Ninth piece of the broken cage: at least you taste good

The snow was slowly vanishing by the rain that had fallen the night before. Cool air was coming to the long corridors of the mansion.

Diana still couldn't believe she had fought with Tia over someone who she didn't even fully know.

Although Tia had come to apologize and it resulted in one more fight again.

Diana was still feeling guilty.

She wasn't supposed to be fighting with Tia who was all she had left ever since Adrian was captured. It didn't make sense.

The way she was acting was ridiculous. Hilarious even. Just why would she defend him of all people?

because they were making him the bad guy even though he hadn't done anything?

because she felt like people who had that kind of blue eyes that just looked too innocent, weren't the bad guy?

His eyes were calming and they couldn't possibly belong to someone evil.

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There was only Sandy at the breakfast.

Tia was somewhere else with Clark who was in a mood from the moment he opened his eyes on the couch that he had fallen asleep.

Funny how Tia had transformed from her best friend to her protector ever since Clark had shown up.

She shook her head, Clark was a good man and he promised to keep them safe from the BH and he did. Without him, none of them would've been alive.

But aside from all the problems, Diana was starting to feel like an outsider to their group.

The team although small was still a team they had. They probably knew Adrian better than her as well. She felt so alone out of nowhere like the walls were crashing on top of her, like Sandy's blue rivers that were staring at her, we're trying to swallow her up.

Diana fisted her hands to stop them from shaking. She then pressed her palms ti her golden orbs as she took deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

" Are you okay D? "

Sandy had started to call her 'D' the second Tia confirmed that it was okay to call her whatever she wished.

From what Diana had understood so far, Sandy was a child who asked permission for mostly everything. Even when she wanted a single glass of water.

She found comfort when she was playing with her fingers. She nibbled on her nails and had them chopped almost every day.

Her black hair wasn't straight and had some curl to it. But what caught most of her attention was the scar that was running from her chin down to the middle of her throat. She would've covered it as much as she could, either with her collar or with her thin hair.

Diana cleared her throat to keep it from shaking as she replied.

" I'm fine...how's the food kiddo?"

Sandy gave a toothy grin before nodding like crazy. there was chocolate all over her mouth as she ate the pancakes on the table.

" it's delicious! I didn't know you could cook so well! "

Her chubby cheeks puffed out because of the bit bites she had taken from her chicken sandwich.

Diana smiled...

She would miss Sandy.

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William had a fancy car. It was a black BMW, the windows were pitch black and the whole vehicle had a shine to it as the way it spoke wealth, decided fate.

She was standing next to Tia who clenched her fists when she saw William come out of the driver seat with someone else who was the opposite of him.

William was dressed in a suit, and he looked exhausted enough to make her understand that he had to be coming from work. The dark rings under his eyes were becoming darker on his pale skin as he came nearer. The cool-looking suit hugged his frame from his shoulders down to his long legs.

The other boy though...

He was dressed in a red t_shirt and a black shirt. His sleeves rolled up to his elbow, the black tight jeans he wore showed off his long, slender legs. On his left wrist, he wore bracelets, one red, and one black.

The same blue, haunting eyes as William and the same coal hair.

Although William's hair was long to the middle of his back as he had it in a bear ponytail.

This guy's hair was looking wild, short, and spikey. Some of his bangs fell over his forehead as his skin was as pale as William's. The only difference she could find on the men who were climbing up the steps was that William's skin looked soft with no scar at all while the other man had his flesh decorated by fist like bruises all over his arms, neck, and some on his cheeks with one nasty one that had blood coming out of it a little was on his strong looking collarbone.

There was a car which was covering the corner of his bottom lip. The silver, bloody chain on his neck was glowing on his skin and he was as tall as William.

Tia bit her lips as she growled out.

"Hi. It is not nice to see you two back."

William did not bat a single eyelid as he smiled.

" Hello darling, it's good to see you as well."

His azure gaze turned to Diana as his friendly smile didn't fall.

" Miss Diana if I remember correctly am I right?"

Diana nodded slowly. Her main concern was fixed on the boy who was standing next to Will and considering how he started to introduce the boy he found out.

" This is Jason, my younger broth_

" A bastard just like himself."

Jason as it turned out to be, smirked in Tia's direction and instead of William, replied just as harshly.

" Fancy coming from a street rat."

Diana looked stunned at his sharp tongue. She could feel a level of protectiveness wash over her even though Tia had her fought. It was that simple, no one talked shit to Tia except her. Her eyebrows bent into each other as she could feel the heat of Tia's glare even if it wasn't directed at her.

" Jay I didn't bring you here so that you could start a fight, we talked about this."

William had a serious look on his face. His expression was promising nothing good as he glanced at the side of his brother's face that looked so much like he was asking for a very hard punch.

Jay rolled his eyes and leaned against the wooden wall. The muscles on his arms were clinching on themselves in a painful grip but he didn't seem to be feeling it as he placed his blue, blue eyes on top of Tia that made her look so much smaller compared to his tall frame.

" Tia would you be kind and bring Sandy here? It's time to go."

Tia nodded once before gesturing them to come inside, completely ignoring William's polite request. Her glare was waiting on the younger boy's face a little longer before leaving together.

Diana went along with them. No way was she leaving her best friend along with an asshole.

William only took a single look at the surroundings as he said.

"Nothing has changed much. Tia, I thought you didn't live with Clark."

Tia looked over at him. There was something like hurt in her eyes.

The tall golden walls seemed to be telling a story. Like this scene where these same people were together, was replaying over and over again.

The stairs cracked as Clark came down. His eyes hard as he gazed deeply into the men below him.

" Heh...the brat's here too."

Jason looked up harshly, the look on his face was savage as he struggled to not lose his control.

" Just what's your problem with me? "

Jay was glaring daggers at Clark while William was can't looking over at him.

Clark chose to ignore Jason as his focus was all over the older Lewis.

" How can I be sure your crazy mother wouldn't do anything to Sandy?"

Jason snorted from the corner of the hall.

'Bitch don't be sure...' Was all he whispered.

William on the other hand was trying to remain composed as he kept his face blank.

" Sandy is my sister Clark therefore I think I'll be the judge of those decisions."

Ice was forming in his voice. The smirk winded even more on his brother's lips.

Clark repeated.

There was no longer a smile on his handsome features.

" Clark you know me, I hate repeating myself. Bring her here."

Jay had a look that looked just like a snake that was waiting for his prey to fall into the trap.

Clark stood tall in front of William.

" Promise me you'll bring her back if you were gonna go back ti Washington."

Tia was standing in front of Diana the entire time...the second Will started to glare, the atmosphere dropped to a hundred levels.

" Clark."

Just a name but it was the last warning...a courtesy call.

Deep bottomless blue met dangerous brown.

At last, Clark sighed and nodded towards his office.

" Mr.Lewis there are some papers that need you to sign, they are in my office."

The cold air went back to being warm.

William seemed to be comfortable then.

With a nod, he followed Clark who gestured Tia to come along with them.

That left Diana and Jay in the huge living room.

" Jay could you_

" Get her to the car, yeah I know, fine."

" thank you."

__________________________________________________

"Okay curly where is she?"

" Curly?"

" don't you have curly hair?"

Jay asked as he walked past her to go to the stairs. Diana puzzled. How did that boy just?!

" Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

He half-turned and looked at her with those aloof, blue eyes.

" um...to Sandy's room? "

" you don't even know where it is."

He was already smirking.

" listen curly_

" STOP CALLING ME THAT! "

she didn't know why but it seemed like everything about him made her want to claw his throat out with her nails.

He had that venom-like smile, his eyes were shining and oh this was not helping with her anger.

" what's your name then? ...Curly?"

The vein on her right temple was twitching, she could feel it.

" Diana."

" Okay then D, I know this place better than you do so either follow or fuck off."

With that, he turned around and continued to walk up.

Diana stood there, locked on her spot. her jaw dropped.

Just how?! When Sandy had trouble with calling her by a nickname, did this freak feel okay with everything?!!

" First of all_HEY!"

He had already walked up the stairs which led to the rooms.

She rushed up to meet him as he walked through the long hallway. Diana was feeling the heat of her temper on her hot flesh as she caught up to him.

She grabbed his arm as hard as she could which made him hiss as she probably had pressed on his bruises.

She didn't care though, Diana spun him around.

Diana was panting and she was looking up, the fact that he was both faster and taller was not good news to her pride.

The glare on his cursed blue eyes was making her skin crawl beneath her hoody.

" who do you think you are anyway?"

His tone was leaking anger.

" WHAT'S your PROBLEM?!"

"The fact that you are touching me, that's my problem."

" oh really?! I didn't see that I was touching trash from the dirtiest trashcan!"

He gave a bitter chuckle as his smile grew bigger.

" trashcan like your mouth? You know I love it when people make these statements as they own something from others...not that YOU own anything at all."

Diana narrowed her golden eyes. The way he was looking at her was just even more irritating. The fact that he was getting closer to her to press her against the wall behind them wasn't helping with the situation either...nothing was.

" what do you mean?"

" oh, you're more stupid than I thought...baby the roof over your head, does it belong to you? ( he tilted his head to the side as his dark blue gaze went from the top of her head down to the curve of her hip and then back to her eyes again)...is there anything in this world that you own?"

Diana tried her hardest not to get even madder, she tries to swallow her anger and at his words because he was right...

She was nothing and couldn't possibly become something either...broken things were unrepairable, right?

But Jay gave her the feeling she had thought that she had lost...Anger.

Diana never thought she would ever, EVER slap a guy but Jason was just asking for it.

She didn't know when she lifted her hand but the sting that left her flesh and the sound of the sharp slap echoed through the entire corridor.

Diana was panting, her anger to a maximum level.

She looked up at him the flames on her golden eyes were reflecting the unused feeling she had inside.

His face had shot to right, making his jaw appear even more against his slender column of too white, too bruised neck.

Then...his face turned. His eyes a dark blue ocean she knew she'd be drowning if she swam inside, his full, pale lips in a tight grin.

" Even your slaps sound like nothing."

Diana smoked hard as she aimed again to punch his face and just as it was an inch away from his purple cheek, he grabbed her hand harshly and pressed her flat against the cold, hard wall.

Diana looked up at his face and unsurprisingly there was a predator's gaze in his eyes as if a shark was looking at her from those deadly oceans.

His face was just a couple inches away from hers that she could feel his heated breath on her skin...and just like that, he stepped away.

Diana glared hard at him as Jason let out a laugh that sounded more like a person who had gotten his prank done.

" as I said D, either follow or fuck off."