Singing Robin (Part 2)

Chapter Eleven Memories

Dedicated to MajenBeos02, Babyalex34, Cvstina
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Eight years and one month ago, Riot Age 16, Leonard, Age 13

March 29, 2011, 7:18 pm, Riot's POV

    'I know it has been six years since my hand has been in his, but there is something about him. Something that I realize has changed. When he found me, he was ferocious, a killer for the glee of it. His dark, glittering eyes haunted all who opposed him like a snake luring in his prey. There was something dark and yet controlled in his behavior. But once we sat in the car, it was like he changed... he became softer and seemed to need to touch me in some way. His voice was softer, not as deep, but light and more fitting of his true age. Less fitting, if anything.' Leo swings my hand in his own as he leads me into the house. I follow, keeping my eyes down and movements only as wide as needed.

    "Dad! Can we keep him?" Leo's voice is soft but loud as he calls to his Father, who is working unseen in the kitchen. I unconsciously press closer to the taller boy's side and then step back, realizing my actions may disrespect him. Leo frowns and drops my hand, making my heart clench before he wraps his arm around my waist and hugs me.

    "Kiddo?" I hear Leo's Dad respond in a hesitant whisper, and then, from the clattering sounds, he sets objects down.

    "Kiddo." His Dad repeats this, but this time, his tone is lighter: 'One could even call it playful.'

    "The last time you asked to keep a pet, it was a squirrel, and it found its way into my bed looking for nuts." Leo's Dad says, and Leo giggles, making me look up in surprise before immediately dropping my head.

    "What is it this time?" his Dad asks, and footsteps accompany the sounds of him directing employees as he comes toward the... sitting room. I suppose it is the name of the room we are in.' Leo beams at me and then hums, rocking us side to side.

    "Leo got him for me!" Leo...wait? What? 'He is Leo, is he not?'

    "Oh, did he? Where did Leo get it?" His Dad says, clearing the corner and seeing Leo's arms around me. I tense, not knowing what to expect, but I'm not the only one. Leo's Dad nearly stumbles back a step, and I pale.

    "Kiddo, where did you get him from?" His Dad says suddenly, serious but not cross with... Kiddo?

    "Leo gave him to me, he told me I got to keep him! Isn't he pretty?" Kiddo says, looking at me awestruck as if he cannot believe I'm here.

    "Oh, Dad, he is so soft! Can I keep him?" Kiddo begs, and his Dad chokes.

    "Kiddo, I am sure he has parents who want him back," his Dad says, then looks me over with a frown that seems to protest his words. I lower my neck, ashamed of how dirty I am inside this beautiful home. The kind of dirt reaching clear to my soul, I am filth... but Kiddo thinks I am pretty.' I bite back a smile.

    "No! Leo gave him to me." Kiddo disagrees adamantly, seeming to become upset. 'Not an angry upset but a tearful upset.' His Dad raises his hand as if to calm Kiddo down.

    "Kiddo, we are talking right now. Okay?" His Dad says, and Kiddo nods and hugs me tighter as if someone were going to separate us.

    "I am trying to understand. You know that. If Leo thinks you're scared, he won't emerge happy," his Dad whispers. Kiddo nods, lays his head on my shoulder, and nods again as he takes a calming breath.

    "Let us sit on the couch, okay?" His Dad bargains and Kiddo nods quickly. His Dad sits, and Kiddo detaches a little from me to lead me toward the couches with his hand on my lower back. Then he sits and pulls me onto his lap.

    "Kiddo, let's give him his own chair," his Dad says ever so gently, but Kiddo tenses.

    "You're going to take him from me!" Kiddo mournfully wails, and his Dad closes his eyes slowly and then shakes his head as he opens them.

    "Does it make you calmer to hold him?" His Dad asks him. Kiddo nods and pulls me tighter, his warm body shielding me from the chill in my bony arms. My eyes close as the warmth begins to fill every inch of me, making me feel safe. Kiddo rubs my back and then rocks us for a moment before letting my hand touch the shoulder of the sofa and then stopping the rocking movement.

    "Calmer?" His Dad asks, and Kiddo smiles and nods.

    "Do you know where Leo got him?" His Dad asks, and Kiddo shakes his head.

    "Do you know how Leo found him?" His Dad reworks his question, and Kiddo grins.

    "I found him." He says, beaming at me before he lightly caresses my cheek like one would do to a pet. I react not that dissimilar from a pet and have to bite back a foreign whimper. 'I cannot remember the last time I allowed that sound out. That sound only brings pain. I physically bite the inside of my cheek to not disrespect his strength again. To not think... to believe my wants ever matter more than his wishes.'

    "How?" His Dad says leadingly, and Kiddo shakes his head.

    "I saw him through Leo's eyes and asked Voice for him," Kiddo says, then hums a short tune again.

    "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." Kiddo sings quietly in my ear, and I almost burst into tears. A glance at his Dad shows me that he looks quietly pensive but not mad.

    "And Voice asked Leo to give him to you?" His Dad says, and Kiddo nods.

    "Leo checkered?" His Dad says, and Kiddo freezes and then nods.

    "He checkered, we were all gray, and then there was fire and screams," Kiddo says, and the darkness in his words is overshadowed by the child-like glee in his admission of fire.

    "Does he have a name?" His Dad says, then addresses me for the first time. I tense, and Kiddo holds me more securely.

    "Beautiful Riot," Kiddo says firmly, and his Dad's lips twitch. Then he smiles.

    "My boy, not the name you gave him, his actual name," his Dad says with a light chuckle, despite the situation.

    "Riot." Kiddo insists, and his Dad shakes his head.

    "What is your name?" His Dad asks me, and I look to Kiddo for guidance, feeling like no matter how I answer, I will anger one of them. My heart speeds up and begins pounding against Kiddo's side. Kiddo tenses and petulantly glares at his Father.

    "You are scaring my Riot." He tells him firmly. His Dad swallows hard and then nods.

    "I apologize. I didn't mean to scare you. I just need to know where you came from so I can make sure nothing comes back on him. Does that make sense?" His Dad addresses me, making Kiddo tighten his arms around me and glare harder at his Dad. 'I nod to his words, feeling protected by Kiddo's possession of me, and I allow my trust in Kiddo to protect me if I get this wrong.'

     "What is your name, boy?" His Dad asks me, and I swallow to ensure my voice is clear. My mouth moves to form the words when Kiddo loosens his grip, and I panic.

    "You would like to keep him. Yes, my son?" His Dad says, and Kiddo nods.

    "Then you have to protect him, yes?" His Dad says, and Kiddo nods hurriedly, gathering me closer.

     "Name?" His Father orders and my brain responds to the familiar tone.

    "Hole," I answer, and his Father frowns.

    "One more time, I am unsure if I caught that." His Father says softer, but there is a simmering darkness.

     "I'm called Hole 1522," I repeat, and his Dad smiles widely.

     "Fire and brimstone, huh?" his Dad says to Kiddo, who smiles back kindly, happy his Dad agrees.

    "Fire and screams," Kiddo confirms, and they smile.

    "Okay, Riot." His Dad addresses me and then looks at his son.

    "Kiddo and I need to have a little talk. Are you okay with dozing off here?" His Dad asks, and I nod. Kiddo goes to protest, but at whatever look his Dad gives him, he nods and sets me down before following his Father out of the room.

                                                                                               ~

7:58 pm

     "Do you have a favorite color?" Kiddo asks me cheerfully as he almost hops up and down and leads me toward... 'a bathroom?' I flush, unsure if he wants me to reply, but then he stops moving and tilts my head up.

    "Color," Kiddo suddenly demands, and I look into his eyes. His very blue eyes, shielded by long dark brown eyelashes, have a gentle but firm look in them, and I frown.

    "Leonard, gentle," his Dad commands sternly, and my mouth parts. I watch his eyes narrow and soften as his eyebrow scrunches. Then, slowly, a charming smile builds. "Riot, it fits," Leonard says, then runs his hand through his blond streak and into his midnight brown hair. He grins and bites his thumb as he thinks.

     "I like it," Leonard says and then turns to his Dad, who is quickly approaching.

     "You are scaring the poor boy," his Dad informs him, no longer sugarcoating the rapid mood shifts... 'Is it only mood shifts? Why would he rename the moods? Are there multiple versions of Leo...?'

    "I'm not scared," I whisper, and his Dad huffs, not to negate my words but as if surprised.

     "See, he is perfect," Leonard says, and his Dad blinks at him.

     "You don't even know where he came from." His Dad says, not at all phased by the glare Leonard gives him.

    "I do!" Leonard protests, bites his lip and chuckles.

    "Kiddo leaks his worries to all of us," Leonard admits, and his Dad frowns, but he can't ask a question before Leonard grabs my hand and leads me into a pristine white bathroom.

     "Color?" Leonard asks me again, but it is a softer demand. I softly touch the blue bath wash, and Leonard grins. Then, pours nearly half the bottle into the running water. I watch the water rise and then look around the room for a washcloth. I find one on a rack, grab one, and hold it in my hand. Leonard watches the water, then lets go of my hand to turn it off when it is almost too full. I fiddle with the towel and wait patiently for him to get in the water, but he sits on the edge and then looks back at me. I shuffle nervously and then tremble when he beckons me forward.

     "Leonard." His Dad calls from the door, and Leonard sighs.

     "Leonard, if I have to come get you..." his Dad says sternly, and Leonard looks from me to his Dad, unimpressed.

     "Yes, Sir?" Leonard says, and his Dad clears his throat.

    "Ask him how old he is." His Dad instructs Leonard, and Leonard frowns as he realizes he does not know.

    "What he said." Leonard lightly teases, seeming a tad more serious.

    "Sixteen," I whisper to Leonard, and he blinks in surprise.

    "But you're so... small," Leonard says, not referring to my height exactly. 'I'm due for a growth spurt, but I'm skinny, and I am ashamed that he seems displeased with that.'

    "I'll get bigger." I earnestly swear, but it only makes him frown more.

    "Leonard, it is not appropriate for you to bathe him," his Dad says, and Leonard's eyes flash a dark glint before he forces them back.

    "He needs me," Leonard says, rubbing my arm. I relax, seeing that he still finds me pretty even if he is no longer pleased with me.

    "If so, he will still need you after his bath," his Dad says firmly, and Leonard frowns.

    "I can bathe him." I plead with the senior Alpha in the room, and both men stare at me in confusion.

   "I'm good at it," I add, and Leonard smiles gently.

    "I'm sure you are," Leonard says sweetly, and I relax.

    "Maybe later, this bath is for you," Leonard says, standing up and moving toward his Dad. The urge to drop to my knees nearly consumes me, but I only allow the stumble. Leonard stops moving to look me over.

     "Be a good Boy, Riot. Take a bath. You need to be very clean for bed, alright?" Leonard says, and I eagerly nod. Then, I start stripping, making his Father snag Leonard's pants and yank him out of the room.

                                                                                               ~

8:05 pm,

     When I exit the bathroom and enter the room with the toilet and sink, a robe greets me. I read the note 'to dress' and quickly tug the robe on, looking around for Leonard. I don't find him, so I walk into the hallway, keeping my steps light so as not to disturb the house. It takes a turn or three, but I end up back in the sitting room. But it is not Leonard I find but the Senior Alpha.

     "Sit." He motions at the sofa across from him, and I move to obey, feeling like I am in for punishment.

     "This is just a conversation for you and me. Leonard is... asleep," Senior says, and I nod, not liking how long he searched for a word to use. 'Did I get Leonard in trouble?'

    "Nothing like that, he checkered... the comedown is rough and not something you needed to witness," Senior says, and I nod as if I understand the term.

    "You may ask questions," Senior says, and I lick my lips and then interlock my fingers.

    "Go on, I'm sure you have some," Senior says, then says nothing, leaving the words up to me.

    "Checkered?" I ask, and Senior smiles with a nod.

    "Checkerboard, have you ever seen one?" Senior says, and I shake my head. 'Would I know if I had?' Senior presses something on the coffee table, and a wood chess board emerges. I start nodding, knowing that one.

    "This one is wood, but when Kiddo said Leo checkered, he meant both the good and bad of Leo came out. The white and black parts of the board, white and black, make what color, Riot?" Senior says, and I swallow, trying to show how eager I am for even the little information of my Divine.

    "Gray," I whisper, and the Senior hums with a smile.

    "He merges all his shades, and it makes for disastrous results. Most times, people get badly hurt." Senior says, then looks me in the eye. It takes me a second to look down, and I feel a tremble go through me.

    "I need eye contact, Riot. I need to ensure you understand." Senior says, countering everything I have been trained to do. 'They do not care if we understand. It is not up to us to understand, simply to obey.' I slowly look back at his eyes, and he nods.

    "Now, from what I can map out, Leo found you while he was on a mission with my men. They cannot tell me where because Leo and them got separated. Leo does that often, preferring to hunt alone." Senior says, and I nod to add something to the conversation, 'I did not see any men with him, just a charismatic smile and then one of the bouncers clutching his throat as blood ran down his chest. Then, with the sound of shattering glass, the torches mounted on the doorways were waved at the curtains, the tablecloths, and the bouncer's clothing.' I blink at Senior.

    "Did you see people die?" Senior asks, and I blink again.

    "No." I lie, and Senior stares at me and then begins to chuckle.

    "You really like Leo, huh?" Senior says, and I nod quickly.

    "You do not have to defend him to me. My love for him extends past being his Boss. I am his Father and, when he needs it, his anchor," Senior says, then relaxes into his chair.

     "I believe with you, he sees another anchor." Senior says, and I hide a pleased smile, 'I can be his anchor.'

    "That is not good, Riot." Senior says, and I frown, 'It is amazing.' I think.

    "I love my son." Senior tells me, and I nod. 'I know, I knew it then, too. Time may have passed, but Senior would die if it meant Leo would live.'

    "You are not... you are not someone I believed I would meet." Senior says, and I cringe. Senior nods and then sighs.

    "You may have noticed three or four versions of Leo today," Senior says, and I nod.

    "They all make up one personality, but each has the same drive. They just go about it differently", Senior says, and I nod. 'I do not mind.'

    "Kiddo is new, a memory preserver if you will. He was created so Leo could remember something, remember you and them." Senior says, and my spine straightens. 'I don't understand.'

    "You are him, the little boy Kiddo remembers, aren't you?" Senior says, and the excitement in my chest fills with sorrow.' He didn't forget me. He kept his promise. I did not dare hope he would.'

    "Kiddo appeared after the dust settled... after my late wife sought to change him. Make Leo different, normal, she claimed... but she nearly killed him. Leo could have been normal, but because of what she did he will never be normal, no matter how hard he tries. Do you understand that?" Senior says, and I nod. Senior frowns, 'seeming like our conversation is nearing its end, but the old part of me, the failure in the code, cannot allow circumstances to take Leo away again.'

    "Neither will I. I will never be normal." I beg him, and Senior nods, seeming to mourn for the both of us.

    "If it is an anchor he needs, I can give him one." I plead. Speaking more words out loud than I am allowed to and expecting a blow that never comes. So I will keep pleading until the blow does fall.

    "Kiddo was created to find you, to remember you. Kiddo carried the nightmares, and Leonard protected him fearlessly, never allowing him to see much darkness. Then Leo protects all of them. To Kiddo, they are like big brothers, allowing him never to grow up in his head. All to remember his little friends and you." Senior whispers and then smiles.

    "He asked if he could not have them just yet if he could have you," Senior says, shaking his head.

    "I told him he could because I believed he imagined you, created a person where there was none so he could... cope." Senior admits quietly. Then he pulls out a drawing... a close-to-life drawing of little me. I clasp it in my face, recognizing the car's interior and the moments I had him.

    "It was easy when you were imaginary. He needed something to live for and needed to believe there would be a reward for that much pain. I let him see you as that reward," Senior says, sounding ashamed but accepting of the lengths he had to go to.

    "But you are not something. You are now someone. And you went through your own hell. How could I ever call myself good if I let him keep you? Because he does not wish to befriend you, he wants to possess you." Senior says, and I shake my head.

    "You don't have to let him... just let me stay, let me choose," I whisper, and Senior shakes his head.

     "You ask because you don't understand how bad it can get. He will never let go once he Claims you as his. To Kiddo, you have always been met for them, for Leo, his brothers, and their Angel. That is not a friendship, Riot. That is an obsession." Senior tries to explain it to me, 'to make me ask to go. And I realize he won't send me away. He can't unless I ask to go. I will never ask, and he is starting to realize it.'

    "I lived for them too. If you send me away, I won't have anything..." I whisper, not referring to possessions, but nothing in me will make it far from this house. 'Nothing will want to.'

    "I see," Senior says, draining the alcohol in his glass.

     "If you change your mind at any time, I will set you up anywhere you wish," Senior says, and I nod, needing him to drop it.

    "But if you are going to stay, there will be rules," Senior says, and I perk up.

    "You will meet with a therapist, engage with them, and take what help they have... with the logical grain of salt. If you deem them unprofessional or negligent, you will inform me, and I will have them... terminated." Senior commands. 'I nod despite my head tilting at the very dark expression he made when he practically growled 'terminated'—as if he had some experience with firing therapists.'

     "You will tell me the second Leo or any shade of Leo makes you uncomfortable or feel endangered," Senior says, and only when I nod does he continue.

    "You will be firm with him if he does something you do not like, knowing that if you are not firm, he will both continue to do it and begin making more and more choices for you, believing you are incapable of making sound choices. His only reasoning is that you allowed him to break that one boundary. Why not all of them?" Senior says, and I hide a smile. 'Senior doesn't understand how much that is a Gamma's dream.'

    "And lastly, you will not go near Beau, should the dark one emerge." Senior says, his voice gravelly and commanding.

    "Who is Beau, and why am I avoiding him?" I whisper, trying to match the quietness Senior reached when speaking about him.

     "Beau looks like Leonard, sounds like him, feels like him, but he will hurt you. Leonard never would, never could, but Beau will do it all with a smile. Beau is the dark side, but his eyes won't change. They will be cobalt as he bleeds Leonard from the inside out. Beau will not physically harm you, but he is every bad fear, every intrusive thought, every nightmare that Leonard ever had. Beau doesn't really wish to harm you. All Beau wants is to kill Leonard. Or rather to give Leonard just enough rope to kill himself. Each shade has a job, never forget that, it is not personal." Senior says, and a chill goes up my spine.

    "Still want to stay here?" Senior asks, and I swallow hollowly.

    "Yes, Sir," I whisper, and Senior shakes his head, looking at me sadly.

    "You can call me Marrok, Riot. It probably won't matter. No friend, paid or genuine, has lasted more than two months." Marrok says, and I nod. I'll last. No horror Leo has would ever reach the horrors I've seen... nor the horrors I've experienced. I am damaged. Marrok worries about my safety, but he would not think to protect me if he truly knew how worthless I am.'

                                                                                                ~

March 23, 2016, 1:45 pm, Violet's POV

    'I'm so slow.' I think as I shake my head and then shuffle in my chair. 'The night after I asked Camile to punish me, they did not leave my sight once. Or rather, I did not leave theirs. I woke up after my nap, and the Heirs got a call from Don Maximillian, needing them to do a task for him. I felt a little funny about that. I was not scared, but I was sad the fun was over. But then Leonard, Victor, and Itzal started leaving instead of calling Camile to come. Camile, who our Don personally requested, but Itzal beckoned Dare. Then they left, blatantly disobeying our Don.'

    'It was not exactly surprising, as they are crazy, but they usually leave me with the boys. At that time, they didn't. But still, I chalked it up to a one-off, even though Camile picked me up, carried me to the kitchen, and set me on the counter. I giggled, blushed, and tried to get down, only for Camile to chastise me and put me back. So there I sat, getting occasional pets and treats from Camile until he finished making lunch. In my naivety, I thought the game was still on. Except, the game never really stopped.'

    'I assumed I was home for the two days because I was sick, and when I'm sick, I am exempted from some of the rules. But on the third day, I felt better, not guilty or sad. I went to pull on my outfit for the day, only to find indoor clothes. More specifically, a black mesh crop top that was almost see-through and matched the tiny shorts. I frowned, turned to the Heirs while lifting it, shaking my head, then said, 'I can't wear this to school,' I facepalm in real life at my living cringe. The Heirs looked confused momentarily, then shook their heads before letting Itzal speak, 'Oh Nymph, you are not well enough to go to school yet.' He said, and I was past naivety and more on stupidity when I took it as a vacation and agreed with him, though I, again, felt fine.'

     'That day, I was not told to crawl, but there was scarcely a moment where I was not on their laps, held by them, fed by them, or caressed by them. And if there was a micro-sized space, the boys were right there, ready to pull me into their laps. Of course, the Heirs would quickly abandon whatever they needed to do and take me away from whatever boy was brave enough to try to take me from a Heir. In my stupidity, I genuinely thought the boys were... bratting... challenging the status quo, but they moved in every time there was the barest of opportunity.'

    'I watched so many of my favorite movies it was unbelievable and... and...' I blush and roll my pencil up my desk as I shake my head, 'They stopped leaving when they needed release. We would be right in the middle of a movie, and they would unzip and just start...' I cover my burning cheeks as I picture it and how wet I'd get waiting patiently for my treat, 'Oh my."

    'When the release would bead, they would muffle groans, grit their teeth, and take deep breaths until I crawled over to latch my lips to their bulbous head. 'Eep. Think about something else!' I shake my head, but I can't forget the praise and soft caresses they gave my neck and back. I'd think them with a final lick and a kiss and then snuggle back in between whatever I crawled to and the one nearest to my feet.

    'They have been so sweet to me... so I didn't notice. Maybe I pushed it to the back of my mind so I wouldn't notice... but I don't think I've done anything, and I do mean anything, by myself since last Wednesday. Before last Wednesday, when I was alone and they couldn't see me, I could take time to shave and then touch myself. I always say the shaving is for the Contract, but I know I'm not supposed to do more... but it feels good. It is bad, naughty, and it would be useful right now, but alas, I'm not alone. Plus, Leonard happily did my shaving and then gave me an earth-shattering climax with the shower head. Then brought the shower head even closer and directed it at my clit until I was nonverbal and unsure if I climaxed with how liquid my legs got.' My eyes widen, 'Oh my word, control yourself, think about something else.' I roll my pencil over my Biology homework and sigh.

     "Yes, I see how you came to that conclusion, but it is still wrong," Victor says a stone's throw away from me in his meeting. When we left the house on Monday, I naturally thought I was going to class. I had my book bag, water bottle, and even a nicely packed lunch from Camile. Then, instead of walking me to my class, Victor and Leonard walked me to Lupi Hall, otherwise known as the Elite Clubhouse. Then Leonard left while Victor spoke to people, leading me into his Office.'

     'When Leonard returned, he was holding a packet. To which he sat in front of me—a packet of all my schoolwork for the day. If I was in class, I would be given midterms with all the other students... but instead, I did the packet in Victor's Office. Now, I was questioning things, but not yet suspicious, when it was time for my class break. Mason entered the room with a hot lunch, not knowing Camile had packed one for me. I wasn't confused about that, but flattered Mason got me my favorites... so didn't think anything of it.'

    'Until Dare did not come around during my second break. I understand that I had the sack lunch, but I still wanted to go outside. So, I quietly interrupted Victor's video call and told him I was eating lunch outside. I even held it up so he could see, and I pointed to the bench he could see through the large glass windows. Victor unceremoniously ended his call while the other person was still speaking, and he told me he would take me. I frowned and tried to explain I was fine alone. I wanted to say I would prefer that, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings... They were so sweet to me. So I accepted.'

    'On Tuesday, there is one break after my first class, followed by vocal class. I did not attend either. I got another packet. And I questioned it. I was suspicious. I looked at last week differently and was told I hadn't been cleared by Doc yet. Understandable. Mason brought me a hot lunch, and we only stayed until I finished eating it... but today, my Monday and Wednesday schedule repeated like clockwork, and I realized... 'Did Doc not approve it, or am I being punished? I haven't seen anyone outside the eight of them, Doc and Vico. In a week! An entire week?! I have a recital on Saturday and haven't even done a full practice. If I don't break this happiness bubble soon, I will embarrass myself in front of the entire school!'

    "Erm, hm," I say, and Victor glances at me and holds up his finger as he nods to the angered French being thrown at him from the screen—Italian and Spanish mix in with Irish-accented English.

    "Ahem." I repeat, 'It might not be a great time for him, but this bubble is losing its shimmer to me.' Victor mutes himself and gives me his full attention, ignoring a direct question from the screen.

     "One minute, Mon Ange. Do you have to potty?" Victor asks, and I flush, 'Not their Toy Poodle anymore, but they did not let go of any of the words.'

    "No." I lie, 'I kind of do, but that isn't why I called him.'

     "I'm going outside," I tell Victor, knowing he cannot follow me. He holds up a hand to pause me, then quickly unmutes himself when the angered Frenchman begins ranting at how Victor is not paying attention.

    "I'm here. I am balancing my tasks." Victor says, and I move toward the door. 'You have to test the boundaries. Are you in a cage? Are you not? You could be delusional. You could be thinking the worst of them. They don't deserve it, they have been sweet.'

    "Ange," Victor says as he hits mute. Then, the same angered voice goes into more detail about whatever problem is occurring.

    "I understand you're upset, but—" Victor says, and I push on the doorknob and begin opening it quickly. A part of me feels panicked by the fact that I am escaping the room, but that could easily be because I've been with one of them for a week straight. Or it could be that I realize I'm in a cage.

     "Violet," Victor says on mute, and I open the door and step on the other side, about to continue walking away, casually, 'I'm not running. There is no need. I'm not in a cage.'

    "No, I understand, I do! There is just—" Victor says, trying to balance his environment and the conversation.

    "Violet!" Victor yells after me, and my heart sinks like a rock. I turn around, trying to hide how let down I feel. 'I wasn't wrong... I'm not allowed to leave them.' The voice prattles about something, and Victor's eyes darken as he punches the unmute button.

    "SHUT UP!" Victor shouts, and silence comes from the screen.

    "Contact me when you have your business figured out otherwise. Don't. I might not be Don yet, but I don't have time for idiots. Handle your own shit, be worthy of the Viper's head!" Victor snarls, then slams the laptop closed without a word of goodbye. I am frozen in the door as Victor's dark gaze settles on me. His pointer finger points out, then curls back to his palm.

    "Come here," Victor says, and I glance at the floor and then slowly walk back to him.

    "What's wrong, Mon Ange?" Victor asks when I reach. He runs his hands up my thighs and sits me on his lap. I shake my head.

    "Uh-uh, tell Dommy the truth." Victor says, and I look up in surprise, 'I thought he was mad at me.'

    "I'm locked in here, aren't I? I'm not allowed to leave without you." I say, and Victor's face turns quizzical.

   "Do the others usually allow you to leave without your guard?" Victor asks, and I shake my head and sigh. 'Before all this occurred, when the boys were busy, Itzal had me sit beside his desk. In the seat, students who disturb the class usually sit, not that he noticed the questioning looks I would get. Questioning looks that become confused when he stopped mid-lecture to open juice cartons for me, completely unrequested.'

    "No b—," I say, then stop.

    "But?" Victor says, bouncing me on his lap.

     "But it isn't the same. I have not left your guys' side. Did I do something wrong?" I ask, and Victor frowns. Then he holds me by the waist, lifts me off his lap, and stands me in front of him.

     "We are not punishing you, Ange. You are our Good Girl." Victor tells me, then tilts my head back to his when I go to look away.

    "Eyes, please." Victor says, and I frown and look into his eyes, 'they have been saying that. As if zoning out away from their topics is now unacceptable. I zone out, and one of the Heirs or the Boys will turn my head and say 'Eyes' very politely but ordering me to obey.'

    "You are not our prisoner, Ange. You may go if you wish, but you have to tell me where you're going," Victor says. Then he opens his bag, pulls out my phone, and hands it over.

    "You just text me when you get there," Victor says, and I take it, trying not to show how puzzled I am.

    "And you'll let me go," I ask.

    "Yes," Victor says with a smile, making no move to follow me or get up from his chair.

    "And you won't follow me. It'll be just me?" I question, and Victor chuckles.

    "I won't follow you. You can go enjoy the sunshine." Victor says, and I clasp my phone and allow my arm to settle by my side.

    "Are the Boys waiting outside the door?" I ask, and Victor laughs.

    "No, Beautiful," Victor says, then his eyes focus on my spot at the table.

    "Did you finish your Midterm?" Victor says, and I nod.

    "Can you get it and bring it to me?" Victor softly orders, and I tense, 'So he can tell me I got a question wrong and make me stay longer.' I get the packet and walk it back to him, feeling annoyed as I set it in front of him. Victor opens his desk, pulls out the answer key, and checks off all my answers. He pays particular attention to the optional bonus at the end of the Biology packet and then nods.

    "Good Job, Violet!" Victor says and smiles at me.

    "Now, where did you want to go?" he says, and I look at the packet, clearly seeing that I got three questions wrong on the English side.

    "The Library. The one in the Student Center, not Lama Library." I stumble over my words, trying to clarify them.

    "Okay, looks like Leonard will be taking you home today. You have about thirty minutes? Is that okay? Camile leaves in an hour if you would prefer." Victor says, reading a text message thread, 'One for the four of them? They have a text messaging group? Who's idea was that?'

    "Leonard is okay," I say and shake my head, knowing that it is just silly roleplaying like this. No way is he going to let me leave.

    "Close the door on your way out," Victor says and reopens his laptop. I stare at the side of his face, 'he is just going to let me leave? But what about guards? No, I have guards because they are obsessive and controlling.' I smile and tap Victor's shoulder. He turns back to me, and I dart forward quickly and kiss him on the cheek. Victor grabs me when I'm pulling back and turns his head to kiss my lips sweetly, and I flush.

    "You gotta go before I keep you." Victor jokes. I smile back and practically skip to the door. I open it when he calls my name, I sigh, and turn back to look at him.

    "Don't forget to send me a text when you get there." Victor orders and I nod.

     "Yes, Sir," I say seriously, and he smiles.

    "Dommy." He gently corrects me, and I look up and down the hall.

    "Yes, Dommy," I whisper, and he nods.

    "Good Girl," Victor says, and I close the door and practically run from the building.

    "So when you hear the sound "Hootie hoo." Run for cover, motherfucker." Music blares from the open door to the Gym, and I grin and stop to dance for my invisible audience.

    "Pass that, dutch," I say and giggle, then stride forward and laugh at my silliness. 'Good that no one sees this.' I watch people mill about and catch up with friends, and I feel partially free. 'I haven't talked to Willow in a minute. I should see how she is doing... but I said I was going to the library. And this is the first time any of the Heirs have let me do this. If I detour and it goes bad, they will never entertain it.' I nod, keep my feet on track, and then look at my phone. 'Duh, I could just text Willow to meet me at the library. Wait, is she even on campus? Does the Crew live on campus or at the Track? Well, they wouldn't live at the Track, but in a house like we do. The campus is mostly Elite Soldiers and Capos. Well, except the Italians, rumor has it they have the entire fourth floor of the Elite Dorm.'

    I stop walking next to the Practice field when the football players on the field harshly collide with one another, tackling him to the dirt. I wince as if I can actually feel it and then snort, 'Yeah, they might look hot doing it, but I'd be roadkill.' They set up a new play, and I watch one player cut off from the other, dodging guys running to tackle him. Then, near the end zone, he catches a spiraling football one-handed. His foot lands in the end zone, and his body quickly follows a second short of being tackled by two guys who look like bruisers. I cheer for the unknown player and grin nervously when he sits up and removes his helmet.

    "To the library, uh huh. Yep, yeah, I was just on my way." I say and turn to do just that when someone whistles near me. I look back, despite the fact Leonard is all the way on the other side of the field and could not have possibly seen me.' But the whistle is indeed for me. It was just not made by Leonard.

    "Hey!" Three casually dressed boys sitting on the grass call to me, and I glance Leonard's way, then toward the Student Center.

    "Hi," I say, and they smile.

    "You're the girl from the clip." One says and runs his hand through his hair.

    "Yeah, that's where I know that body." The guy next to him snaps his fingers as if it is helping his memory come to him, and I freeze, 'What video?'

    "Dude!" The Third says, elbowing the second in the gut, making his buddy glare at him.

    "She is!" The second insists, and the third and first sigh.

    "You made it so creepy." They say, and the second sighs.

    "It is her voice. The way she moved was less the fascination, you sicko." The first says, and I feel nauseous, 'What type of video is going around campus? What can I not remember?!'

    "Can I see it?" I ask, and they look at each other.

    "Sure! If you give me your autograph, I can say I had it before you blew up." The Third says, and I swallow hard, step onto the grass, and move closer to them before sitting on the grass so I can see the third's phone. Then he hands it to me, and I tilt my head, recognizing myself, but the memory isn't coming.

    "Oh-oh ooh oh, oh-oh ooh oh. I can't remember to forget you. Oh-oh ooh oh, oh-oh ooh oh. I keep forgetting I should let you go." Video-me sings Shakira's part of the duet between her and Rihanna, who Willow sings. Watching myself do something I can't remember should scare me, but the audience is jumping up and down and cheering as Willow and I sing and then dance, seeming to make it up as we go.

    "But when you look at me, the only memory is us kissing in the moonlight," Willow sings, and I smile at her voice. Our mics are close as we sing, creating the illusion of seduction. The music cuts off, and the crowd roars and begs for an encore. I'm smiling so wide, and Willow giggles as she tries to calm the crowd.

    "Guys, we already did four songs!" Willow says, and the video cuts off, as does my smile. But not because of the clip but because one second, 'Third guy' is next to me, and then he is wrenched up. My eyes fly up, expecting Leonard to be shaking the guy like a rag doll, but another guy is holding the 'Third' hostage. 'Wait, I know him. He was at my Thanksgiving party... His name is...'

    "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He snarls, and 'third' sputters something.

    "Hey, put him down!" I demand, then when dark eyes settle on me, I swallow my spit down my windpipe and cough.

    "Where are your Heirs?" The crazy man says, and I open my mouth to reply, but the way the other two back away from me as if I'm diseased pauses me.

    "She didn't say anything!" Second protests, and the crazy man glares at him.

    "Did you ask, Aronne?!" The crazy man snaps and then drops 'Third' on the ground.

    "Dante, let Domenico go, please." First, he says, and 'Dante' glares at him, but he is not nearly as vicious as he was at Domenico.

    "I told you you could watch the practice. I never said to flirt with an Elite Claim, Elia!" Dante says, and I snort.

    "They weren't flirting. They were showing me my clip," I say, holding Domenico's phone out to Dante. He takes the phone with a growl at the three boys, watches the clip for a moment, and then sighs.

    "And just so we are clear... you three idiots showed her this clip. Meaning she had not seen it before you?" Dante asks the three and they pale.

    "No, of course not, it is me. I've seen it, I'm in it." I lie backing the three up and Dante shakes his head.

    "Victor has his hands full with you, you little liar," Dante says. I flip him off without thinking, and he chuckles. But the three look horrified, like Dante will rip me apart. 'I don't even know who he is. Not really.'

    "Allow me to reintroduce myself—," Dante says darkly, but before he can. I am pulled back against a solid body.

    "How about you don't," Leonard snarls, and Dante holds his hands up as if proclaiming innocence.

    "Your Claim insulted me," Dante says, and Leonard nudges me to go behind him.

    "Trust me, you haven't been insulted yet. Allow me to demonstrate." Leonard says viciously and goes to reach out for Dante when another guy gets between them.

    "LET'S not! Come on, guys, chill." Basilio says and then shoves Dante back.

    "Antonio is going to beat you. Were you about to threaten her? She is half your size. Plus, she fed us. Remember, it was funny. Camile got so jealous that he belly-flopped in the pool," Basilio says in this amused voice, and Dante grunts.

    "I'm sorry, Little one, he had the night shift," Basilio says and tugs Dante with him after dropping an arm over Dante's shoulders. Then he whistles for the three to follow them. Leonard tense like he is going to do something to the three, but I slide my hand in his.

    "Hey, hey, let it go," I tell Leonard, and he nods, freezes, and then slowly looks down at me.

   "Why are you by yourself?" Leonard growls out, absolutely pissed off.

    "Victor told me I could go to the library," I say and point toward the building I was one building short of getting to.

    "Victor would not." Leonard denies it, and I frown.

    "Yes, he did! He told me to text him when I reached, and you would pick me up in thirty minutes." I say and cross my arms. Leonard's eyes get that dark glint, and then he practically snatches me to him and picks me up.

     "Leonard, practice is not over!" His coach yells at him, but Leonard ignores him and begins storming to the library. We reach, and he tries to get through the gate, but the librarian looks sternly at him. Leonard puts me down, glares hatefully at her, and begins pulling weapons from his body that I had no clue were even there. My mouth drops open at the sheer amount, and the Librarian huffs.

    "Children." She says, and I gape at her, 'I hope no children have a freakin nine-inch switchblade!' Leonard does not wait for my shock to leave. He just leads me up the stairs and then opens one of the doors to the private study rooms. The door closes with a finality, and Leonard lets me go and drops onto a sofa.

   "Text, Victor," Leonard orders with a sigh. I pull out my phone, eying him suspiciously.

    'Just got to the library.' I text, then show Leonard, and when he nods, I send it.

    "Let's go," Leonard says, getting up.

    "What?" I say, and Leonard looks back at me.

    "But I wanted to go to the library. Here. I wanted to go here." I protest, and Leonard's dark eyes mock me.

    "Really? Because that field doesn't look at all like a library." Leonard snarks, and I blush.

    "They wanted to show me something," I say, and Leonard freezes.

    "What did those corpses show you?" Leonard snarls, looking me up and down, and I realize how he took that.

    "Not like that. I'm not an idiot." I whisper and blush. 'Plus, we were in the middle of a field. What could they 'show' me?'

    "They had a video of me singing," I say, and the more I say it, the more things start slotting in place.

    "There was a gunshot." I nod to myself, and Leonard tries to interject, but I raise a hand to stop him.

    "I spent my Sunday with Aunt Sophie. Noél is so much bigger. She had so much to say, not that we understood any of it... I, I remember that. Then I—I. I! I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep!" I say and then turn to Leonard.

    "And you!" I say and smile.

    "You hugged, Parris," I say and then blush.

    "He... you said that wasn't the elephant's name," Leonard mumbles, and I smile.

    "I did!" I agree, and Leonard nods.

    "I said it was Frank, and you didn't even question that," I say, and we laugh quietly as if our laughter will scare off my memories.

    "I was sleepy, and we talked, but I don't remember," I say, and his face falls, and then his eyes lose the dark glint and lighten the gentle cobalt.

    "I fell asleep," I explain, and words start coming to me. And I stare at him as the words hurt. They loop around my head, and it begins throbbing as the words become audible. They circle me, and I pick them out until they sing a symphony embodying one word, 'Monster.' I take in a breath and step back from Leonard. 'Monster, Meds, Voice, Mother, Pain, Fear...They used words like paradox, marvel, confused, and manic.'

    "You cheated," I say at last and Leonard looks nauseous then confused.

    "I said I would return at night, but you were in my room when I woke up." I tell him, 'I went to sleep after the Froyo shop, and then Doc was in my room... but so was Leonard.'

    "I don't understand. I didn't hit my head," I say, but I remember it. 'It is floating just out of my brain's reach. I try to drag the memory back into the line, but it alludes to me, and my head begins to throb harder and harder. I try to force the memory of my head bashing into the ground right after the Yogurt shop, but it just makes my head throb. The memory exists, but it rejects that placement.'

    "Stop it!" Leonard orders me, and I know I'm in his arms, but I don't recall either of us moving.

    "I don't remember falling," I say, and Leonard rubs my back.

    "That is okay, but you did fall, Babygirl. You were being silly in the car and fell out before the Boys could catch you. It was a little bump. You are okay." Leonard says, and I nod. 'I was crying, I was sleepy, and I was hyper and mad at Victor... It makes sense.'

    "So you made me a Toy Poodle?" I rebuke, and Leonard chuckles.

    "Yeah, cuz you scared the shit of us," Leonard says, and I try to step out of his grip, but he doesn't let me.

    "I'm only supposed to talk to you at night. You were mean to me." I say, and Leonard holds me tighter.

    "Too bad." He says shortly, and my eyes widen at his audacity.

    "Excuse you," I say, pulling my head back to stare him down and he sighs.

    "You are my stuffed animal, my toy. It would be very mean to separate us like that." Leonard says and I shove at his chest.

    "You did it to me." I protest, and Leonard shakes his head.

    "That was the alternate," Leonard says, then smiles widely.

    "I would never do that to you. You're my Babygirl. I need to protect you." Leonard says, and I frown.

    "You are the same person." I protest, and he shakes his head.

    "No, his name is erm... Bea—Dick," Leonard says, and I eye him suspiciously.

    "How many do you have?" I ask, and Leonard thinks about it.

    "I actually never really thought about it... until Camile said—" Leonard says, then sits back down with me in his lap.

    "Voice is—" Leonard says, and I nod.

    "The main one," I say, and Leonard looks at me in surprise.

    "That is what Camile said. But that's not how it works. It started with—" Leonard says, and I cut him off accidentally.

    "Well, according to you, he is the strongest." I say, and Leonard nods, then mumbles, 'Leave it alone.' But it isn't directed at me.

    "Dick is—" I say, motioning for him to go on.

    "The evil one," Leonard says fiercely, and I nod. 'Anyone not as crazy as us would think Voice was, but Voice is just bestial, not intentionally evil.'

    "Then who are you right now?" I say, patting Leonard's chest.

    "I don't know," Leonard whispers, and I tilt my head as I realize there is a fourth personality that I've forgotten.

    "Who destroyed your room?" I ask Leonard, and the answer comes to him without thinking about it.

    "Leo." He says, and I tilt my head. We both look surprised by the speed.

    "I'm crazy... I'm really crazy." Leonard whispers, and I lay my head on his shoulder.

   "It depends," I say, and Leonard counts his personalities on his fingers. Unlike the four I counted, he has five fingers up and is thinking of a sixth before he shakes his head quickly and settles on five.

    "Depends on what?" Leonard says as I grab his fifth finger. I'm going to ask who that one is.

    "Depends on your definition of sane." I say, and my head throbbing simmers, 'I'm not sane either. I can't be. I live in a madhouse... and I'm the toy of the madhouse's patients. But instead of a brainless, raggedy Jane, I've been going crazy, too. Or, scarier yet, I was always crazy, and crazy attracts more crazy.'

    "Who is this?" I say, moving his fifth finger, and Leonard smiles and kisses my forehead.

    "Monsieur." He says, and I giggle.

    "He is not a personality. He is your title, Silly." I say, and Leonard shakes his head sadly.

     "I don't think my brain knows who to have a title without making a new personality to attract you. How much of me is Leonard? How much of me was made because I wanted to be liked?" Leonard mumbles, and I kiss his chin, making him come out of his head.

    "It's okay, I like Voice best." I tease, and Leonard frowns and repeats something he said on my first day in the neutral house. But that day, I thought he only met amongst the Heirs. Could he also have met inside himself?'

    "There are no favorites, we all suck. That is just how it is," Leonard says, his voice moving octaves like more than one is speaking, and I shiver.

                                                                             ~

2:31 pm, Dare's POV

    "Just so I got this straight, you called her bluff," I say slowly, and Victor nods.

    "How did you know she was bluffing?" I ask, and Victor smirks then tilt his chin up.

    "I just did." He says, and I sigh.

    "That is not helpful. Bend a little. We need to know how to call her bluff." I snap, and Victor looks from me to Hudson and leans back into his scent.

    "She was deep in thought, shaking her head and nodding to whatever she was thinking. Having finished her packet an hour prior, she was bored. And when Violet is bored, her brain just goes. But she is smart. She had been glancing over at me for a while, but she wanted to go somewhere the moment I was unavailable. I don't buy that," Victor says, but the smirk remains.

    "What is funny about this?" Hudson snaps, still pissed that Victor called us off an hour before Violet even asked to leave, then entrusted the care of Violet to the Italians. The poor girl looked around to see if we were tailing her but was oblivious to the cameras Ciro, the Italian hacker, gave Victor access to. I watch her dance on the looped footage and smile.

    "Nothing." Victor lies and smooths his smile out.

    "That was risky. What was your plan if someone kidnapped her on her way to the Library? What was your plan if something triggered a seizure on her way there? We are not just her guards anymore. We are there for her, to protect her from others and herself if necessary." I lecture, and Victor sighs.

    "She was aroused shortly before she asked to go, then her face became defiant, and I knew because she felt that arousal, she was going to push back. At least in this way, Violet's behavior is predictable." Victor says, and Hudson hides a smile, and I glare at him.

    "Had she gotten into trouble, Dante was instructed to shoot first. Had she seized, Dante is medically trained." Victor says and then turns the laptop to another clip of Violet speaking to the boys on the football field. I glare at them as they talk, and Victor shakes his head.

    "That is Elia, Dante's brother. There is no threat," Victor says, and Aronne mentions Violet's body and Victor's jaw locks. 'Aronne is the biggest fuckboy on campus, after Teodoro. But unlike Teodoro, Aronne is a cocky dick.'

    "Where is the audio from? No way can we hear from this far up," Hudson says, and he is right. The camera angle is high enough that we could be on a light fixture.

    "Her Claiming bracelet was fitted with a listening device on Monday," Victor says, and we nod.

    "Did he just threaten her?" Hudson says, and Victor nods.

    "Dante threatens everyone. He doesn't have much of a family because of it," Victor says, and my eyes fly to him.

     "Not very friendly." I guess, 'Then I completely understand why his family would avoid him.'

    "No, Silly, he murdered them," Victor says casually, then snickers at Hudson's horrified expression.

    "All except his baby brothers... brotherly love perhaps, guess we will never know," Victor says as if sharing a ghost story.

    "Why would you send him to watch over her!" I snap, wanting to watch her to ensure she is okay. She flipped off a cold-blooded killer. Her survival skills are clearly lacking. 'Arguably, the Heirs also qualify under the killer heading. The difference is they like her and would punish, not kill her.'

    "We don't know who is after her. I don't want someone with closed morals. I want someone who will get the job done. Go through anyone. He would do that. The only other people would be us. If we tether her to us and don't call her bluffs, she will think we are keeping her close to be cruel, and we can't tell her otherwise. The Italians already know, and I like this circle small. Since my birthday, my trust in the soldiers, any of them, is lacking. This is the only play." Victor says darkly, and I nod. Hudson nods slower than us, as if deep in thought.

    "Well, he was one of two men, Vico suggested," Victor says, zooming in on Basilio.

    "He also offered him," Victor says, Hudson and I quickly nod that Dante was the better option. Basilio has loose morals, too, but he would flirt and touch her, and then I'd have to fit him with a grave.

    "So, you can understand—" Victor continues, but Hudson cuts him off.

    "We get it," Hudson says, and Victor glares at him.

    "Mouthy." Victor grunts and then lifts his arm and makes a sweeping motion with his hand, wordlessly saying 'get out.'

    "Where did Leonard take Violet?" I ask before I turn to leave, and Victor sighs.

    "He wasn't privy to the meeting because his actions last week have forfeited him from her intimate care. So now he thinks I'm a fucking idiot and sent her out without a source of protection. So he took her to the candy store on Fifth Avenue with Riot and Mason. Why? So that I would freak out when she didn't turn up at home. Why? Because Leonard doesn't think! But don't worry about it. Camile is tailing them." Victor says, and Hudson and I exchange looks, clearly saying, 'Oh because Victor does think.' Hudson smirks and I chuckle as we begin leaving.

    "I understood that!" Victor says, and I do a finger wave and close his Office door while he is midway through speaking. I listen at the door, and when something breaks, I smile.

    "Really?" Hudson says at my behavior, not Victor's.

     "He was doing well, and you just had to rile him up. He hates when people cut him off." Hudson lectures, and I nod, trying to pull on the 'good boy' suit, but I can't right now.

    "He is a man. He will grow a f-ing bridge and get over it." I snark.

    "I can hear you both!" Victor's voice comes from the door, and we jump, then turn and walk down the hall.

                                                                                                 ~

March 26, 2016, 7:49 pm,

    "Excuse me, just going to scooch in." Basilio's voice comes from in front of us right before we turn into our reserved aisle.

    "Oh," Mason says confusedly, looking from the clear French flag to the Italian flag two rows up.

    "I thought—" Mason says, but Riot nudges Mason's shoulder and shakes his head before moving Mason out of the way and allowing Basilio, Dante, the Italian bosses, and Vico into our row.

    "Ahem, what are you doing?" Victor asks, coming up behind us. The Italians look at each other and shrug.

    "We are here to see a show," Massimo says, but his smirk tells us he does not mean on the stage.

    "You can see just fine on your own row," Victor says, jerking his head in the direction of their row.

    "But the vocals here are better," Zeus whines with a mischievous look, and Victor's eyes narrow.

    "Move," Camile demands after he walks up. The Italians move aside for him, and Camile picks a seat almost on the opposite end of the row, sits down, and then blankly stares at the closed curtain.

    "I appreciate the help you have given thus far, but this is our Claim's recital, and we would not have thought of making a joke out of it had it been your Claim's event. Please find your seats elsewhere." Itzal says after he sits on Camile's right with Hudson in the last seat on Itzal's right. Vico's eyes narrow when Itzal mentions his Claim, and then he nudges his men back out of the row. But though Vico showed no annoyance, Dante pauses at the entrance and slightly bows as he benevolently motions for us to enter our row. I take it because Itzal is right. This is important to Violet. But I mostly took it because I wrongfully assumed they would leave. Nope. They sit down in the remaining seats to Riot's left.

    "You can't sit there." Riot whispers to himself, then looks Dante in the eye.

    "You can't sit here," Riot tells him even as he bows his head and speaks softly.

    "You'll find I can sit wherever I like. It is our school. You're just tourists." Dante counters, and Riot shakes his head.

   "No, this seat in particular. You are in Leonard's seat." Riot says, and Dante chuckles.

    "Oh," Dante says, and for a moment, I do not think he will move. Then he sighs at Antonio's look and gets up to sit in the last available seat on Basilio's left.

    "No, fair. We wanted those seats." Another voice comes from my left, and I look up to see Bank's lips pout as she nudges Scar.

    "Gotta be quicker than that." Zeus teases and Bank gives him the finger.

    "Where is Crow?" Vico says, looking at the two 'siblings'. 'If you ask Scar, he will say they shared the same womb despite Bank's skin being the color of chestnuts. Under his extensive tattoos, Scar is a beige color in winter and tannish in summer.'

    'But that is just appearance. Scar was born a German Heir, and Bank's family is only a German Mafia associate. You would think that would make Scar the de facto leader of both, but Scar lives and dies by Bank's words. He says siblings, but I doubt he has sibling feelings toward her... let anyone say anything against her, though, and you won't know who controls what with how protective he is over his 'little sis."

    'Bank is far from little, not to say she is chubby—quite the opposite. She has wide, flaring hips, a slim abdomen lined with pure muscle, and an ample bosom that presses the confines of the white button-down tucked into her burgundy suit pants. When she motions with her hands, you can see her muscular biceps ripple under the long-sleeve top. Her loose hand has the suit jacket hooked over her right shoulder. Arguably, Bank can handle her own problems, but she never has to lift a finger before Scar rips someone from limb to limb.'

    "Crow is with our Mary." Bank says, lifting her chin, 'daring anyone to say Willow is not technically Bank's Mary... as Bank is not affiliated.' Scar glares at us as if privy to our thoughts.

    "Everything is okay, I hope?" Antonio says kindly. Bank smiles at him and nods.

    "Mary wanted to wish Violet good luck, so Pace went for the ride," Scar says, and Mason shuffles next to me.

    "Willow," Mason says loudly and then lifts his chin higher.

    "Her name is Willow," Mason tells them sternly, and my eyes widen as I push his shoulders back and try to move him back into the seat. Mason mumbles' chauvinistic dick' under his breath, and I nudge him, but he ignores me.

    "She our Claim, Mary is but a term of our respec—" Scar says, and Mason rolls his eyes.

     "Riot, do you hear a gnat? Shit, I knew I forgot something. That bug spray would be so useful somewhere over.... here." Mason says, motioning his hand up and down Scar's general direction. Hudson facepalms, but Camile chuckles. Victor's mouth parts in shock, but that is only because Mason has never shown the Heirs his bratty side. Itzal seems uncomfortable, if only because Mason is not being polite, while Riot is trying not to laugh... and failing miserably.

    "Oh, and Scar? You can shove your respectful tongue up my motherfucking ass—" Mason says, and I clap my hand over his mouth.

    "The vocals, Zeus. I understand now." Basilio says amidst raucous laughter, and Mason has the decency to blush.

    "They said no hard feelings." Scar protests, and I look back to see the glare the Bank is sending him.

     "The Heirs said that we said nothing of the sort. Personally, I think you are an irresponsible dickhead." Riot snaps, and I give up trying to quiet the brats. 'They are only saying this because they are under our protection. Mason actively hides from any Elite, and Riot sees most of the Elite as powerful beings deserving of respect... or he did.'

    "Seconded," Hudson says, and I shoot him a look, and he shrugs.

    "You know what," I say, and the guys look at me.

    "I think we should stop before we say things that can't be taken back," I say, and Mason looks up at me, pouting his lips as he shakes his head. I nod slowly.

    "I agree, Boys. You should apologize", Victor says to Mason and Riot. They sigh and reluctantly look at Scar, who is about to speak before Victor finishes.

    "Tell Scar you are sorry he doesn't think before he acts, and because of his actions, three branches are now under the scrutiny of the Elite Club's Alumni. Then tell him it makes me not want to entertain such company. Mention words of untrustworthy, juvenile behavior, and declining Alliances." Victor interjects, and Scar swallows and then nudges Bank.

    "We should find our seats," he tells her, and Bank taps her foot and opens her hand to motion to us.

    "I apologize that my actions spiraled into a three-way discipline order. It was not my intention. Our branch is prepared to do whatever we must to help alleviate any pain and suffering my actions and behavior may have caused." Scar says, and I nod. Mason rolls his eyes, but Riot snorts and leans over to whisper to Mason.

    "He said three way." Riot whispers and Mason and him start giggling like children, and to my surprise the Italian bosses start laughing.

    "Please, he memorized that shit," Massimo whispers to Riot when Riot looks startled at how he was overheard, and Mason and Riot smile at the bosses until I simply can't stand it and nudge them again.

    "Thank you." Victor says, but he and the other Heirs also try not to laugh, 'How the hell did they hear Riot?'

    "Multi-branch discipline order." Bank hisses at Scar and tries to silence his own laughter once he realizes what he said.

    "Oh," Scar says, and Bank apologizes for him. 'Then, she tugs him away when Lawrence and the rest of The Crew settle in their assigned row. Mason waves to Willow, who smiles and waves back, gaining jealousy from the Crew, who haven't earned Willow's smiles.'

    "It's starting," Hudson says. As he says this, Dante moves out of the row and leaves. A moment later, Leonard slides into the row and sits next to Riot.

    "What did I miss?" Leonard whispers, and Riot shakes his head.

    "Is she nervous?" Mason asks, and Leonard shakes his head.

    "No, but she said something weird," Leonard says. The Italians lean closer, making Leonard turn and shoot them an incredulous look before lowering his voice to address us only.

    "Why are they on our row?" Leonard asks, and Riot waves that away, wanting to know the weird thing.

    "She said that she picked the song before I—I was an ass, so to not take it personally?" Leonard says, confused, and I take in a breath. 'Note to self: no matter how hilarious, do not laugh.' The Italians shake their heads as if amused, so I believe they know what song will be sung. Violet requested to go to her Thursday vocal class, and because her current memory was back, we couldn't say no without explaining that she had forgotten more. Dante got the shift because she insisted she wanted it to be a surprise. None of us liked it, but Dante found it hilarious. I don't understand why the French Heirs aren't more insulted that they need an outsider's help.'

    "It isn't like that. There is just a powerful voice on your Claim," Vico tells Leonard, denying the thought that this song will be more humiliation for the French branch.

   "Shh," Leonard responds as the lights dim over the audience and the dark stage's lights turn on. A piano sits to the side, a microphone stands front and center, and a choir row is further behind.

    "Good evening, students and staff. On behalf of today's talent, I thank you for coming and welcome you to Albero Theater Hall. My name is Ms. Jacobson. I am one of the heads of the Musical Arts Department. Each year, we receive auditions and send out scouts from all over the world. I say it each year, but this year, I confidently say that we have picked the most talented individuals to represent this institution. I could not be prouder of their dedication this year and the heights they've reached." Ms. Jacobson says, smiling proudly at the applause her words receive. She also claps lightly against her microphone and then nods, signaling the end of the applause.

    "To ensure a rounded performance, we will begin with first-year students and end with our graduating class." Ms. Jacobson goes to continue, but I'm being poked by Victor. I look over at him, and he nods to the Italians who are... or rather Basilio is... quietly opening a bag of gummies, much to the general annoyance of Massimo and disgust of Antonio, not at the candy but at the choice to eat during the show.

    "This is not a circus," Vico rebukes, and Basilio pouts at them and shoves the candy into his bag. 'Almost to deny Vico's point, the now gathered band on the stage begins playing music that would fit well as an intro to an old movie. The girl holding the mic is wearing a floor-length pink pastel dress that seems almost... sixties fashion? She looks nice in it, I suppose.'

    "If I'm a slave, it is a slave I want to be. Don't pity me. Don't pity me!" She sings, and Mason smiles and nods to the stage, whispering quietly to me.

    "I know this song," he says excitedly, and I smile at him and nod. Victor chuckles, and I shake my head as we take in the bouncing boy. Victor hides a smile and then turns to Camile to say something.

   "Your Kiss of Fire!" The girl sings, and the stage goes black as she finishes her note. Through the dark, you can see movement but not much else.

    "How many performances before, Violet?" Leonard leans forward to whisper to Itzal, on the end of our row and then gets shushed by the Spanish row in front of us and the few ballsy Irish Capos behind us.

    "There is nothing on the stage." Leonard protests in a whisper snap, and Riot elbows him, making Leonard lower his voice before basically snatching the bulletin that I hand down to him from Itzal.

   "Twelve!" Leonard says angstfully, and he gets shushed louder. Hudson facepalms and Itzal again looks uncomfortable, as if Leonard is embarrassing him. The thought makes me chuckle, and I'm not the only one. Camile snorts, and Victor tries to hide his chuckle in a cough.

   "Leonard, if you cannot use your inside voice, I will be forced to take you outside." Antonio lectures in a paternal tone, making Mason and Riot blush, and I glare at him. 'That is not what Antonio would say if their ears couldn't hear him.' Leonard glares at Antonio, insulted, and Antonio discreetly gives him a look promising violence.

    "He is so nice," Mason tells Riot and they grin, a pair of innocents not realizing Antonio can hear them. Antonio sits up straighter with a warm smile, and Massimo and Zeus groan, but Vico smirks like he received the praise.

    "And ho—t," Mason whispers, and I pop his shoulder and quickly apologize like it was an accident. 'It wasn't.' Leonard grins at me, seeming to have perfect vision despite how dark it is in here. Dim wall lights came back on when the stage went dark, but it is still hard to see small movements and hand motions.

    'Our lights darken, and the stage comes back on as a brown boy starts singing Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World. The pitch and soul are beautiful. But it doesn't come anywhere close to the original. Possibly because the poor guy is so nervous, his voice shakes. When he finishes, I clap extra enthusiastically for him, so he leaves feeling proud of himself. Then, one particularly stupid Spanish Capo loudly remarks how the first girl was better, and Gonzola, the Spanish Heir to the second boss, whacks him in the head. I grin and feel vindicated for the singer. The Capo sees who smacked him and scooches away, making Gonzola extend his hand to whack him harder. The Capo freezes, and his shoulder drops as he realizes he is stuck there. Good.'

    "Deserved," Leonard comments, and we all look at him incredulously.

    "I would never say that!" Leonard says, offended, and we all three rows shush him for the third time.

    "I'm never taking you all to an opera," Itzal remarks, and Hudson catches my eyes and shakes his head, trying not to laugh at his Benefactor.

    "You were planning to?" Victor whispers, surprised, and Itzal glares daggers at him.

    "Oh, I wanted to go," Mason whispers sadly, and I glance at him, thinking he is joking.

    "You didn't lose the privilege. Itzal never planned to take us." I tell him quietly, and Itzal looks over at his name. Mason slumps with a quiet 'oh.' And then, in the row in front of us, Amaro, the Heir to the third boss in the Spanish Mafia, turns his body around to state.

    "We have house seats at the Opera House in..." I watch his mouth move for a moment before I realize he is gleefully speaking to my Claim. What is his reasoning, 'to brag?'

    "I could take you some time," he finishes, and I nearly jump out of my seat before Victor and Leonard reach over to reseat me.

    "Turn the fuck, around." Leonard snaps, and Amaro smirks, then glares.

    "Shut the hell up and I will." Amaro counters, and Gonzola turns around and blankly looks from Riot to Mason.

    "I'll let him at you," Victor says, and Amaro snorts. But Gonzola must see something living in my eyes because he nudges Amaro with his right arm, who sighs and turns around.

    "Sorry," Mason says because it is his nature to apologize even when he didn't do anything. I pat him on the head and feel his eyes on me, but not from the row in front of me.

     "Oh shit, I get it now," Zeus whispers, and I look at him, but by the time I do, the stage is lighting back up, and the chamber is darkening.

    'Somewhere between the third and eighth performers, I realized two things. One, Leonard is not trying to be disrespectful. It genuinely seems to freak him out to be both quiet and in a cramped space... like the guy is an inch short of losing his shit. Victor clocked it faster than I did, and one moment, Leonard looked like he was about to have a meltdown, and then he was drawing violets and roses on the bulletin. With colored pens supplied by Victor himself. Bringing up a genuine question, why did Victor have them?'

     'Second, the bulletin said 'music from the late fifties to late seventies, to test the vocal range of our'... and then Leonard drew a massive blue rose over the words. Riot silently giggled his butt off at my annoyed expression until I reluctantly smiled, little brat.'

    The Ninth singer chose Nina Simone's Blackbird, and I have never been quite so offended. It takes a special type of voice to both hit that painful soul that almost makes your face twist like you feel everything she is feeling. I was Simon Cowell at that moment, three X's and all that.'

    'Camile, Hudson, and I exchanged looks and just sighed, watching Jess's stank-ass friend tear up that soulful song. The only funny bit was the counter look Victor, Itzal, and Leonard gave each other as they struggled to understand how Hudson and I could relate to Camile. Camile then went one extra step above their head, tapped the lighter side of the inside of his palm, and shook his head, making Hudson and I snicker. Then... then Victor flipped his hand over and looked genuinely confused. When I laughed out loud, Leonard had the unmitigated gall to shush me.'

    "How did you get Camile to laugh?" Mason whispers, and I smile.

    "I didn't, Victor did." I joke, and Mason frowns.

    "She's next," Riot says nearly excitedly as the Twelfth singer starts 'These Boots Were Made for Walking.' I relax in my seat. When the song ends, I realize Leonard is deep into his drawing, so I reach over Mason to tap Riot and motion to Leonard. So Riot whispers something to Leonard, then takes the drawing and keeps the pens tucked between his legs so none of Leonard's artwork or Victor's pens get lost.

    The brown boy from before enters the wings first and bows to the audience before sitting behind the piano. He moves music sheets and then seems to get into position to play as Violet walks out, and I'm smiling before I can control it. On the stage for the mud fight, Violet was fidgety and flighty, but on her stage, for her performance, Violet is the essence of free. Her back is straight, white elbow-length gloves are on her forearms, and she wears a similar style dress to the others, but it is black, form-fitting, and has a slit in-between her breasts. She walks to the mic, takes it off the stand, and holds it to her mouth.

    "Good evening, everyone." Violet purrs, and the way she makes men trip over themselves to repeat it back to her is honestly hilarious. As if she said it only to them, Victor, though, does not find it hilarious. But he is under the seductive touch, so he doesn't have the will to get mad about it.

    "For those of you who don't know, my Mama is Tiffany Will, now Tiffany Roux, and if you know her, you know her voice," Violet says, and people in the audience laugh with Violet—'even I do. She is infectious.'

    "This won't be my first debut at this school, but it is my first debut to the Musical Board. And I wanted to live up to my Mama's legacy but also create my own." Violet says, and the audience hums their understanding, and I smile softly, 'She is adorable.'

     "So today, instead of singing something to get you moving, I wanted to lean into that spiritual soul, that pain that got TW signed from ocean to ocean. Can we do that today?" Violet asks, and there is applause, sprinkled yeses, and Violet beams. She turns and nods to the pianist, and the light illuminating both focuses more on her.

    "Summertime. And the livin' is easy. Fish are jumping. And the cotton is high." Violet's singing voice at home has soul, but not like this. Her head lowers with her voice to embody that old pain, and I am sucked in.

    "So hush, little baby. Don't you cry," Violet holds the mic with one hand and pulls it back just a bit to hit her notes and control the strength of the note in the mic.

    "Sometime I feel like a motherless child", Violet sings, and I feel it. The acoustics in the hall could be horrible, but her voice reminds me of pain never properly felt. Violet takes a deep breath as she goes into the lyric for the third time, and then when her voice rises, it fills the chamber, making her head pull back from the mic.

    "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child." Violet's voice shakes, but it isn't due to nerves, and the note resounds through the air as she holds it. Her face scrunches a little before she goes into the next part.

    "Long way from home," Violet effortlessly transitions from sorrowful humming to words, and I am unable to take my eyes off her. With how small she is, you wouldn't expect that voice to come out of her.

    "One of these mornings. You gonna rise up sin-gin. You're gonna hoist your wings, oh Take to the sky." Violet sings, and her left hand comes up to her side as if in her own embrace. She rocks a little from side to side, but despite the pain, there is now a smile in her voice.

    "But 'til that morning. Nothing can harm you. With Dad and Mommy. They'll be standing by." Violet sings and holds the final note. She stops singing, and there is a long second, and then every row from the Elite boxes to the ground seats stands up and starts clapping. I go to stand up but accidentally glance at Leonard and see him discreetly wipe away his tears before he stands up to clap, too. I smile, and Violet gets her pianist and makes him bow to her despite his silent protests. Then the stage goes black.

     I sit back down and smile wider as the Heirs whisper and argue amongst themselves how they will spoil her. 'Though they don't even realize that is what they're arguing about, they think they are trying to pick a destination after it ends.'

    "We could just get her now and leave," Hudson jokes, and I make a cutting motion at my throat. That would not make Violet happy. She will want to bow at the end with her peers, and if they take that, we will be celebrating, but the guest of honor will be mad. Luckily, Hudson's joke goes unheard.

    "Shush," Victor says after one minute of debate, and the others go quiet as another singer comes up. I look over at the Italian Heirs and they are smiling and nodding. 'We didn't expect that, but they made it seem like she would sing 'Respect' and point at us. It would be richly deserved, but she did nothing of the sort.'

    "She has a beautiful voice," Amaro says, and we glare at him.

    "What?" Amaro says, genuinely confused.

    "They think you want her, considering that is the second one of theirs you propositioned," Teodoro says like Amaro is stupid and his mouth parts in surprise.

     "I did not proposition the other one. I found it rude that Itzal volunteered something the boy liked then took it away when Leonard, who is Leonard, acted like—you've got to be shitting me— Leonard." Amaro says with faux awe, then glares at Itzal, who looks confused. Itzal reaches over Camile to push Victor's chest back to look at Mason, who blushes like he got pantsed on stage.

    "Um, thank you, Sir. But it is okay, Dare will take me to the opera." Mason tells Amaro, who looks more surprised, that there is nothing on Itzal's immediate offended look.

    "I offered," Itzal responds. Mason looks unsure of what he is supposed to do and then leans into Riot for help. Riot glares at both men and then nods from me to Amaro, a silent request for me to act.

    "Turn around," I order Amaro firmly, and Amaro grins.

    "What if I don't want to." Amaro counters, and I smile.

    "I would love to do it for you," I say, alluding to snapping his neck. Amaro turns around to laugh, not the least bit afraid of me. He moved because of the yank Gonzola made to his hair.

     "You can let go now," Amaro says in pain, but Gonzola holds on, then asks Amaro something and forces Amaro's head to nod.

    "Remember the last time you interrupted my movie? This doesn't have a rewind button. Think about that." Gonzola snarls with a final yank, and Amaro doesn't turn around again. Teodoro snickers, then holds his hand up to ward off Gonzola's look. My smirk stays painted on my face for the duration of the recital. 

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A/N (30 pages, 14,619 words)

Thank you for reading "Memories". Hi guys, This chapter lived up to the Singing Robin title, with the moment of songs in it, lol. RECAP: I think I wrote the flashback for Riot meeting Leo second to last. I needed every particular in place first. They both live in a curious world with twists and turns and still, as you learn more, there are always more questions. In this chapter, I had the moment of thinking the Heirs are actually doing good; despite Dare's grumbling, they did the responsible thing. They asked the Italians for help, and Dante delivered it grumpily. I said it before, but I love the features in the book, including Elia, Aronne, and Domenico lol. I felt that song to my bones, and I knew it just fit here--Starr

P.S. This book is completed, and you should be able to see eighteen parts, including the Terms and Characters page.

Violet's Dress for Recital