2-Safe.

Hazel POV.

'Nothing for you to worry about, Hazel, it's normal, sweetie, what? We're not in danger, but if anything happens to me, just trust your brother, trust Leonard to take good care of you.' Those were dad's last words, I know I was young, but I wasn't stupid. I still am not stupid, I have eyes, I have ears, I see things, I hear things, I know what kind of job they do.

My brother, my father, my family, they are all on the dark side, guns, drugs, I know they deal with them, and that they kept me out. When I was younger, I was happy, glad to be out, I didn't want to be part of any of it, I still don't want to be part of it, but what I want, is to know the truth, to know the details, I don't want to be treated like a fragile flower they're worried I'm going to shrivel and die.

I received a message from Leo, I am to be at his office tonight before the club hours start, they own a club, one of the hottest nightclubs in Chicago, and I'm not allowed to spend time there even, I am to stay safe at all time. I bet Leo would have a damn heart attack when he finds out I drink, I'm in college, I go out, we attend parties, I'm not some introvert who spends my whole day hiding from everyone.

When I made it to the club, I noticed that I'm wearing one of my shorter skirts, I'm short, which came in handy when picking clothes, but I knew my brother was sensitive to me dressing my age.

I had a full face of makeup as well, so I decided to put on sunglasses to hide that fact, I walked into the club. People who worked inside avoided looking at me, they'd look the other side, they don't pay me any attention, I passed by my brother's best friend, the beast of a bodyguard and right-hand he keeps around. He talks to me sometimes, he's funny, protective, and handsome as fuck, but he's also off limits.

I got inside my brother's office and was met with the younger version of our father, I have vague memories of dad sitting the same way as him, looking just as pissed. Only back then, the thing I did was refuse to eat my dinner and stay up after my bedtime, with my brother, it's different.

"Leo," I say with a fake smile, he looked me up and down, and I swear I could see fumes coming out from his ears and nose.

"What are you wearing?" he growls at me, some days I wonder if my brother is even human, he can be scary when he wants, but he loves me, and I'm sure he wouldn't hurt me.

"What?" I say, playing dumb.

"That skirt hardly covers your ass," he growls at me again, and I stay quiet, waiting for him to work it through.

Finally, he threw a hoodie at me, telling me to cover up, that was smart, I should have covered up before coming here, my fault, I slipped the hoodie over my head, and it fell down toward my knees, covering me fully, my brother was tall, but not that tall, I had a vague, specific idea of whom it belongs to.

"Better?" I say with some attitude, if I start bowing my head, Leo would have me sent to a convent to become a nun.

"Yes, now sit," he orders, and I do that.

"So what's this about? Miss me already?" I ask him, we usually have dinner together on Sundays, when he's not busy.

"You're skipping classes, your grades are a shame, and I heard there's a guy," he says between gritted teeth, angry at me again.

"My grades? Skipping? What did the uni called you?" I say, acting shocked, no one called him from my uni, but the ones he has keeping an eye on me, those are the ones who called him.

"You're not dumb, Hazel, don't act like one," he warns me.

"Then you know, it's okay for me not to attend every class, it's university, not school, and I get to skip when I don't feel like going, and my grades, they'd get better with my finals," I say matter-of-factly.

"And the boy Hazel," he says, he doesn't allow me to date, or at least he didn't allow me to date back when I was in high school, but I'm older now.

"I'm not a child anymore Leo, I'm nineteen, I get to date boys," I say, trying to sound offended over the fact that he doesn't trust me.

"No you don't get to fucking date anyone, Hazel," he yells at me.

"That's not fair Leo, I'm not a child," I yell back.

Before he could get to yell back at me, there was the sound of a gunshot coming from outside, making me jump with fear. I'm used to seeing the guns, not hearing them go off, Leo on the other hand, didn't even react, used to hearing that sound.

"You're safe," he assures me, I knew I was safe, I'm always safe around my brother.

"I'm not a child anymore Leo, you don't to worry about me, I'll be fine," I say.

"Dating? For real, Hazel?" he asks me again.

"I'm not a child," I say again.

"Fine, you can date, but he's not allowed to sleep over, and no funny business, I want you to stay in school, and pay more attention," he says, that was the best I'm getting out of my brother.

"Of course," I assure him.

I thought I was done, I was ready to leave, while on good terms with my brother, but it's never this easy with Leo, it's never this simple, he loves me true, but it's tough love.

"I noticed the payment on your cards going up, if you exceed your allowance again, I'm blocking your accounts and I'll let you starve," he warns me.

"I'll just come by and eat at your place every day," I say with a smile.

"You're always welcome," he says with a smile as well.

This was a good time, I felt like a good time to ask him, we've all been wanting to do it, so maybe if I told him now while he's in a good mood, he'll say yes instead of dragging me away from my friends later.

"So some girls from the dorms, they've been talking about going to a club...and..." I say, wanting to tell him about my idea, of bringing them here, he'd allow us in, and we'll have a good time under his protection, that was my plan.

"Absolutely not, Hazel," he yells quickly.

"Just listen to me first," I say, trying to stop him.

"I said no, Hazel, and if you dare go, I swear to god, I'll be the one dragging you out," he threatens, he's not going to listen, he never listens.

Mad at him, I got up and left his office, slamming the door close behind me, as I left no one looked at me, same as when I came in, I wasn't supposed to be looking at them either, but I don't always obey. I saw them whispering and talking, I even heard AJ's name a couple times, but I ignored it, only god knows what kind of terror AJ has done.

As I was leaving, I saw him again, I passed by him as he was smoking, I went to my car, but I couldn't help but take one last look at him, and then I was gone, in my car and off into the night. I'm staying in the university dorms, having the full uni experience. I parked my car, and just stayed there, tears that I have been holding in, couldn't be held anymore, I started sobbing, he still treats me like a child, he's never going to see me as anything but a child.

When I was done crying, I put the sunglasses back on, and walked in, going right toward my room that I share with another girl, her name is Alison and we became close friends from day one.

"Hey, girl, rough day?" she asks, meaning my hoodie and the glasses.

"I went to see my brother, always a pleasure," I say.

"Ahh, now you sound and look like me after a meeting with my dearest mother," she says, making me smile, another reason Alison and I picked up, her mother is just as strict as my brother, except mine works in some illegal shit, and hers works in the FBI.

"He just wants me to be safe, away, always living in rainbow and sunshine land," I say.

"Ahh, but the dark side, it's more interesting," Alison agrees with me.

"I swear the grass is greener on that side," I say with a giggle, my mood starting to lift already.

"So you going to see Cyrus today?" she asks me and I nod, we had a date tonight.

"Yeah, he's taking me to the movies, I think," I say.

"That's sweet, dark theatre, last seats, just the two of you," she says making kissing noises, making me turn bloody red. 

"Stop it," I whined.

"Nope, we both know you're not going to see a movie, you're going to do a lot more," she says with a knowing smile, how she got around her strict ass mother and had sex, is a mystery I wasn't able to unlock.