A/N: Back with another chapter! So happy to see that some people like the first chapter enough to favorite/follow. Thank you as well for the reviews. They mean a lot to me. As always, I don't own anything from the show.

With each step that Kate took, her heartbeat seemed to pick up it's pace. There was no mistaking that she saw Scott. This wasn't the workings of the tequila in her system. While part of her was worried, the other half was upset. She had been blowing up their phone for months, texting every minute that she had available. Yet, there was her adopted brother in a bar, and their dad no where to be seen. There was no way that he would be okay with his underage son, or daughter for that matter, be in a bar, or truck stop, better yet, unattended.

Period.

"Scott?" She called out.

Her voice seemed lost to the music that seemed to work it's way through the door and into the back area. There wasn't much to it. One door straight ahead that read 'Shipping & Receiving', the kitchen, and then an elevator to her right. A chill worked it's way down her spine. She stepped to the elevator, hand reaching out to push the button to call it, but never got the chance. The bell dinged, signaling that it was already there. The double doors opened and a man took a step towards her, head down reading something on his phone.

Kate's eyes widened in surprise, backing up slightly away from him. The man looked up, raising a brow in question as to what she was doing. What was it about this place? Most of the people here were... beautiful, and this guy was no different.

Dark hair and a tan complexion, with a stocky build and wide shoulders. Even that was visible under the black suit he was wearing. Kate could see a little bit of a tattoo on his neck, and briefly she wondered what it raised his eyebrows, placing the phone inside his slack pockets. Brown eyes connect to blue ones, and Kate takes another step back, giving him a small, shaky smile. Kate was the first to speak as the two stared at each other.

"I was looking for my brother, Scott." Kate toyed with her fingers in front of her body, trying to work out the nervous energy.

"Haven't seen him, Princess. But I know you're not supposed to be back here." He snipped at her, walking towards her to grip her upper arm.

She let out a gasp, her body moving with his as her turned her around and began to walk her back out to the main area. Pressing her feet down to try and get him to stop, but he appeared determined. Scott came back this way. She knew it. Why this man was trying to keep her from him made her worried. Was he being held here against his will? Where was her father?

"Let go! You're hurting me!" She tried to yank her arm from his forceful grip, only to fail.

It tightened, bruising her pale skin as he pushed her against the wall by the door, bracing his free hand against the wall. His head lowered, making sure that their eyes connected and she could understand what he was saying. His dark eyes blazed with fury at her ignoring the sign on the door, she could tell.

"Listen to me. You're not an employee, and you obviously can't read. Don't come back here again." He paused, waiting for her response.

When Kate kept quiet, he snapped his fingers in front of her face, causing her brows to furrow at him and then giving a soft nod of her head.

"Do you understand? I want to hear you say it."

Licking her lips absently, she once more nodded. "I understand."

"Good. I'm glad we have an understanding."

"What are you doing, brother?"

Both pairs of eyes turned to look at the sudden voice, and Kate figured someone had come in during the scolding of her blatant ignorance. It was the guy from earlier, the one she had bumped in by accident. Richie, he had said. It didn't go unnoticed that he called the man 'brother'. Glancing from between the two of them, Kate bit the inside of her cheek to keep quiet.

Richie had spoken to everyone and made sure that it was understood the girl wasn't to be touched or harmed in any way. She was a small piece in a much larger picture. Seth knew that. Perhaps he was playing his role, making the girl even more intrigued as to where that elevator went. There were many times when the Gecko brothers would concoct a plan and it went smoothly, just as there were times when they ended up planning by the seat of their pants due to unforeseen circumstances.

This didn't need to be one of those times.

He placed his hands in his slack pockets, waiting for an answer while his blue eyes stayed glued to the scene. He could tell by the look on Seth's face that he was angry, and it took everything in Richard to not reach out and tear his grip from the girl. Seth knew what Kate looked like. Knew everything about her from the intel that Scott gave, as well as Tabitha. Yet, he was treating her like she was anybody else.

"Just making sure Princess here understands that words on doors should be heeded. That's all."

"Then maybe let her arm go."

Richie could see that the skin around his grip was turning white, and it took his brother a second before releasing his hold on her. Kate's hand shot up to the spot, rubbing it with a quiet wince.

"You'll have to forgive my brother,"

Richie paused, the corner of his lips curling upwards into a light smirk.

"sometimes Seth doesn't know how to act around beautiful women."

Seth shot him a look that read nothing else but 'fuck you'. "Yeah, that's it."

Kate looked between the two and Richie could tell by the tension in her body she was nervous. He could hear her heartbeat pounding in her chest, practically see the blood rushing through her veins. Shaking her head, she let her arm go.

"It's fine. I was just trying to look for my brother, Scott. I saw him come back here and... I haven't heard from him or my dad in awhile."

Richie looked to Seth briefly and then to Kate, giving a shrug of his shoulders.

"So many people come through here, it's hard to remember everyone."

Kate sighed and looked at Richie, and then Seth.

"No, he just came through here. I saw him. This couldn't have been more than ten minutes ago. Please, if you've seen him, or if he's somewhere that I can't go, I just want to talk to him. He can meet me out there for all I care."

There was a pleading within her voice the made both brothers pause in their next movement. Everything that was to happen couldn't go too quickly. It would frighten the girl and in the end she wouldn't help them at all. Scott was the key to everything. Since Carlos' death, he decided to hang around for awhile, stay close to the brothers and maybe learn a thing or two. If they gave him up now, it would ruin everything. Not to mention there was the subject of her dead father that would have to be addressed. Eventually.

Seth glanced at his brother, and in that brief look it was almost as if the two could communicate. Give her a taste, not the entire thing.

"What does he look like?"

Kate's eyes jumped to the other brother, the one who had gripped her so hard, she thought he would break her arm. They both made her feel on edge. Yet, she couldn't deny the things her body felt around the two of them. Sinful urges that would make even the holiest of preachers blush. She pushed away those thoughts and focused more on trying to find her family.

"He's about as tall as me, a teenager, brown eyes, Asian, tanish. Loves Mexican wrestling, most likely with an older man in a winnebago. The other guy is older, white, scruff on his face and blue eyes. Salt and pepper hair, maybe down to his jaw."

Her heart felt hopeful telling them what Scott and her dad looked like. Kate's stomach began to turn, knotting while she waited for their confirmation and she placed a hand against it, trying to calm it down. The tequila shots didn't help any, and she could feel herself start to become lightheaded. They were a bad idea, she knew, and now that she was getting down to where her family was, wasn't exactly the right time to feel like she was going to puke or pass out.

"We met both of them. One is still here, the boy, Scott."

Jerking her head in the direction of Richie, Kate's eyes widened and she felt like her legs were going to give out on her. She knew she wasn't crazy.

"Where is he? Can I talk to him."

The other brother, Seth, ran a hand over the back of his neck and then looked at Richie.

"Take her out front. I'll go get him."

If she wasn't feeling sick, Kate would have jumped on him and given him a hug. Instead she smiled at him, pushing back the tears that she could feel trying to pool in her eyes.

"Thank you so much."

"Come on."

Richie took her by her wrist and lead her back through the door to her table where Tabitha was sitting. Her friends eyes widened at the sight of the man and pulled over a chair for him.

"Scott's here, Tabby. I can't believe it."

Seth knew it was too soon to bring out the girls brother, but from the look on Richie's face, he knew that he was going to do it anyways. The carefully laid out plan wasn't going the way it was supposed to, and Seth cursed under his breath while in the elevator. He didn't want to get involved in the first place, but this was business and business always had a price.

There was no clue how she was going to react to the news of her father, and Seth was just glad that he wasn't going to be the one to lay that one on her. In fact, this plan didn't even involve him to begin with. This was culebra business, and he sure as fuck wasn't one of those bloodsucking vipers. The only thing he was interested in, was the money. He didn't care about what agenda the Lords had, or the words of fear they tried to instill in him and Richie about what was coming. Just like always, the brothers would do whatever they had to in order to survive.

The double doors of the elevator opened up once it was on the final floor of the underground area, and Seth walked out, his stride quick.

"Scott!" He called out, his voice seeming to echo in the area.

He's quickly greeted by the face of the teen who's obviously unhappy with being hidden from his sister. Seth motions with his head for Scott to follow him.

"Come on, let's go. You get to see your sister."

"Really?" Scott asked, obviously shocked by the announcement.

"Yeah, kid. Really. But you know what you can and can't say, right?"

Scott licks his lips before giving a soft nod.

"Nothing about being a culebra, or about what goes on here."

Seth nods, already starting to walk back to the elevator. "Exactly. She's going to ask about your dad, so you better think of something quick."

He follows behind the man, shaking his head. "What the fuck am I suppose to say, Seth? The truth is just a little hard to understand."

"I don't fucking care what you tell her. But you're not going to tell her the truth while there's a bar full of people. Jesus, Scott. Use your brain."

The pair start the journey back up, taking the ride in silence while Scott tried to figure out what the hell he was going to tell his sister.

"So, you're going to college, huh? The both of you?"

Kate looked up from the table to Richie and smiled lightly. "Yeah, in Austin. It's not that far from where I live. Makes it easier to get home on holidays."

Her eyes kept going from those at the table, to the door that she knew Scott would come out of. What was taking so long? It seemed like hours had gone by, when in reality it was merely minutes. The trio became quiet, until Kate felt someone kick her under the table and looked at Tabby, who motioned her head and eyes to Richie. Her way of saying 'talk to him', she guessed.

"So... you own this place?"

Kate asked, looking to Richie briefly before her eyes turned to Tabitha, as if to show her that she was talking to the man. There was something about him that made her feel like... like prey. The way his eyes would look at her, how one minute they would be looking eye to eye as they talked, and then they fell to her lips or lower.

"With my brother, yeah. It kinda fell into my lap and my brother wanted to help out. Why not?"

There he goes looking at her again. Those icy blue eyes seemed to pierce her to her very soul, like he knew what she was thinking or who she was deep down. Yet, his tone washed over her like the finest silk, caressing her body and almost putting her at ease. His brother seemed so much different, and it almost reminded her of ying and yang. Two sides of the same coin.

"At least it's family. You can always trust them."

"Exactly."

Kate gave him a small smile and started to idly tap her fingers against the table, saying a quick prayer that God would give her the patience she needed at that moment. Glancing back to the door, she saw Seth and Scott walk through it and towards them, making her stand up with a wide happy smile on her face. The tears she was holding back starting to slowly glide down her smooth cheeks, and once he was close enough, Kate reached for Scott to wrap in a tight hug.

"Hey, Katie." Scott whispered, wrapping his sister in a hug.

She sniffled quietly and closed her eyes, shooting a thankful look to Seth over her brothers shoulder.

"I've been so worried. Where's dad?"

A/N: Awww, so sorry I had to leave it at that. I didn't want this chapter to be super long either. But no fretting! I'm working on the next chapter.