All he wanted to do was jump back onto his bed, but he knew Aunt Judy would never allow that to happen.

"Well come on," she pushed the shot glass towards his end of the counter, twisting the liquor cap before filling it to the rim. "We have to get going."

He raised an eyebrow; he had no plans on leaving the house today. Besides, not only was it Sunday, but tomorrow, he was starting at a brand new school as a senior. He was never the best in making friends and needing to go through the awkward phases where he had to explain to stranger who he was and why he changed schools, was not something he looked forward to do. Even worse, none of his friends from back home had even called him or messaged him, as if he never mattered to them.

All of these emotions were causing unnecessary squeezing on his heart, which only caused his fingers to clasp around the shot glass as he tilted his head backwards. The liquor fell onto his tongue, gliding to his throat and stinging the inside of his mouth that his face wrinkled. His entire family had always been huge drinkers but he was the one a little more different than the rest.

For them, it seemed as if drinking was their favourite hobby which he found odd but attempting to explain to his father that drinking half a little of Jack Daniels every night would damage all his insides, was nearly impossible. Even attempting to describe how wine can start affecting one's body if it's drank every singly night of the week without fail, was not a topic his mother ever wanted to hear.

The worse part was that they weren't even the worse of it. The worse stood right in front of him, at eleven thirty in the morning, already taking her fourth shot and it had only been two minutes, not even.

"You need to slow your ass down auntie," Nate chuckled, watching her pour herself her fifth glass without waiting for him. "Mom would cuss you out if she knew of this."

"And that is why," she raised her glass, waiting for him to clank them together before downing the shot, winking at him, "you're not going to tell her."

Nate snorted. "You can't tell her either."

"I won't."

"Even if you get mad at me," he challenged, his eyes squiring and seeing her squint her eyes as well, studying him. It had happened before; she told his mother when he failed an exam because she was mad he had puked in her car when she picked him up from a party. The worse was that she lived away from them and had travelled six hours only to have puke smeared all over her seats—she had been livid.

Eventually, she slowly nodded her head. "Deal."

The relationship they had was much different than him and his mother. In all honestly, although Nate missed his mother, being around Aunt Judy was always a blast. They drank until dawn, could talk for hours and Aunt Judy was always at ease, stress free. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she wasn't married, at least that was what she always said.

He was certain they got along not only because they looked much more alike than between him and his mother, but also because they are both born the month of July, the middle of the summer where the sunshine blares every day. His mother was born the month of January, in the middle of the cold where the sunlight appears there maybe three minutes if they're lucky. Even though it was an exaggeration, he always said that and was certain that was why him and his mother barely ever saw eye to eye.

Well, maybe the fact that they were closer in age also had an influence but that was not something Aunt Judy ever shared. He had just turned eighteen a little over a month ago and Aunt Judy and his family never failed to provide him with alcohol whenever he asked. She was twenty-six, while her sister, his mother, Melle, was thirty seven. That was why Aunty Judy understood a few more things than Melle ever did—Melle merely yelled at him whenever she was bothered by a thing he did.

Even so, he did miss having them around, his mother and father.

"Have you talked to Melle?" Aunt Judy asked when she noticed the light in his eyes dim.

He shook his head. "The last time I spoke to them was two days ago, when they left for good." He hadn't been too pleasing to them either ever since they admitted they were moving, a thought that had crossed their minds ever since his father retired. A thought they failed to tell them until a week before they had to leave.

Judy shrugged her shoulders, pouring him another shot and pushing the BLT sandwich in his direction. After pouring her own, she lifted her glass and smirked. "On the count of three, we yell fuck them!"

"It's your sister and brother-in-law," Nate laughed, finally feeling awake as he pulled the shot closer.

She winked. "That's the fun in it. Ready, one two three..."

"Fuck them!" They both cheered before tilting their heads backwards and taking the shot.

***

Even though he would never admit it, Melle was hot and always considered hot. She had ginger curls that fell all the way to her lower back, right above her butt. She was slim, shrinking waist from all the corset training she had done, tanned legs that she toned in the gym since it was the only thing she was willing to workout.

Her clothes were always revealing, her shirt hanging low purposely to which Nate oftentimes pulled upwards when he saw it get a bit too low. What Nate found the cutest was that her dominant and pushy personality practically contradicted her five foot four height; she was short, tiny compared to him though.

Nate was six foot one, but his hours at the gym toning up all his muscles make him appear a bit taller. Not to mention he purposely always wore shoes with platform to emphasize his height a bit more. But his height was far from his most adored qualities. Nate's entire face had unusual symmetry; his jaw was magnificently sharp, his nose straight and stubby at the end, his thin almond shaped eyes always made him appear mysterious, decorated by his beautiful long eyelashes.

As if he wasn't perfection already, his bright blue eyes were to die for, many unable to turn away from them once their gazes connected. An exact replica of Judy's features—they were sometimes even called twins, which Nate despised but Judy loved.

Their style were quite different though; Nate loved wearing plain shirts with sweatpants, a few accessories such as silver rings and hanging earrings from his cartilage piercing to his earlobe. His nose piercing always had a ring there too, as if designed to suit him. They were all accessories Judy picked out for him, which he wore every single day without fail. Not to mention, even his first and only tattoo, the angel wings on his back, was a match with Judy.

Judy's style had many more colours, not afraid to wear bright pink or green as options. She loved any rainbow attire and always wore the longest heels possible to make herself appear taller, although she sometimes struggled to walk in them.

They were practically best friends, but the problem when it was only the two of them was that neither was the mom of the duo; they both drank until their vision blurred and them stumbled against one another attempting to call a cab and instead calling the police, which happened too many times. Which was why even though Nate was morbidly weary this morning, he would never say no to a hangout with Judy because he knew it would disastrous, which he loved.

Judy had driven them to the fare, to which Nate had protested but she waved her hand dismissively as she shifted the gear in reverse. "I'm not drunk at all—a couple shots don't do anything to a heavy drinker."

The fare was only a few minutes away anyway and he buckled his seatbelt, bracing himself for the ride. Even though Judy had her qualities, her road rage was one she definitely had to work on. Any turn she didn't agree on or if anyone made any error, she went on a rampage for the rest of the ride.

He took this chance to glance around at the city; last Sunday was the first time he had ever been. He hadn't even had the chance to visit since it was rush hour for him and his family; he needed to register for a high school, then find an apartment nearby that wasn't too far from Aunt Judy in case anything happened. The entire time, he was glued to his parents, but since they took their one way flight overseas yesterday, it was his first time being all alone. Hence why, when his eyes widened when he saw the two skyscrapers, never having thought this small city would have such tall buildings. He pointed to the familiar restaurants in his hometown, seeing a few menus posted on windows and mumbling to himself, "We definitely need to try this one too."

"Those damn motocycles." Nate returned his eyes to the front, seeing the glare linger on the motorcyclists as she drove by them in a different lane. "They always drive all funky since they're smaller."

Nate couldn't help but chuckled. "All funky?"

"Yeah, they all just—woah!" Suddenly, the entire car halted dramatically, Nate flying forward but being restrained by his seatbelt but the whiplash had been effective. He glanced upwards, massaging his neck as he winced before hearing the long series of honk following the unexpected and rapid turn from a car switching lane without having put on their blinkers.

"That's how you cause accidents, you fucker!" She shouted, rolling down her window to flip them off.

However, they both didn't expected for the car in front of them to maintain their spot, not moving forward even when the lights turned green. "What's going on?" Judy breathed to herself,

He knew it would happen today since it always did when she was around, but his face drained of colours when he saw the passenger door open. Nate watched as a black boot stomped onto the ground, then the second, and he gulped when he saw a blond man finally stand from the car. When Nate saw him, he instantly knew they had messed with the wrong crowd. He had a long scar from the corner of his forehead to the bottom of his jawline, another one across his lip, from the end of his philtrum to the edge of his chin.

He was wearing a navy suit with a white dress-shirt under, grabbing a cigarette from the edge of his lips and throwing it to the side before exhaling a heavy series of smoke. When Nate caught a glimpse of his hands, how veiny and muscular they were, he tapped Judy's shoulder and hissed, "Just drive off auntie."

"No, if he got out the car, I'm getting down too."

"No—" before Nate could pull her back in, she pushed open her car door and popped her upper body out. She waved her hand violently, glaring at the blond. "What the fuck is your deal?"

"I would suggest you drive off." When Nate heard the blond guy's tone, his eyes growing more slanted as he curled his lip as if in disgust, his narrowed gaze much more threatening than Aunt Judy's.

Even so, Aunt Judy was not one to back down from any fight with anyone. More so anyone she did not know. That was why she stepped down from the car, leaving her door open as she approached their car much closer. "Or what? What are you going to d—"

The driver seat door opened.

When Aunt Judy saw who had been driving, her entire face drained of blood, growing colder by every second. Her heart raced even more as she watched him step down, straightening his spine and glancing towards them. They were both unable to see his gaze hidden behind sunglasses, but Nate instantly knew that Judy had gotten herself in a lot of trouble. Not to mention, he was much taller than Nate, at least six foot seven. His dress shirt was squeezing his toned muscles, he was wearing navy dress pants as well and had a golden watch on his wrist that reflected short flashes of light whenever he moved it.

He had long black hair that he settled in a messy bun, a few strands falling on the sides of his face, and he had his sideburns and the corner shaved, almost a mordent faux hawk. Contrary to the blond, he kept his cigarette on the corner of his lips, smirking as he began approaching a trembling Aunt Judy who slightly jumped at every single of his footsteps. She felt as if the air grew much more humid every time he narrowed the distance between them, and eventually, when he was close enough to stare nastily down at her five foot four self, he lifted his sunglasses and revealed his dim gray irises filled with revolt.

Nate's breath shortened.

"You know who I am, don't you?" The man spoke, his deep husky tone sending chills throughout Judy's spine. She watched him widened his lips, licking the corner of his lips slowly before lifting his finger and gently tapping her chest. "I told you before not to mess with me or my men, Judith."

"I'm s-sorry...I-I didn't know it was you—"

"Why are you scared?" He lifted his eyebrows, appearing to be toying with her as he lowered his stance to reach a bit closer to her height. "You're scared because you know what I could do to you, right?"

She didn't respond, lowering her eyes, observing the way her toes couldn't stand still in her sandals.

"My friend over there," he pointed to the blond, "told you to drive off and you didn't. So," he folded his arms over his chest, "what should I do with you? Any ideas—"

"Get away from her!"

Both of their eyes turned, meeting the sweaty face of pale Nate who forced himself to defend his aunt. Even though his legs quivered dangerously at every step, he tightened his palms into fists and stormed towards them, glaring at the man who stared back incredulously. He had to protect his aunt, seeing the way she was evidently frightened out of her mind, and when he reached them, he placed an arm over her shoulders and pulled her towards the driver's seat.

"And don't you ever talk to her like that."

He saw the blond's mouth fall open, his eyes widening in utter shock. Even Aunt Judy had no idea what to say, staring at the blank face of this man who stared at them the entire time that Nate pushed her back into the car and slammed the door shut.

Then, he made his way around but before he returned inside, he pointed a finger towards him. "Or else I will kill you."