The Story of Blood and Roses

The sounds of shuffling and cursing people filled the entrance of the property. Others had started appearing and they stumbled to stop and run for the house. Cienna and Sean clearly had an advantage over the other people... if they were being intelligent and leaving no evidence about the places they had searched and not found the prize. The people who came later would know if they didn't tread carefully and gave their whereabouts to them.

None of those who remained came closer to us. At the very end, Ethan came into view, following the last of the bikers. He parked the bike and gave me a little wink after he had taken off the helmet.

"Sweet ride," he commented and got off the bike. He said no more when I tipped the imaginary hat on my head but just gave me a wicked smile before shoving his hands down the pockets of his pants and striding towards the house without hesitation.

"Why do you think he's going inside the house?" I asked Anthony. Nobody even looked at Ethan as he passed them and entered the house.

"He's just going to go inside and lie down on the couch. Maybe he'll switch on the television and watch animal planet." I stared at him for a moment. "That's Ethan for you," he informed me with a shrug.

"How long do you think it's going to take for one of those people to finally get their hands on the goods?"

"I have no clue. I know Ethan and he would never make it easy. So, we could be camping out here for hours. I can only imagine what condition the house will be in when this is over." I thought I heard him groan. Of course, his prized mansion was going to be in shambles by the time someone found the goods. I got some sort of sick happiness from it. I think he knew it, too.

"Cut that smile off your face, kitten. I'll make all of you clean up the place while I take a nap," he threatened.

"You're getting old, Anthony," I teased. "If you're feeling that lazy, I don't think it's a good sign." I shook my head in mock worry.

"I'm not. Want me to prove it to you after Cienna wins the damned race?" He raised his eyebrows at me. The innuendo was clear, and it didn't bother me, really. I let it go with an eye roll and looked away.

"I'll love the look on Cienna and your faces when Sean and I win this thing."

"You wish, kitten."

"And wishes do come true." I pointed towards Sean who walked out of the mansion with a delighted expression on his face. He waved the white package over his head, signaling that he had found the treasure.

"I told you so," I leaned into Anthony and whispered to him in a patronizing tone. He turned towards me with raised brows.

"I'll get back at you for that," he whispered back to me, his voice low and scratchy. I winked at him and leaned away.

Sean skipped towards me, clearly ecstatic that he'd been the one to find the prize. It made me wonder about how serious he actually was about his education and his reasons. Not that the money he was getting from this race was going to be any more legal than any of the other sources of income that he has.

"I got it!" he shouted as he raced towards me. He took me by shock when he hugged me. His grip tightened around me as he laughed. He was a short kid as he hadn't hit his growth spurt as of then. I think I chuckled at his antiques, too, because the others seemed highly amused at his show of affection.

"Get off me, before I kick your ass," I warned him in a light voice. He scrambled away at that. Of course, I had been kidding... partially. The boy couldn't understand the difference between a joke and a threat. Someone had to teach him that if he wasn't picking it up himself.

I saw Cienna then. Her hair was a mess, probably due to the fact that she had tried to tear at it when she found out that Sean had gotten his hands on the cash before she had.

"Better luck next time, baby," I heard Anthony tell her when she came to him, a petulant expression fixed on her face.

"That kid must have cheated. It was as if he knew from the beginning!" she almost screeched. People tried to engage in their own conversations as she ate out poor Anthony's ears. Both Sean and I enjoyed that part, though. Anthony seemed unaffected, an image of calmness as he tried to calm her down. One wouldn't be able to spot even a tick of his jaws that he might have let slip in frustration. He let her speak, before giving her a stern look that silenced her. Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she waited for him to say something. The tact way he handled her was an indication that he was experienced in handling the tantrums of the woman and he no longer gave any importance to them.

"This is not important." His voice was loud and clear. "He's just hurt your ego by using his brains when you didn't." He simply left it at that. I didn't know what was worst, losing to Sean or Anthony's comment.

"I swear I'm telling the truth! Ethan must have helped him." She looked like a maniac as she ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes were red, brimming with unshed tears. For a moment, I wondered why she was so concerned about this. How she summoned the courage to speak over Anthony was beyond me. I might have made a habit out of it, but I doubted that Anthony would spare me if I blabbered to him in the condition that Cienna is in.

"Cienna, I think you should get some sleep," the simple suggestion sounded like a threat. He pushed past her and walked away without giving her another glance. He did look our way once but said nothing.

Cienna saw that, obviously. She flew towards us in rage.

"YOU!" she screamed. I flinched. She had a dirty habit of coming on to people and screaming at their faces. Sean visibly shrunk back and tried to hide behind me.

"What the fuck is your problem?" She had been at it for some time and it was irritating the hell out of me. "Stop acting like a big baby. Don't lose your shit over a stupid treasure hunt." That straightened her up.

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