Five

I couldn't believe what I saw, what everyone saw.

After the commotion between Ares and Jordan, I discovered something unexpected. We ended our activity and returned to our hotel room. Everyone was in my room as we surrounded the one person who caused Jordan to break down—a glance at my room, where Claire and Effie were with her.

"Ate-"

"Shh..." I point to him and then mimic a gesture to zip his lips. "Don't talk."

He shut his mouth and dropped his head in defeat. He knew he couldn't speak over me, his older sister. Although he may be at the age of not needing a guardian, he still needed to show respect to me as the head of this family.

"Ares, what were you thinking?" I finally snapped at him.

He stays quiet, rubbing his swollen cheek. After what we saw, Jordan slapped him in the face hard.

"Ever since..." I inhaled and let out heavy breaths. I continue as everyone learns the truth about this secret past. I trust Rex and the others because they are family. "You do know what you did."

"Yeah..." he mumbles.

"You know what Jordan had been through."

"Yeah."

I clench my jaw and brush my messy hair back. This was outrageous. I had two siblings who dealt with a traumatic past, and one of them had to trigger it.

"When a sadistic killer kidnapped you two, it traumatized Jordan the most."

I heard multiple gasps in the room as I revealed the secret. I know I will regret it, and this conversation should be private, but I'm so angry at my brother.

"Kidnapped?" Don questioned. Everyone here in the room shared a look.

I rubbed my temples and inhaled again. "When Jo and Ace were eight, they walked home from school. Our parents were still working, and I had detention for beating up Ashley Bowman."

"That's not surprising," Terry commented as I lifted a smirk.

"Anyways, after spending time in detention, my parents were looking for Ares. Of course, I told them he was probably at the Walkers' house, but Jo's Dad called asking for her. After hours of waiting and looking for them, we realized they were kidnapped by a man who had escaped prison."

I closed my eyes, recollecting the memories of watching the news about an escaped convict who preys on the youth and chops their bodies after violating them.

"We are they found?" Seth asked.

"It was the scariest shit, and it took three days for the cops to find them hidden in the woods, scared." I continued; memories flashed again of my brother and Jordan unconscious behind a bush covered in blood and guts. "They were safe and taken to the hospital. Both were malnourished and dehydrated but are safe."

"What happened to the convict?"

I look up at Logan, who had experienced something like this with Niana, his ex-girlfriend who was killed by her psycho ex-boyfriend and was released by another psycho bitch, Hannah. I can see how tense he was as I mentioned the story's similarities to his.

"Yes, the cops found him dead in an old abandoned junkyard in Lynwood," I replied.

"Dead?" Terry lifts her brow. "How?"

Before I open my mouth, Ares cuts me off with a curve. "I killed him."

The room went silent. I know everyone was shocked that Ares killed someone.

"I had to," he covered his face as his voice cracked. "That bastard...he did things to Jo that I've seen only in movies."

I purse my lips to quiver. As Ares explains, I had to hide them from others to see me cry. Rex came to my side and wrapped his arm around me.

"He...tortured her..." Tears already formed in his eyes. "I was kept in the darkroom and could hear her screams pulsing through the thick walls. I tried my might to kick the door, but my small eight-year-old body didn't dent it, but instead broke an arm. But I never gave up."

I wanted him to stop, but no words came out as everyone had listened. My parents, Effie, Jo's family, and Claire were the only people who knew.

"How did you two escape?" Don asked.

"It was a ten percent chance of escaping, but I kept my pocket knife my dad gave me, and when I had the chance, I stabbed the fucker."

The killer's death was a small, sharp object in the back of his brain. The police found the murder weapon, which was our Dad's pocket knife, which he received when he was a child from our grandfather. Dad gave Ares the pocket knife for his seventh birthday. I know giving a child that gift is dangerous, but our Dad told him to use it for emergencies when in danger. And my brother used it to kill the bastard.

"He was a sadistic bastard who also made me watch him torture her." he slammed his face in his hands. "I couldn't do anything but watch the fucker use his tools. He gets off from her screams that it made him-"

"Ares! Stop! That's enough, and you don't have to continue. I'm sorry; I shouldn't expose the secret." I rush to him to stop, embracing him tightly. He drops his head on my shoulder and clenches his fist on my shirt as he sobs.

"Thea, I'm sorry." Ares cried out. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't mean to kiss her forcefully. I...I...just-"

"I know," I cooed. "I know. It's okay."

"I didn't mean to remind her."

The one thing I know is Jordan had many boyfriends but never first base.

The Kiss.

That is why none of her relationships last long after the first date. But her feelings for Ares were strong, and when we were kids, she claimed she wanted her first kiss with Ares. Jordan was saving her lips for my brother. But because of the traumatic experience she had gone through, she never kissed a guy. Now she kissed Ares. It might have triggered that nightmare. Hence, she slapped her face and wailed as if she were being attacked. Jo went crazy, and she was reliving the trauma. Luckily, we have Terry, who karate chops behind her neck, making her pass out.

"Are you telling us that freak kissed a child?" Liam snarls as Lily tries to calm him down.

"That ain't right," Logan stated and crossed his arms. "It sickens me that a man does that to a child. If a sicko took Zara and our twins, I'd not hesitate to search the bastard and feel my wrath. It's a good thing that fucker is dead. Otherwise, I'll show him what pain feels like."

"I'm with you, bro," Liam and Logan shared a high five. "If Ramsey was kidnapped. I'll shoot the fucker."

"Count me in," Seth proclaims. "Poppy is my everything. My first child. I will kill him. But I think Terry can do worse, right, babe?"

"I will do anything to protect my daughter from sick fuckers. I did it once. No matter how much it takes to bring them down, I can do it again." Terry cracks her knuckles and neck. "If that bastard was still alive. I can introduce some medieval torture." Her face turned grim at the thought of conflicting pain. It causes me to shiver a bit.

"If a bastard like that even touches my children. All hell will break loose," Don declares.

"I'll fuck those fuckers up," I heard a knuckle crack from Rex. "They touch my son and nieces and nephews. We brothers will hunt them down."

All the Wolfe Brothers shout like Hawaiian warriors shouting, ready for war. Seeing Rex pumped up like that makes him hot.

"Okay, guys, calm down with the torture," Lily says, then glances at me. "The man is dead. Thea, what's going to happen once Jo wakes up?" Lily asked, concerned for her friend.

Ares was crying against me as I looked at my bedroom door. "She might not remember, so we all need to pretend nothing happened and act normal, " I said, pushing Ares away. "Are you okay, bro?"

He sniffles and wipes his nose. "Yeah," he chuckles. "Crying in front of my sister and friends makes me look like a bitch."

"Hey, crying isn't bad," Don tells him. "It's what makes us human." Don has had his share of crying since the death of his mother.

"Yeah, never thought I'd see the God of War cry. I wonder what his fans will say or if Duke Spencer finds out," Seth snickers as Terry elbows his stomach.

"Anyways, act normal once Jo wakes up. This wasn't her first episode, but it's been a while since her last one. So, all of you don't mention anything we just told you, alright?"

"Alright," everyone said in unison.

Rex sat next to me, pulled me close, and kissed the top of my head. "Everything is going to be okay."

I sigh. "Yeah, I hope it will." I shift my body towards him. "Sorry, we were scheduled to visit your neighborhood."

He brushes my cheek. "It's not going anywhere. We can go anytime."

I lean towards him and kiss him. "I love you."

"Love you too."