Nine

"Jo!" I cried out among a crowd of people who ignored my desperate call.

I brush my hair back roughly, look around, and see no sight of her.

It's been over an hour.

Where the hell could she be?"

"Did you find her?" Rex asked as he ran up to me, panting.

I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to show him how vulnerable. "No! Where could she be? Jo is not hard to find because of her hair. If we were separated in the mall, I could spot her immediately. And my idiot brother isn't answering my calls or texts. Rex, where is she?" I couldn't hold back and let a drop of tears.

Rex pulls me against him and embraces me as I sob against his bare chest. "It's going to be alright," he assures me calmly and rubs my back. "We will find her. I'm sure she went to any of the shops here."

"There are like fifty shops here at the strip," I sobbed and made a point, then gasped. "Maybe she was kidnapped. Jo isn't herself, and she could get tricked easily."

"Baby, that will never happen."

I leaned against his chest and frowned, thinking of the worst possibilities Jo could get herself into.

Fuck! I'm the worst best friend!

"Guys!"

I look over to find the twins with my sister and Lily approaching us.

"No luck?" Liam asked.

I wipe my tears and shake my head. "You?"

"Same," Logan brushed his hair roughly back. "There are over a hundred people here because it's the weekend."

"The strip here is one of the most popular places, especially during the summer," Liam explains.

"I can believe I left her without telling her where I'm going," Lily whispered and dropped her head. "If Ramsey got lost...Oh, God! I will be the worst mother!"

Liam had her in his arms for comfort. "You're a great mother, Lily. That will never happen."

"But it did, Liam," Lily sobbed and argued back at him.

"Lily," Effie steps in to comfort her best friend, taking both of her hands. "I think the same. I would freak out if Zara or the twins were out of sight. I understand you are panicking, and we need to calm down. Take a deep breath and relax."

Lily and Effie sync in breathing, and after two. Both of them have calmed down.

"Feeling better?" My sister asked.

Lily nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Effie."

"Always here." The two share a little laugh.

I had never seen my sister calm anyone before. She's usually the one who always stresses out about our parents' death, so Ares and I were the only ones who always told her it's not her fault. Our words never reached her until Logan came into her life and everything about her changed.

I never felt so proud and happy that she is the Effie we love and adore.

"Girls, I hate to break this wonderful moment, but we need to find Jo," I say. "Effie, have you tried calling Ares?"

"I called him many times, but no answer."

"Shit!" I hissed and tapped my foot. "Where the fuck did that asshole go?"

Just when I asked myself that question, there was a commotion behind me. We all look to see a crowd of people huddling up.

"What's going on?" Rex asked.

Without reply, I head over with the gang behind me. I beeline through the crowd as I stop in front.

"Ares!"

I cried out seeing my brother beating up some guy in the face. Panic rose as I watched my brother hit an innocent man. I went to him and grabbed his arm. He pauses and glares at me with such anger in his eyes.

I've seen that look before.

That look when he first went on a rampage against the bullies who picked on Jo.

My brother is fucking pissed.

"What the fuck, Ares?" I growl. "Why are you hitting him?"

Ares jerks his arm away and huffs. "Ask him," his voice was hoarse and deep.

His face was filled with sweat, dripping on his face as if he had run a marathon. "Why would I ask him when I'm asking you? I get you are angry about Jo's condition, but that doesn't mean you should vent your anger on this innocent man."

Ares huffs, then licks his lips. "Innocent? Maybe you should ask him what he did to Jo?"

"Jo?" I frowned. "Why would this be about Jo? Do you know she is missing?"

I can not believe my brother is dodging the question.

"Thea."

I turn my head to the crowd and find Terry and Seth with..."Jo?"

She was huddling against Terry, who had her in her arms. Jo was trembling and crying. How is this situation related to Jo and the man?

I was looking between the half-beaten man on the floor and Jo's behavior once she looked at the man and cried out, hiding her face against Terry's chest. That is when my mind put two and two together.

"Rex, can you get Ares?" I said through my gritted teeth as I clenched my fist.

Rex approached Ares and grabbed his arm. Rex wouldn't take that for an answer when my brother refused to leave. He dragged him by the neck while Ares struggled to fight my fiancé off.

Once out of the way, I look down at the man, ignoring the crowd.

I pull on a forced smile, trying not to hit the man in front of all these people. "I'm sorry for my little brother's behavior. He has a bit of a temper."

The man groaned and held his stomach. "A little? He broke my nose and my ribs." He grunts.

You deserve it, you fucker!

I widen my smile and extend my hand to help him up. "What's your name? I'm Thea, and Ares is my brother."

"Richard."

"Well, Richard, my brother has a bit of a temper, but between my other two siblings and me. I'm the worst." Once Richard took my hand, I squeezed his hand tightly and twisted, hearing the bone crack as he howled in pain.

He cringes back on the ground, hugging his hand, crying like a baby.

"What did you do, you bitch?!"

I brush my hair back and scoff, acting like a thug. "You're lucky I didn't finish what my brother has started; otherwise, I'll be called a murderer. I wouldn't want that because I got a kid at home waiting for me to come back."

I stepped between his legs as he groaned in pain. Richard is in pain all over his body, but my stepping on his crotch is a warning not to him but to all the men and women who share that sort of disgusting feeling.

Suddenly, sirens were heard, and police showed up. I click my tongue. There wasn't enough time to torture the man, but Ares beat him up pretty well, and we will have to talk to the cops about what happened.

I got to do this quickly.

"You're lucky the cops are here, but I've got to give you a warning before they arrest you," I lowered myself and gave him a menacing look. "Just a friendly reminder, I have eyes and ears worldwide. If I ever hear about you and your touchy hands on anyone again. I will hunt you down, cut your dick off, and feed it to the sharks, and once you are in jail, let's see who's the bitch now."

I put pressure on my foot on his crotch as Richard hissed at the pain and nodded, wanting my foot off his dick.

When I release, he hovers his crotch with his good hand over it and rolls to his sides. I walk towards Jo, who instantly jumps into my arms. I held her tight as Terry and Seth followed. I looked sinisterly at Richard as he shivered in fear before returning to my family.

The cops took each explanation, including the crowd that saw the whole thing. Some were on Ares's side, while others were against him beating a man using violence instead of calling for help.

Jo was too scared to tell her story, so I showed the cops on my phone a doctor's note that she had a medical condition and that Ares was her caretaker.

I didn't want to give them the idea that my brother just liked beating up people, so I told them it was his job to protect her, even in that state.

The cops gave Ares a warning and arrested Richard for sexual assault.

As the cops take Richard away, the crowd disperses, returning to their things. I hear behind me, "Rex, remind me not to mess with your fiancée," Seth says in a trembling voice.

"You don't have to tell me twice, and I'm the one marrying her."

I look over my shoulder with Jo by my side. "And are you regretting it, my love?" I asked him.

Seth suddenly ran away to Terry, leaving his older brother to fend for himself. "N-No, baby." He stood next to me and kissed my head. "I'm happy to be married to a fierce woman like you."

"You better be; otherwise, you will sleep in the doghouse," I poked him in the chest and took Jo with me as we walked away, leaving him in shock.

"But, babe, we don't have a dog house," he says, catching up to us.

"Then you better build one," I tell him and laugh.