“Here,” Caroline sighed as she handed the ice pack to her uncle. She sat downbeside him on her couch, turning slightly to face him. It had been months sinceshe had last seen David, but he looked almost exactly the same… except for thebruises and cuts covering half his face. Caroline wasn’t surprised when heturned up at her door wounded and battered, though. It seemed like that was theonly time he came to her willingly these days.

“Thanks, Care,” David said. He winced faintly when he pressed the pack tothe side of his face. His niece nodded in response and raked her fingersthrough her unkempt hair. She had been sound asleep when he started banging onher door at 3 in the morning. But for reasons unknown to her, she still openedthe door.

Caroline let out a soft sigh as she watched him relax into the couch,seemingly dropping his guard. She pursed her lips for a moment before clearingher throat. “Can we skip the formalities and fast forward to the part where youtell me why you’re here?”

David slid a glance in her direction, raising an eyebrow. He couldn’tstop himself from chuckling when he saw how serious her expression was. “God,you haven’t changed a bit, Caroline.”

“Neither have you,” she said as she gestured to his face. “One day you’regoing to get yourself into serious trouble and I won’t be able to nurse youback to health, David.”

“Well, if there’s anything you should’ve learned after all these yearsit’s that DeMarco’s are hard to kill,” he responded. Caroline didn’t botherholding back the scoff that built in her throat.

“Apparently, not that hard,” Caroline retorted.

The blonde huffed a sigh, regretting the words as soon as they left hermouth. She didn’t mean for the statement to sound so accusatory, but it washard to keep her emotions out of a conversation about her family. She pressedher lips into a taught line. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Don’t apologize,” David told her, lowering the ice pack from his face.Caroline glanced down at his hands that were now resting in his lap. Shenoticed how he anxiously picked at the corners of the plastic bag. “You wereright to blame me for what happened that night. I shouldn’t have… I shouldstopped it.”

“No, David,” Caroline started as she sat up a little straighter. Sheleaned towards him hesitantly and put a hand over his. She was already lookingat him when his gaze met hers. “That night was not your fault. And I—I nevershould said it was. I was angry and sad and I needed to somewhere to put theblame, but I’m sorry for blaming you. It was wrong of me.”

“It’s okay,” David said and gave a faint shrug of his shoulders. “Iblamed me too. I still do.”

“Why?”

“Because you were a kid, Caroline. It was up to me and my brothers to doright by you, to keep you safe, and we failed. Someone has to take the blamefor what happened and I’m the only one who deserves to carry that weight.”

“That’s not true,” Caroline paused as her hand went absentmindedly to thescars on her stomach. “You weren’t the only one that made a mistake that night.It was on all of us. David, I can see the pain you live with so just let mecarry some of that weight for you, please.”

David sighed quietly as he held her gaze. His voice was barely a whisperwhen he spoke again. “You grew up.”

Caroline quirked her head to the side, smiling softly. “Had to happensometime.”

“They would have been proud of who you turned into, Caroline,” David saidand his niece didn’t have to be told to know who he was talking about. “I hopeyou know that.”

Caroline was picking at her nails asshe leaned against Stella who was sitting on the hold of her car. The rest ofthe Serpents were lounging the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm discussing theongoing conflict with the Northside, but Caroline was barely paying attentionto what they were saying. Her own personal problems with her friends on theNorthside had kept her from going back there recently except for school.Because of her family the Serpents had allowed her to spend her free time withthem and that happened to give her more opportunities to see her girlfriend.Despite all of the drama going on between the two sides of their town, it hadyet to impact their relationship in any drastic way. If anything, it hadbrought them closer together. Caroline was finally learning where she fit inand it turned out to be on the Southside, with her family and Stella Sharpe.

“What the hell are they doing here?”

At the sound of Sweet Pea’s voice,Caroline glanced up from her hand to see a small group of young men walkingtowards her group of friends. She sat up a little straighter when sherecognized him and his obviously tacky apparel. He was one of the main membersof Ghoulies and while they lived on the Southside, they had no business comingnear the Whyte Wyrm uninvited.

She wasn’t surprised when theSerpents got to their feet to approach the other gang members. Caroline stayedseated at the table, even after Stella slid out from behind her. The rivalrybetween the two groups was longstanding and she had no reason to insert herselfinto it. Her family had their own problems to worry about.

“What do you want, Isaiah?” SweetPea asked, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

“We’re not here to see you,” theolder teen said with a smirk. He lifted an arm and pointed directly atCaroline. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Stella glanced over her shoulderat her girlfriend and Caroline gave a faint shake of her head. “Your familykeeps refusing to set up a meeting with us and we need to talk business.”

The blonde scoffed before pushingherself to her feet, coming to stand beside Stella who instinctively shiftedher weight towards her girlfriend. Caroline tilted her head slightly as shepursed her lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Malachai wants in on your drugtrade,” Isaiah told her with his nose in the air. “You know we have the revenueto break even and then some.”

Caroline had to actively fight theurge to slap the stupid out of this kid. She stepped towards himslowly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about and even if I did I’m not a bigenough idiot to talk about it out here in the open. So, if my uncles decidethat you’re little association is worth the effort they’ll contact you. Now,get the hell out of my face.”

“What did you just call me?” Isaiahasked and stepped towards her with a scowl pulling at his features. He reachedbehind his back and drew a small knife from his pocket, flipping it open as hetook another stride in Caroline’s direction. Before she had time to react,Stella moved between them and gave the older teen a hard shove. Even though shewas a couple years younger than him it was enough to put him on his ass andmake him drop the weapon. Her fellow Serpents were behind her in a second,ready to back her up in case the other Ghoulies tried anything, but from thelook on their faces, none of them were feeling lucky enough.

Caroline smiled to herself, hesitatingto step in even after Stella pulled her small handgun from her waistband andpointed at the man. She wouldn’t give the Ghoulie a second thought if hergirlfriend shot him, but the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm wasn’t the place fora show of force.

She stepped between Stella and SweetPea, placing a hand on the barrel of the gun slowly. Caroline pushed downlightly and Stella lowered the gun reluctantly as she raised an eyebrow at her.

“He’s not worth it, Stel,” Carolineexplained with a careless shrug.

“Come on, I’m not gonna kill him.Just give him a little flesh wound to remember this by,” Stella responded witha knowing smirk on her lips. Caroline smiled back at her, unable to admire hergirlfriend’s tenacity.

She leaned in slightly and loweredher voice. “I’m not saying you can’t shoot him. I’m just saying you can’t shoothim here.”

Caroline gave Stella a quick winkand returned her attention to the Ghoulie on the floor. She offered him a handand after a long moment of thought he took it, allowing her to help him to hisfeet. But she didn’t let go once he was standing. Instead she gave his arm ahard yank, causing him to stumble towards her. She put her mouth near his earand lowered her voice to a whisper.

“Now, if you ever threaten me againI will tell my uncles and they will come after you. And I can promise that noteven the cops will be able to identify your body when they’re done with you,got it?” Caroline asked, pausing only long enough to allow the man to nod. Shestood up a little straighter and forced a smile onto her lips. “Good. I suggestyou get out of here before I let my girlfriend shoot your balls clean off.”

That was all it took to send Isaiahand his minions running. Caroline waited until they were out of sight to faceStella again. She was already smiling.

“Good job, babe,” she said with anod.

“Thanks,” Caroline responded,smirking to herself.

“Did you add in a little deaththreat?”

Caroline gave a faint shake of herhand. “More like a threat of torture and dismemberment.

“Nice touch,” Stella noted.

“I thought so,” her girlfriendagreed.

“You guys are so weird,” Sweet Peamuttered before turning on his heels and joining the rest of the Serpents whohad retreated moments prior.

Caroline let out a short laugh when Stellamet her gaze again and she quickly joined in. She gave a shake of her head andclosed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’swaist. She pulled her into a short kiss and smiled as she pulled away. “Oh, hehas no idea.”