Maxwell swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the boss's gaze settle on him like a lead blanket. The room was silent, save for the faint hum of the monitors lining the walls. The tension was thick enough to choke on.
Richard, ever the laid-back instigator, just grinned and leaned against the desk.
The boss didn't respond immediately. He just kept studying Maxwell, his sharp eyes scanning him from head to toe.
Maxwell shifted uncomfortably. "Uh… you got a name, or do I just call you 'Boss'?"
The large man on the couch let out a low chuckle, the sound rumbling like distant thunder. "He's got a mouth on him," he remarked, amused.
"The idiots around here call me 'Boss,'" the large man said with a grin, lighting a cigarette and exhaling a perfect smoke ring.
"Love you too, Boss," Richard quipped, feigning offense.
The Boss chuckled, puffing out another ring of smoke. "Yeah, yeah. Just stick with 'Boss.'"
Maxwell swallowed hard. 'What the hell did I get myself into?'
Before he could dwell on it, the door suddenly slammed open.
"Elias! Where the hell is Ricky?!"
A dark-skinned girl stormed into the room, her eyes already locked onto Richard, who had suddenly gone pale.
"H-Hey, sis..." Richard stammered, inching closer to Elias as if his boss could shield him. "I was just coming to get you!"
His pathetic attempt at escape failed instantly. She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward.
"Yeah, I'm sure you were," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now, what's this I hear about you fighting a Brand last night? Answer me, damn it!"
Maxwell blinked. 'Wait... she's his sister?'
Now that he got a good look at her, he couldn't help but take in the details. She was toned, her lithe frame packed with compact muscle that didn't take away from her femininity. Her sharp features, paired with her piercing glare, made her look both fierce and undeniably attractive.
"Now, now, Ara," Elias began, waving a hand in a lazy attempt to mediate. "Let's all calm down and..."
"Stay out of this, Elias." Ara cut him off without even looking his way. "Seems like I'll have to remind my little brother who the man in the family is."
With one hand, she hoisted Richard off the ground and slammed him against the wall.
Maxwell winced. 'Damn… remind me never to piss her off.'
Noticing Maxwell standing a few feet away, Ara paused. Still holding Richard effortlessly by the collar, she turned to Elias with a questioning look. "Who's the kid?"
Maxwell hesitated before giving a small, awkward wave. "Uh... hi," he said, subtly inching away from the intimidating woman while trying, and failing, to suppress the blush creeping onto his face.
Elias took a slow drag from his cigarette before exhaling a stream of smoke. "This is Maxwell. Ricky here saved his life last night."
Ara's sharp gaze shifted to Richard, who immediately began nodding furiously in agreement, his expression desperate.
Ara raised an eyebrow, her face expressing the question. "Why?"
Richard raised his arms. "I had to bring him in, sis. Check the footage. Kid's fast, but he's got no idea what he's caught up in. We leave him out there on his own, he's dead."
Elias considered this, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. Then, he sighed. "Fine. Kid, you're in our house now. That means you follow our rules. No sneaking around, no trying to bail, and no asking stupid questions."
Maxwell bristled. "Wait, what? You expect me to just stay here?"
Elias raised an eyebrow. "Got somewhere else to be?"
Maxwell opened his mouth to respond. "Well, yeah..." But he quickly shut it, realizing the weight of his words. He had no idea how these people would react, especially since, as far as he could tell, they were criminals.
Taking a steadying breath, he finally spoke. "I'm not a criminal," he said, his voice firm despite the nervous knot tightening in his stomach. He swallowed hard, feeling his heart hammering against his ribs. "I'm not one of you."
The room fell deathly silent.
Ara slowly released her grip on Richard's collar, letting him drop to the floor with a dull thud. Richard straightened his clothes, desperately trying to salvage his cool persona, but the damage was already done. His dignity lay crumpled at his feet.
Elias let out a low chuckle, pressing the burning tip of his cigarette into the ashtray beside him. "Maxwell. Can I call you Max?"
Maxwell didn't respond. The room felt heavier now, a bead of sweat trailing down his brow as he sensed the shift in the air.
"You look like a smart guy. Not an idiot." Elias continued, his tone casual yet calculated. "Where did you find the Kyrennei?"
"I... I didn't," Maxwell admitted, his voice unsteady but honest. Fear clawed at his chest, but lying felt like a worse option. "It belonged to my brother. A grasshopper he found while playing outside his school."
Elias exhaled a plume of smoke, his expression unreadable. "And this brother of yours, where is he now?"
Maxwell's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Dead," he said, his voice rough with restrained emotion. "The bombing in the West Sector..."
The air in the room grew thick, a suffocating pressure settling over them at his words.
Maxwell barely noticed. He lifted his gaze, his eyes burning with raw anger. "People like you killed my brother."
Silence gripped the room, stretching for what felt like hours before Elias finally spoke.
"...My condolences," he said, exhaling a slow breath. His tone was unreadable.
Maxwell clenched his fists tighter, his nails digging into his palms, but he said nothing.
Elias leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "I think I understand you, at least a little." His deep voice carried a weight that Maxwell couldn't ignore. "But let me tell you something, you won't last a week out there. Not on your own."
"Like it or not, you're a Brand," Elias said, his voice calm but firm. "One without any backing whatsoever. If you have any family left, they're in danger. Without cover, you're an easy target."
Maxwell scowled. "And you're saying you want to be that cover?"
Elias exhaled, tapping his cigarette against the ashtray. "I'm saying that you're a kid. I've seen your face. I know your name. And it's within my capability to protect you. Letting someone with a future like yours die out there?"
Maxwell clenched his fists. "I don't need it. I'm not going to become a criminal just to protect myself!" His voice rose, frustration bleeding into his words. "Keep your pity and let me go."
Elias sighed again, a deep and measured breath, before standing to his full height.
Maxwell froze.
'Holy shit, he's huge!'
The man towered over him, easily seven feet tall, his broad frame casting a shadow that made Maxwell feel even smaller than before.
Elias took slow, deliberate steps forward, his presence suffocating. The room felt heavier, the oppressive silence returning in full force.
Then, after a long pause, Elias turned away. "Sure," he said simply. "Richard, show him out."
Maxwell blinked, caught off guard by how quickly Elias had relented. He hesitated for only a moment before stepping around Ara, pushing open the door, and leaving without another word.
Richard sighed, raking a hand through his hair before following after him.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Ara turned to Elias, arms crossed. "That doesn't seem like something you'd do."
Elias didn't answer right away. Instead, his gaze shifted toward the lanky man sitting by the desk, the one who had been silent the entire time.
"He's in mourning," Elias finally said. Then, looking at the lanky man, he added, "Luke? Keep an eye on him."
Luke, who had been lounging casually up until now, flashed a lazy grin. "No problem."