"Ace, we are ruined." My brother rushed towards me in the kitchen.

"So did my sourdough bread." I showed him my bread, which was drooling where I cut it.

"Ace!" Alex screamed.

"Huh?" I threw the hot bread in the trash before it ruined my counter.

"Dad is in danger." He pulled my shoulder. 

"What?" I finally looked at my brother's face.

His panicked face. I had never seen him like this. He never looked scared, even when he faced the best boxer in the city at the age of nineteen. That was his most stressful moment. But now?

For the first time in my life, I saw my elder brother take a deep breath before talking. 

I bit my lips. The heat from the oven had gone somewhere, and I felt cold in my back.

"Father went to the safe house. I booked a ticket to Paris when I got in the cab." He pulled me towards my room. 

"You have friends in Paris when you went to do the show, right? Pick one and stay low. I will call you when the storm calms a little. Don't pack more than you can carry while you are running. Get the important items you need. I get cash from the safe." He ran towards our father's office. 

Instead of packing, I ran behind him.

"Police? Cab? Paris? Stop and talk to me." I yelled back.

He stopped to turn back. 

"We don't have time to stand and talk. Pack. I will tell you what happened once we get inside the cab." He didn't care to explain after that.

I went and picked the clothes I wore last night, a red shirt and a pair of white jeans. I didn't touch my accessories or new clothes because I didn't want the flour to get in them.

"Took my papers and wallet. Didn't pack anything. I can borrow from the guys." I yelled while taking Mom's chain from the bedstand.

"That's better." He came with a backpack.

"Come," He pulled me and ran towards our grandpa's room. 

He turned back to look at the door. A headlight flashed in the living room through a window. A bang came from the backdoor. 

Once we entered the code, we sneaked in without speaking to each other. I took the torch from the left side of the swimmer statue, and Alex took the torch from the right side of the swimmer statue. We went in the opposite direction and placed it at the exact time.

Our grandma's painting on top of the bed moved. We didn't waste time. I climbed onto the bed and entered the passage. I took the bag once I got in and moved forward so that my brother could get in before the painting closed.

I crawled forward and stopped in the hall. I opened the coin-sized lid on the side. Through the grandma's painting in the hall, I used my right eye to see what was going on. There was a bunch of men running and throwing things around, tearing the whole place down. 

Within seconds, I felt my brother behind me. He touched my leg. I closed the lid and crawled. We reached the tunnel after a few minutes. We got up and ran towards the exit. I had so many questions, and I wanted to start from 'a ticket'. 

I looked at my brother, who was running with me. His eyes were on the light that shone from above. He rushed towards that place and climbed the iron ladder, which was covered in rust. Before I touched it, my brother, who was halfway up the ladder, threw me his leather jacket. I used it to climb. 

Once I got up, I climbed out of the passage while my brother put the storm grate back in place. I signaled him to stand back and went towards the road. There were plenty of cabs running due to rush hour. Before I took a step, he pulled me back. 

He wiped his hands on his pants and moved towards the road. I pulled him by his shirt. 

"I am not a baby anymore. I want to stand with you, not hide behind you." I hissed softly.

His eyes softened for a bit. His eyes were exactly like my mother's, especially when they're softer.

He smoothed my hair and gently touched my cheeks. He took the moment I melted to escape. I ran after him. He whistled, staying in the dark, and a cab stopped. We got in. 

"Airport." I looked at my brother for the answers he promised.

"A bunch of idiots who call themselves shrewd businessmen put a mole in Declan. Looks like they made some zeros from Declan's expenses over the years. They got caught today. That Declan worker went missing." He whispered. 

"What does it have to do with dad?" I demanded.

"Declan thinks our father was in it. We know he doesn't do things like that. It's Declan we are talking here. They are pure evils who destroy the families of their enemies before touching them." He pulled a phone from his pocket and gave it to me.

"I got this from Dad's office safe. It has the ticket. Use this. Only I know this number. I will get another one." He looked back to see if someone was on our tail.

"They won't understand the term innocence. Dad and Peter decided to talk with Declan directly. They got an appointment with the CEO. But everyone knows that there are two heads for the declan. They work separately. The youngest Declan was on a hunt. You have to stay in Paris till Dad clears it."

"You?" I know where this is going.

"Dad needs someone to help." He didn't look at my face.

"I am not going." I gave the new phone back.

"Ace." He hissed.

"See, it's better to stand together." I used mom's tone for more effect.

"Forget the moral lessons you learned from mom." He closed his eyes and said through his teeth.

I shook my head. He looked at me in pain.

"It's the Declan we are talking about here." His word held anger I had never heard in his voice.

"You are staying safe in Paris." He shook his head to stop me from protesting. 

"No. I am not going to Paris alone." I wanted him to come with me, or I should be with my family. 

"Yes, you are." He looked at his watch.

"I am not a coward." I heard my voice crack.

"No, you aren't, but you are my weakness, my little brother. I can't think straight if you are in danger. You are the only person whom I love more than I love myself. So please." 

I never heard him use that term. He pulled his hair softly and combed it back. I studied him for a minute. I nodded. We didn't talk much till we reached the airport.

I went outside. I didn't turn back. 

"Ace." He called me. 

I turned to see him. Hoping he would let me stay.

He hugged me, and I hugged him back tightly. He held my hands and scanned me for a moment. His eyes were watery. Then he left without saying anything. 

I saw him get inside the car and leave me. 

I felt something in my hand. I looked down to see my brother's special earrings. The one I always wanted, and Alex never let me touch. I didn't let the tear drop.