Six years ago…..
The room was dimly lit, and the cries of agony filled the small space, followed by the smell of fresh blood.
Luke’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the trembling spy before him. “Not ready to talk? You only have two toenails left though.”
The spy, a scrawny man with a scruffy beard, sat limb in the chair he was strapped to, tired from the endless hours of torture. “I…” he struggled to speak… “I don’t know anything.”
“Hmm?” Luke tilted his head to the side, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. “What you shouldn’t want to know is what will happen to you if you tell another lie.”
“I swear….” The man sobbed like a newborn baby, “I was framed! You have to believe me, young master!”
Luke’s gaze never wavered. “Framed you say.” he fiddled with the blood-stained plier, a sickening smile on his face. “Looks like I have to cut off your toes instead.”
“No please!” The spy’s eyes darted around the dimly lit room, no doubt searching for an escape route. But he was trapped, and he knew it.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and two figures stepped inside. Their menacing aura circled the room like a cloud of smoke, commanding the attention that came with their presence. None other than Luke’s older brothers, the infamous Graham Devils, had arrived.
“You’re not done?” There was Zephan, the eldest, with his chiseled features and piercing grey eyes. He stood next to Luke, assessing the damage he did to the spy. “You still have a lot to learn Arroyal.”
“Toenails huh?” Leviticus, the second eldest, stepped forward, looking down at the spy’s bare feet.
“You used the lamest trick in the book, no wonder he didn’t talk.” He chuckled, combing his hands through his blond locks.
Luke clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he knew better than to talk back to his brothers. He respected them too much to go against them. Luke hung his head low, ashamed of his incompetence.
“I apologize for taking so long.”
Levi shrugged his shoulders, sharing a knowing glance with Zephan. “Would you do it or should I?”
Zephan responded with a curt nod.
“Go ahead.”
The spy’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of the Grand Brothers. He knew he was doomed.
“Please….” He was paralyzed in his seat, looking up at the faces that spelled his demise. He heard stories, tales of the men who were called the angels of death. Mafia lords of the Graham group, ruthless leaders of the most powerful gang in the city.
They took lives without emotion, and sometimes with a smile.
Levi shrugged off his coat, and a guard quickly moved to take it.
“Watch and learn Arroyal.”
Luke fought the urge to roll his eyes, but he paid close attention.
Levi gingerly put on his gloves, ignoring the pleas of the spy as he took his time to choose from the torture tools. “Tell me, young man.” He addresses the spy calmly, “What do you call a dead peacock?”
The spy spluttered out, confused at the random question. Levi chose a surgical knife with glee, bringing it to his lips. He ran his tongue against the sharp edge, but it didn’t cut him.
“Answer this question and you might have a chance to live.”
“U-hmm..” the spy cracked his brain, “a…. a corpse?”
Levi grinned. “Wrong.”
The spy screamed in pain as Levi stabbed his eye with the knife, his blood splattering.
Levi pulled the knife out, sighing in pleasure as he did so. “You call it beautiful,” He corrected, “Because its beauty never fades even in death.”
Luke watched, his expression impassive. This was his life, and he had grown used to scenes like this.
When it was all over, Luke cleaned up the blood from his body, his movements methodical. He changed into a fresh set of clothes, grabbed his backpack, and headed out the door.
He had a class to attend.
As he walked across the campus, Luke spotted Veronica, his friend and confidant, waiting for him by the library. She waved, and he returned the gesture with a smile, feeling a sense of normalcy wash over him.
But as he approached, he noticed a
Ezekiel standing next to Veronica, holding a taunting smile.
“Hey, Luke,” Veronica said, as he approached. “What took you so long?”
Luke shrugged his shoulders, tossing his bag on the table. “Family.”
Veronica and Ezekiel shared a knowing look, instinctively knowing what he meant.
Their families were linked. While the Grahams ruled the mafia, the Montagues controlled the media, while the Sterlings took care of politics.
Veronica gestured to Ezekiel. “He said you had a crush on someone.”
Luke grimaced, turning to glare at Ezekiel. “Where did you hear that from?”
“A little birdy,” Ezekiel replied, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Didn’t your father bring a girl into the mansion recently?”
Luke scoffed. “Yeah so?” He didn’t want to be reminded of his father’s rash decision to take in an orphaned girl. He already had him, Zephan, and Leviticus. So what was the use of adding a weakling like her to the list?
“And he also enrolled her in the Academy of Arts? The same one we’re in?”
Luke narrowed his eyes at Ezekiel, wondering how he knew so much of the details. “I don’t know where you’re going with this.” If it wasn’t for the fact that Ezekiel was best friend, he would have mistook him for a spy.
Ezekiel leaned against the table and let out a dreamy sigh.” I hear she’s a real beauty. Ten over ten.”
“Prettier than me?” Veronica mused, and Ezekiel gave her a dry look.
“You’re a solid four.”
“Oh fuck you.”
Luke took his seat, removing himself from the conversation.
He didn’t tell his friends that she was his adopted sister, and was glad Ezekiel didn’t know that at least.
“What’s her name?” Veronica asked casually.
Ezekiel glanced at Luke, but he paid no mind to him.
“Seraphina.”
*****
Luke sighed as he got ready for dinner, catching the attention of Robert who helped him arrange his attire for the evening.
“A penny for your thoughts young master?”
Luke hesitated a bit before speaking. “I don’t like that girl.”
“That girl?” Robert paused with furrowed brows, then he smiled in realization. “Oh you mean Miss Seraphina.”
“Tch.” Luke scowled at the mirror, struggling with his tie.”Father is having dinner with us today for the first time in years, why does an outsider have to join.”
Robert chuckled lightly, moving to help him with his tie. “I’m sure the headmaster must have his reasons.”
“She doesn’t belong here.” Luke argued.”She’s a weakness.”
Robert held out his jacket for him, and Luke shrugged into it. “I remember master Leviticus once said the same thing about you when you first came to the mansion.”
Luke bit his tongue, recalling the day he officially became a Graham.
His father-his adoptive father-Daniel Graham, had brought Luke in after he wiped off the rival gang he was with.
Daniel was impressed when he found an eight-year-old boy with a bloody knife and a dead man at his feet.
“That’s different.” he huffed, turning away from Robert. “I was never…. weak.”
“Hmmm,” Robert nodded, tucking his hands behind his back. “And so is she.”
Luke scoffed once again, and Robert chuckled fondly at him before the young lad before leading him to the grand dining room.
The hall was decorated with lush followers, with beautiful priceless paintings hung on the tall walls. The chandelier cast a fine glow from the center of the ceiling, the light bouncing off the gold cutlery and silver plates.
A group of maids stood in the corner of the room along with Robert, ready to serve the opening meal. Soft classical music mingled with the eerie silence, but it did nothing to dispel the tension in the air.
Luke instinctively took a deep breath as he walked in. His shoulders go stiff as he spots his father at the far end of the table, his attention fixed on his glass of wine.
Levi and Zephan sat beside him, their expression impassive, but they were more composed than Luke. Luke felt immense pressure coming from the table, repelling him instead of accepting him, but even with that, he took his seat.
The girl was there as well, but he refused to acknowledge her presence.
A few seconds passed, and then Daniel Graham raised his head, his dark eyes scanning the table. Zephan and Levi looked him in the eyes with a curt nod. Nothing more, nothing less. Daniel was satisfied with this, but when his icy gaze landed on Luke, the younger Graham gulped his spit, and unlike his brothers, he couldn’t hold his father’s gaze and ended up looking away.
That was when he saw her.
Seraphina smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling under the golden gleam. She brushed her blonde curls behind her ears and leaned over the table to face Daniel.
“Daddy, can we eat now?” She pouted, causing Luke to choke on his spit. What audacity!
Levi and Zephan seemed unaffected, leaving Luke out of the loop, he had only seen Seraphina once, and it was from a distance, but still, he didn’t expect to be this dense. The fact his father didn’t address her rudeness was what baffled him the most.
“Patience dearest, I need to make an announcement first.” He answered softly, setting his cup of wine aside. He glanced at Luke, causing his heart to skip a beat, he somehow knew that whatever Daniel was about to say wouldn’t be pleasant.
Luke braced himself but wasn’t prepared for the truth of it
“From today forward Luke will be restricted from all gang outings. Instead, he will take care and guard Seraphina through her daily activities.”