Chapter 13

Jackson, Mississippi

Emily listened to her brother rave about his plan for exacting revenge on the man who killed three people in cold blood. No one was ever able to talk to Clausen when he was like this. All he cared about was getting his man and getting paid. There was nothing he cared about more when he was like this.

She was very annoyed with him. Not only because he wanted to kill Klark but because he wanted to kill Klark for something he - Clausen- had done. The autopsy had come in while she was picking him up from the airport. Rowan had sent it to her phone. The DNA tests on the victims had come back and they were Clausen's prints. He had strangled the people before Klark had set the house ablaze.

That wasn't all though. Clausen had killed five other people in cold blood. They had the names and the way they had died. Klark was working on getting the pictures so they could show the faces of the victims to the killer. This whole plan would go on after Aaron was showed to him. They would have to judge his reaction closely.

She listened intently to him rant about his latest conquest. Ever since he had lost Aaliyah, he had been going through women like women went through bras. He couldn't settle down. She thought it was due to his grief but it turned out he was just crazy. She had told him that one day a woman was going to make him take notice and he was going to have to settle down. He had just laughed at her.

She pulled up to Klark's massive home and sighed. She had told him this was her home base. It was but she hadn't told him that she had been living here with Klark since she had believed he was innocent.

Clausen whistled as he got out of the car. "Who did you rent this from, sis?"

"A guy I know. I got it for a decent price. He says I can use it whenever I wish," she replied. Mentally she sent, 'I better be able to use this whenever I wish.'

She felt him laugh then caress her mind with feather light touches. 'Of course you can. What's mine is yours.'

She unlocked the door and walked inside. It was pitch black. The only thing she could see was Rowan's eyes from across the room. They swirled silver as he sat on the stool across from the door. She was happy the room was an open floor plan. It would be easy to restrain Clausen when he realized he'd been set up.

The light suddenly flipped on. Klark stood in the open living room. Emily had known he was there because of their bond even when he had his eyes closed. He had been standing so still he blended in with everything else dark. He opened his eyes and looked at her brother.

Clausen on the other hand began to literally foam at the mouth. He pointed like an idiot and he looked like a fish as his mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Finally he reached for the gun he always had strapped at his side.

There was a blur of movement and Austin had him disarmed before anyone could blink. Keldin slammed him into the door frame until he got a hand on him. Clausen struggled against him for a moment before looking at her.

"What the hell are you doing, Em? Help me!" he yelled.

She shook her head. "I can't do that, Claus." She backed up until her back hit Klark. His arm went around her shoulders and pulled her to him.

Clausen's eyes widened as anger set in. "You would choose him over me? Your own brother?"

"My brother died the day he laid Aaliyah to rest six feet under."

"I'm glad you mentioned her, Em," Klark said suddenly. He turned his head and nodded to Rowan.

Emily's brother looked at him with pure hatred. "What do you know about Aaliyah?"

Klark looked back at him. "I know everything about Aaliyah, Clausen. I know that she was your fiancée and I know that she was killed a day before your wedding. I also know who killed her. I have him here today so you can confront him."

The door to the cellar opened and Rowan came up with Aaron. When Clausen saw him, he nearly went ballistic. He struggled so hard against Keldin that Austin had to step in to help his twin. Together they held Clausen against them. Emily noticed they seemed to work in a silent harmony that only twins had. They didn't have to read each other's minds. It was some freaky twin thing. But as she thought about who they were and what they could do, it wasn't so freaky.

When Aaron saw Clausen fighting against his captors, he smiled wickedly. He knew what he had done to this man. He knew he had ripped this man's life to shreds and he didn't even care. Now he was going to smirk about it and not even apologize.

Emily was so angry she could spit fire. Then a thought occurred to her. Austin snickered across the room as she looked up at the man who held her.

'Don't even tempt me,' Klark said. She noticed he was barely holding back his own anger. It simmered just under the surface. She tightened her arms around him and watched.

"Why?" Clausen asked. At that moment he looked like the stricken fiancé Emily had seen two years ago. "Why did you kill her?"

"It was a bank heist. Anyone was fair game," Aaron replied. He grunted when Rowan nailed him in the rib with a fist. "You're a Healer. You're not supposed to hurt me."

"I'm not supposed to kill you. Maiming is completely different," Rowan replied. Austin howled until Keldin nudged him with his elbow.

Klark shifted until he was in front of Emily. He knew she could take care of herself but this was about to get really nasty. He didn't want her in the way of that.

'I'll be fine, Klark,' she said.

He believed her but he didn't want to take any chances. She only knew the side he showed her. She didn't know the evil that resided in this man. He had thrown his oath in the trash the day he first held up a bank. He had used his power over metal to open the safe then steal all the money. He had held up six banks in New York and four in Pennsylvania where Emily and Clausen were from.

Emily watched Klark's body language closely. She had no clue what he was thinking but if she wanted to look she could. She figured he would explain later. She turned her gaze to her brother. He looked haunted as Aaron continued to talk. As he talked more and more, Clausen's face fell even more and he quit fidgeting.

"Why?" he whispered. Everyone looked at him. "Why did you have to break my family up?"

"It had nothing to do with you. I wanted the money and she was in the way. Fair game," Aaron replied with no remorse.

Those last two words had Clausen fighting even harder to get out of the twins' grip. Austin and Keldin made faces and grunted as they tried their hardest to hold on to their captive.

"You son of a bitch!" Aaron let out a laugh as Rowan pulled him back from the angry man.

"I think we should tell him, Klark," Rowan said. He pinched Aaron in the side to get him to shut up.

Klark nodded. "Clausen, we have decided as a group that you are going to decide what happens to him."

A wicked look came upon Clausen's devastated face. "I want him dead."

This time the wicked look belonged to the twins holding him. If she didn't know this group of people any better she would say they were going to be the ones to kill him. But since the discussion over who would be the one to take him out, they were just making sure she knew what she had to do.

She made a face at them as Klark stepped away from her. She instantly felt the distance between them.

Klark stepped right in front of Clausen and made sure he was the only one he was looking at. He caught his eye and held it. "Are you sure you want to go with that?"

"Yes, I do. I want him to suffer in the same way Aaliyah did," the other man replied.

"Suit yourself." He stood straight and turned, nodding to Emily.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled her handgun from the waist band of her jeans. She always carried one with her just in case and she had a permit for it.

She checked the safety then flipped it off as she crossed short distance to her brother. Clausen stared at her in shock as she placed the gun against his head.

"What are you doing, Em?" he demanded as he fought to get away. Austin and Keldin locked down on his arms and held him fast. There was no getting away.

"You should know our law, Clausen," Klark said as he did the same to Aaron. He knew Aaron could easily take apart the gun but he would have to do it seconds before the trigger was pulled. He wasn't that good.

Clausen turned his terrified gaze from his sister to the other man. "What are you talking about?"

"Aaron's one of us. He can manipulate metal. That's how he killed Aaliyah. In our world if a man kills a normal human being, our law requires that justice be served. He will be given the same treatment he had given the deceased."

"His sentence is death?" He began to visibly shake. Klark and Rowan both nodded. "What does that have to do with me?"

"You killed one of ours," Keldin spat close to his ear.

"One of…"

"The autopsies on the people in the fire said those people had been killed before Klark set the place on fire. Upon further results, there was a DNA sample on the woman. It was your DNA that came back. You're the one who killed those people and one of our own," Rowan said.

"I was told to do that. I didn't have a choice! They were going to kill Emily!"

Emily realized her brother was grasping at straws. He was lying to keep from being killed. She looked over his head at Austin. The man rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

"You can quit lying, Claus," she said. He looked up at her. "I know you've been taken under the table jobs. You have red in your ledger."

"We have decided that whatever punishment Aaron receives, the same punishment will be bestowed upon you," Klark stated.

Emily looked at her brother and saw when realization set in. He was going to be killed if he didn't think this through. She knew he didn't want to die but if he didn't change, that was exactly what was going to happen. These people didn't kill out of spite but they did exact revenge when it called for it.

"What would happen to him if I said I didn't want him dead?" Clausen asked. He had realized there was no way he was going to get out of this alive if he condemned Aaron to death.

"You would live but you would have to turn yourself in for murder. We'll deal with Aaron in our own way. What we do to him won't reflect on you," Rowan said as he shackled something around Aaron's wrists.

Klark placed his hand on Emily's shoulder. He took the gun then wrapped her in his arms. She took the invitation and buried as close as she could to him. She was well aware of the eyes on them but she didn't care.

When she opened her eyes she looked at Clausen. He nodded at her.

"Boys, let him go please," she asked the twins.

Austin and Keldin understood and let him go instantly. Clausen rubbed his arms where the others had been holding him. He watched his sister closely, smiling when he realized this is where she belonged.

"So you've found him?" he asked.

Emily nodded. "Yes, I have. I hope you're not mad."

"It doesn't matter who you fall in love with as long as he's a decent man. This man is a decent man. I approve."

"Even though you tried to frame me for murder?" Klark asked lightheartedly.

Clausen caught the inflection and smiled. "Sorry about that. I really was working under orders."

"Why does Eric Blakemore want us dead as well?" Rowan asked the question that was on everyone's minds.

"From what he told me, his mother remarried when he was four. It was to a man who could do whatever it is you can do. He was always taking them places and letting them into his world. When the old regime was beginning to fall, his stepfather was imprisoned for working with the old regime to kill the heirs to the throne."

Austin and Keldin were the first ones to make violent responses. Klark followed theirs a split second later. From what she had been told, Emily figured the new rulers had to be Klark's younger siblings. Any attack on them would be hostile and get everyone riled.

"So he wants all of us dead so he can exact his revenge for his stepfather being imprisoned. Makes sense," Rowan said.

"Let Aiden know we're going against her plan. Tell her we'll explain when we get back," Klark said.

Rowan nodded and yanked Aaron with him when he went towards the hallway.

Clausen watched everyone as they moved around the room getting ready for something.

"What should I do?" he asked.

"My brother's going to come get you. You're to plead guilty on three counts of murder. You'll serve a year then be placed on probation. While on probation, you'll come work for us. We can't have you on the streets. That way we can watch over you," Klark said. There was a knock on the door before someone walked in.

Klark said it was going to be his brother who came to get hers. Emily noticed this man looked nothing like his brother. He had curly blond hair and bright blue eyes, a stark contrast to Klark's bronze hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, Wyatt," Austin said as the other man strode in.

"Hey, Aussie. I heard you pulled from New York to help on this case," Wyatt replied.

"Yeah, your sister's doing but I don't mind. It means I get to see the new addition to the family."

"What's the news?" Klark asked as he shook his brother's hand.

"Tyler's broken through the systems. He's wreaking havoc right as we speak. Cole and Grant have the members of Congress riled. They're just waiting for you." His eyes roved over the room until the stopped on Clausen. "Is this him?"

Emily nodded. "Yes, that's my brother Clausen."

"Puny isn't he?"

Austin laughed. "Compared to you and your brothers, yes, he is. But we're not comparing. He's going to plead guilty then work for us."

Wyatt looked at Klark. "Did Aiden agree to this?"

Klark shook his head. "No, but once I explain she will."

"You're very confident our sister will even listen to you."

"There's really no reason for her not to. She brought us out to the public. It would seem cruel not to give someone who harmed us a second chance."

Emily watched the standoff between the two. They obviously had different ideas about how this should play out. Klark was right. It would be insensitive if his sister didn't give her brother a second chance because he was going to do what they asked.

Keldin broke in the awkward silence. "Don't we have a schedule to keep?" he asked.

Wyatt grabbed hold of Clausen and saluted. "Go to Capitol Hill. Grant and Cole will be waiting on you." Then he disappeared.

Klark didn't waste any time. He grabbed Emily and hurled them into darkness.