The Age of The Masrui

The other man responded in kind by taking a gun out and pointing it at Sean, kicking Karsi off to the side. “We were supposed to take her to trade off later but if you let us take the old man now there won’t be any need mm?”

“Amateurs.” Sean snorted despite the gun pointed at him. “Ballsed this up haven’t you?”

---

“What makes you think they need me more? Neither of them can stand me. All Sienna does is go on about how she misses the dad she has as a toddler.”

Louis rolled his eyes in annoyance, agreeing quietly with Sean; "They really are terrible. He obviously cares for his colleague though to stop, how admirable. How long have you two been friends the-"

"Mom? Dad? What's all the..." Cain begun as he wandered into the kitchen, freezing when his eyes fell onto the scene.

"Go back to bed, Cain. It's okay."

---

"Mm, meaning the dad who had the time to spend with her." Marlowe whispered. "Theo thinks you never wanted kids. You need to be the one to stay with them, so they can see how much you love them. Trust me on this, please?"

“Your security are all dead, we didn’t mess anything up so badly it can’t be fixed.” The man shrugged, still pointing his gun at Sean as he bent down to drag Karsi up, moving to hold the gun to her. “Let my colleague go. We’ll take your wife and in a few days you can arrange swapping the old man for her mm? I don’t think you quite realise who you’re pissing off here, you should - “ he cut off as Sean moved forward as if to tackle the gun from him, though Sean quickly stepped back when he heard the gun click as the bullets moved into the chamber, the man just raising an eyebrow as his finger twitched on the trigger. “Be a shame if the little lad had to shower his parents brains off before bed wouldn’t it? All for some grandpa he doesn’t know.”

---

“He’s very dramatic sometimes.” Maddox sighed deeply. “I can’t win here can I.”

"It isn't a competition, Maddox." Marlowe sighed, leaning back from him then as her hands dropped onto her lap. "There is no winning and losing.the kids need you, you still need time away from work and Dorian needs me to step up here for a while. It isn't forever, a few months until Sienna isn't so fragile, and Theo is feeling himself."

---

Cain stumbled a few steps backwards, trembling violently. Only coming to a stop when his back hit against the kitchen counter; moving his hands behind his back as if protecting himself from the handle digging into him, though, as the man spoke, he slipped the drawer open and with a shaking hand and bad aim toward the man who had a hold of his mother; he took out a gun, flicked the safety and fired.

"Fuck." Louis jumped at the noise, throwing the guy he was holding onto the floor thoughtlessly and moving across to Cain.

The man holding Karsi dropped dead to the floor, his own gun clattering down beside him. The man with him fleeing the instant he was let go.

Sean stared at the body with wide eyes before looking to Cain. “Well done son... well done.” He murmured in approval, kicking the dead man with his foot to double check he was dead.

---

“She’s never not going to be fragile now is she? Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

"Cain, you could of gotten yourself killed! You could of missed and killed your mother! What the - are you..." Louis yelled, grabbing a hold of Cain's shoulders and scanning him over for injuries quickly before shaking his head and moving over to remove the gag and ties from Karsi before lifting her into his arms.

Cain kept a tight hold of the gun, staring through his father when he came up to him and not moving his eyes from where the body was. As white as a ghost.

---

"No matter how hard this is going to be for us, we have to try and be whatever she needs us to be." Marlowe whispered. "A man she trusted has left her, so she is going to need the main man in her life to remind her how much she doesn't need him. Every girl needs their daddy when they are hurt, pregnancy aside."

“We’re not safe here. If your security are dead we’re not safe. Is there somewhere else we can go?” Sean asked Louis as he reached over and gently tried to prise the gun from Cain’s hand. “You’ve done good son, let me have that now mm?”

---

“I get the picture Marley. I’ve said we’ll do it your way.”

"My way, so if it goes wrong it can be my fault right?" Marlowe sighed, getting to her feet as she added quietly, "I wish we were a team right now, wish it wasn't a competition for who wins and loses. My way, your way. I- I need to go and talk to the dead so, that is where I am going to be... if you need me."

---

"I'm on it just... watch him." Louis mumbled, carrying Karsi out of the room and up the stairs. Placing her down onto the bed as he grabbed his phone and called Altair.

Cain uncurled his fingers from the gun then, lowering himself to sit on the kitchen floor.

“It’s Cain right?” Sean asked as he knelt down beside him. “The first person you kill is always the hardest. But you saved us all then - they were bad men who would’ve killed your mother and father if you hadn’t done what you did, kid.”

“You’re calling late.” Altair answered tiredly by way of greeting.

---

“Stay safe.”

"It's a long story; I need to separate my kids for their own safety - which one of the three do you want? You know what they are all like, Cain is either going to be the most demanding right now or the least since he just fatally shot someone."

---

"K- Kill..." Cain repeated quietly, shoulders trembling.

---

"You too," She whispered, heading out.

“Your twelve year old just shot someone? What the hell is happening?”

---

“You did a brave thing. You did what you had to, to save your parents.”

"Oh that isn't the biggest revelation of the day Altair. I'd keep them all together, but that would just put all three of them in danger so which one do you want? Be quick and choose or I will for you."

---

"I-" Cain struggled, finally moving his gaze away to look at Sean instead. "Your - I've seen photos of you."

“Why do I feel like I’m in for a headache night either way? Send any of them. Where’s Karsi?”

---

“Mm. I am. Long story. We hoped to sit you down and explain clearly - those men were bad men who wanted to take me away.”

"Night? Yeah, we can say a headache night if you like. I'll drop Cain off with you later." Louis answered, avoiding the last question and flicking through his contact to call Ronan instead.

"Sorry," Ronan frowned, turning the coffee machine machine half way through a pod so he could answer the phone; "Louis?"

"Tesni or Wren?"

"What?"

"Quick; pick Tesni or Wren."

"I- Esme loves Wren so."

"Great, I'll drop her off soon." He hummed before hanging up. Ringing Serena only seconds later.

---

"You're..meant to be dead. Are you a zombie?"

“I wasn’t dead. People lied to your father to make him believe I was dead. Those same people wanted to take me back.”

---

“Why are you talking about Wren?” Bella asked with a raised eyebrow, having caught the back half of the conversation as she passed Ronan a drink over to him. “We didn’t miss a birthday did we? I’m sure it’s not till next month...”

---

“Louis it’s four am; did nobody teach you about time differences?” Serena murmured tiredly as she answered the phone. “Why are you ringing me at this time? Why are you calling me at all?”

---

"Whuch one of your brothers will not kill a seventeen year old girl if I were to drop her off to them? Of the answer is none, pass the phone over to Kadjr so I can ask him about his family. Quick, we don't have much time to discuss this."

---

"I- Don't know..." Ronan frowned, taking the drink. "He asked Tesni or Wren, then declared he would be dropping Wren off. He was frantic, I - something must be going on."

---

"Oh... that - that's horrible. So, that's why they were just trying to hurt my mom? To get you to go back?"

“Yes son, and you saved us both. So don’t feel too bad about what happened.”

---

“Marcel is responsible and has brought kids up of his own, Caspar has no kids but he’s more fun... what’s going on?”

---

“That doesn’t sound good. Just one of the kids and he made you pick?”

"Great! Wake Marcel up and tell him he'll have a teenager dropped off by midday your time, assure him she is very sensible and no trouble and then text me his address. I've no time to explain." Louis hummed before hanging up, getting to his feet and calling down the stairs; "Cain, come on let's pack some bags. Your sister are going to be doing the same."

Cain shook his head at Sean, whispering, "Why do I have to pack? What's happening?"

---

Kadir sat himself up sleepily, "What was that about?"

---

"Just one, yeah... Tesni or Wren. I don't know what is happening."

“This sounds bad.” Bella grimaced.

---

“Louis sounds like he’s shipping his daughter over here for whatever reason... I don’t really know what just happened?” Serena murmured sleepily.

---

“We need to get you somewhere safe so that nobody comes back to hurt you.” Sean encouraged. “Go on, go pack.”

"You're staying with Uncle Altair, Cain. You won't be far, don't worry." Louis answered as cheerfully ad he can, heading into Tesni's room to wake her up.

"Just - just me. What about the others?"

"Wren is with Ronan, Tesni will get to go to France; very exciting."

"I- what?" Tesni mumbled sleepily, sitting herself up.

"Pack a bag Tesni, think of it like a holiday. Be quick, we have to go now."

---

"This sounds worse than bad.. what trouble has he gotten himself into?"

"You're staying with Uncle Altair, Cain. You won't be far, don't worry." Louis answered as cheerfully ad he can, heading into Tesni's room to wake her up.

"Just - just me. What about the others?"

"Wren is with Ronan, Tesni will get to go to France; very exciting."

"I- what?" Tesni mumbled sleepily, sitting herself up.

"Pack a bag Tesni, think of it like a holiday. Be quick, we have to go now."

---

"This sounds worse than bad.. what trouble has he gotten himself into?"

“We’ll have to quiz him when he gets here... sounds like whatever it is is our problem now too.”

---

“Come on son, your dad is trying to get you to safety.” Sean encouraged gently.

Cain swallowed thickly, getting to his feet and looking over at the body once again before leaving the room and going to pack.

---

Louis quietly let himself into Wren's room, "Wren? Surprise holiday to Ronan's, sweetie, come on. Get up and start packing, ok?"

---

Ronan nodded.

---

"It doesn't sound good whatever it is, right? Your brother isn't going to be happy." Kadir mused.

“In the middle of the night?” Wren asked sleepily as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

---

“No... he won’t be. Not having a kid he’s seen a handful of times dumped on him. But... his problem not mine I guess.” Serena laughed tiredly.

"Better him then you," Kadir laughed.

---

"In the middle of the night, think of it like an adventure." Louis nodded, grabbing her suitcase and placing it on the bed. "Quick quick, five minutes and I want you done." He encouraged before leaving the room once again and going to his and Karsi's - grabbing their own cases.