Bound In Secrets : A Death Kings Novel
The Nephews

**Sawyer**

The rapping of knuckles on the door this morning is the last thing I want to hear. It's not just an innocent morning wake-up. Oh no! This starts a chain of events that will lead to a day where no amount of coffee will cure to keep me from shooting someone. Starting with whoever is at my door.

Someone better be dying.

I retch the entrance open with my gun pointed at whoever is there. "Woah there, Auntie S! Don't shoot me yet." Kassius.

Katie screams for me and Darius walks blurry-eyed out of his room.

I sigh, knowing well what this kid wants. Breakfast. Behind him is his counterpart, AC, and a red-headed boy who looks similar to my fairy uncle. The new kid seems like he hasn't slept in days and is suffering from a drug-induced hangover. "Since you were so sweet and woke up my female spawn. You can go get her ready for school while apologizing for waking her up thirty minutes before the alarm," I grumble at Kassius.

He flinches and looks apologetic. "I'm sorry, Aunt S. I'll go help her. But could you talk to Ash, or help him feel better?" He glances back at the red-headed boy. "He woke up crying. AC and I don't know how to help him."

I give my nephew a soft smile. "Yeah. I got him." He nods, walking toward a screaming Katie, who is now in full-blown panic mode since I hadn't answered.

"AC, why don't you and ... Ash? Right?" The boy looks at me with red-rimmed green eyes. He nods in affirmation. "You two can help me by making the kids' lunches. They won't eat what will be served in the cafeteria today." "Sure thing, Aunt S," AC agrees. He ushers Ash into the kitchen. I tell him where everything is located while I start a full pot of coffee.

I'm not Kassius and AC's aunt by blood, but it makes things easier to be referred to as such with the giant interconnected family we have. Kassius and AC were both adopted by Uncle Tee and his family. Tee is related to me by marriage. His mother had married my grandfather when I was about Darius's age. That was almost twenty years ago.

I watch this random boy my nephews brought over as I gather what I need to make breakfast for these kiddos. Ash doesn't look much older than Kass and AC, which puts him at around fourteen or fifteen.

Even with bags under his eyes, I can tell he is more than willing to help. He even pauses, packing what AC hands him to help Darius locate his shoes that are once again missing. Even if I set that child's shoes out the night before, they will still be missing come morning, so I have just accepted missing shoes as part of the morning routine.

"Thank you for helping Dare with his shoes," I tell the boy who is stirring the pancake batter for me while I cook the sausage patties. "Ash, do you need to call someone? I'm sure your parents must be worried sick about you."

"K-K-Kass l-let m-m-me b-barrow h-his p-phone l-last n-n-night," he stutters. "I-I-I'm s-s-s-s-sorry," he says, looking at the floor instead of at my eyes.

"It's okay, kiddo. Take a deep breath. You're not in trouble and you can take your time with your words. You have nothing to be ashamed of. How did you end up with the murder twins?"

My reference to Kass and AC has the kid laughing with a smile. "M-Murder Twins?" He questions.

I shrug. "It's what the family lovingly refers to them as. Kass and AC are hellions, but we love them." I grin.

"The bikers who found me... um... th-th-they dropped me off with th-th-them. T-t-told I-I-I- w-would b-b-be s-s-s-safe," he stutters out nervously.

I arch a questioning brow. AC fills in the gaps for me as he sets the table. "Papaw Nate and some big guy brought him to the apartment. They said he had a rough night and ordered us some pizza. We played video games most of the night after he called his brother. We didn't ask questions."

Not asking questions when you can tell someone needs the space is a skill that has been instilled within them. With the family we have, you might get information you wish you didn't know. Some of us will be triggered, but Weston works closely with teaching them how to be responsible enough to use healthy coping skills. Some of us just don't like to use those unless we want to. Me. I'm some. Completely guilty of using alcohol or sex to cope with stress. "Do we need to adopt you?" I ask Ash. He looks at me in utter shock. "The family adopted AC. We have a habit." I joke.

"Can you?" He asks without a second thought. Oh, I wasn't expecting that. "I h-h-have a little b-b-brother about your s-s-s-son's age. I p-p-protect f-f-from m-m-m-my uncle. If I d-do as m-m-my uncle w-w-won't d-d-do..." as he talks, he becomes more distressed, and tears streak down his face.

"AC, you finish cooking," I command, knowing he is more than capable of cooking, having been raised by Dominic Zanetti. That chef believes everyone should know how to cook. I got the best recipes from that uncle. "Come with me to talk," I tell Ash.

Just as I'm about to walk into my bedroom, Kassius walks out carrying Katie. "Watch the kids for a moment and feed them when AC is done cooking."

He looks at Ash with concern. "Yes, ma'am." He says, using the manners Uncle Ryder has instilled in him.

When I shut the door, Ash breaks down with gut-wrenching sobs, collapsing to the floor. My heart breaks for this kid. I do not know what he has gone through, but I know my family can help.

"We you are ready; I'll be here to listen. The family can help you. It doesn't matter what it is or what you have through." I tell him with my hand on his shoulder. "When you are ready, let me know." Move around him to collect my outfit for the day, then go to my bathroom, shutting the door to take a shower and put on clothes.

As I am putting on eyeliner, there is a soft knock. I yell that it's open, and within moments, the door creaks open. "Feeling any better, kiddo?" I query.

He releases a deep shutter sigh as if he has been holding his breath for ages. He appears more relaxed, as though the tension he has been holding was expelled from his slender frame. He thanks me and I smile at him, then nod. "My parents died eight months ago. They were killed. It was a car accident, but I know better. My uncle didn't think I was lucid enough to overhear him tell the man w-w-w-who..." he shakes his head to clear the cobwebs of his mind. "Anyway, he cut the brakes on their car. They couldn't slow down or stop rolling downhill. So that they wouldn't hit anyone else, Da turned off the road. They went off the cliff into the rocks of the bay at such high speed they died on impact." "I'm sorry to hear that," I tell him sincerely. "Thanks. My uncle wasn't as bad as he is now. It was just him touching me. Since they died, he au-auctioned off m-m-my v-V-V-V-V..."

"It's okay, I think get it. You've been sexually abused and assaulted. I know what that feels like, only..." I reign in my anger over what at been done to this boy. "You are so strong, Ash. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you are. You are a survivor. My family and I will help you thrive. We will teach you how to protect yourself."

"I'm going to teach how to peel a dick a banana and how to castrate someone where they won't bleed out. You prolong the fun that way," AC says, startling us both. He has a manic grin just picturing how to prolong torture. "Don't worry, Ash. Not only will I teach you, but I'll protect you."

Here I was thinking AC couldn't care about anyone other than Kassius. I was wrong. He already cares about this boy who is a stranger. I'm proud of him for having empathy for someone else.

"I don't know what you went through. I was just beaten so badly that I was in ICU, for I don't remember how long. Kass can tell you, though. I was lucky to have a friend who spoke up about me to his parents. They got me out of that house and made sure I had the medical care needed to survive."

Ash looks to me for confirmation that AC is telling him the truth. "It's true. My family adopted him all while he was in a coma. If you want, I can talk to my uncle, his father, about how to proceed. In the meantime, let us teach you to defend yourself so no one will touch you without your permission. Where do you attend school?"

"Venin Federation Academy. I'm a first-year legacy."

"What a coincidence. We start Monday," Kassius proclaims from my bedroom. "Papaw Nate and that guy are here. You good with them being here, Ash?" My heart warms at the problem children of the family taking an instant protectiveness to this boy. These boys are sweet. Spoiled little sociopaths who like to kill and torture people, but they are still good morally gray boys. I love my nephews.

I top off my makeup with lipstick and I am ready. I wasn't expecting the friend my father brought to be HIM.