Hi :)

I can't possibly say thank-you enough for the responses I am getting for this story.

Thank-you so much for every single review and alert. It reassures me that this is being read and it really makes my little fingers type faster.

You have no idea how much the reviews, alerts and PMs inspire me.

Thank-you so much and please keep it up

I do not own or claim to own Home and Away. I'm writing for fun. Enjoy.

I hope you enjoy Chapter 4 xoxo

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"No nothin's happened. Hey, whatever girl you're bringing here stops tonight. Understood." Brax said. It was an order.

"What makes you think a girl's been here?" Heath asked, trying to hide his shock of Brax knowing someone else had been, and still was, in their house.

"She wears Charlie's fucking perfume." Brax snarled before leaving, slamming the door on his way out, he needed to get out of that house.

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Heath and Casey heard the loud screech of Brax's tires as he pulled out of the street. It wasn't long before the strong smell of burning rubber blew through the house.

"How long do you think you can keep doing this?" Casey asked Heath angrily.

"I dunno, this isn't my idea. I know how hard shit is for him," said Heat leaning against the back of the couch.

Casey's eyes widened momentarily in surprise, he hadn't heard Heath say something like that for a while, his tough persona always got in the way.

"Doesn't look like it. He's on the edge, Heath, after almost killing Jake, the drinking and now this... I don't know how much longer he can hold on."

"What do you mean nearly killing Jake?"Charlie asked from the hallway.

Remarkably the younger two Braxtons had forgotten about her.

Casey took a deep breath and tried to think of something to distract her with.

"Casey?"

"The only reason Perovic is out now is because your copper buddies pulled Brax away. If they'd left it, he'd be dead," Heath said, proud of his older brother.

"When?" Charlie asked.

"Umm we were in the hospital, Leah arrived and the police had told her that they considered Jake a suspect. Brax took off and umm, yeah." Casey finished.

"I didn't mean for anything like this to happen, Casey." Charlie said. For some reason she wanted the youngest Braxton to understand. Heath was a different story; she didn't feel the need to explain herself to him.

"I know Charlie. I think once he knows you're ok, it will be better. But for now, I just don't want to be a part of this."

"Can you drop me at Angelo's?" Casey asked Heath. "I'm going to go see Brax."

"Yeah, whatever. You ok here?" Heath asked Charlie.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

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"You checking up on me?"

"Yeah, I thought someone better?" Casey slouched down into a spare chair in the office and looked at his brother.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room but it was interrupted when Brax's phone began to ring.

"Yeah, what?"

"Darryl. It's been a while," a cold voice laughed down the phone. It had been a while but Brax wouldn't forget the sadistic voice that belonged to Jake Perovic.

"Just wondered if you ever found what you were missing those few months ago?" His cold laugh chilled Brax as he remembered kissing Charlie goodbye for the last time, but it also ignited a fiery desire for revenge.

"Jake, I dunno if it's a good thing or not you escaped custody. Shows your dumb as shit but we still ain't finished, I'll kill you."

"You're all talk Braxton, all talk. I warned you and your bitch of a brother I'd take you down. I think I'm winning at the moment don't you? How's it feel to be all alone?"

Brax had stood up in the office and had begun to pace across the room. Casey's eyes were glued to Brax and he tried to listen to the conversation.

"Hey, hey hey. I told Hammer those months ago, no matter what you do to us we'll take you down harder and smarter, and I think we're up to our move. But uh, maybe he didn't get a chance to give you that message," Brax taunted.

Brax was reminded of Jake's psychotic side when he suddenly started to scream down the phone.

"I enjoyed watching that bitch die, Braxton. Come round and maybe I'll tell you about it."

This was what the phone call was about. Jake was trying to rile him up, make him mad. Bringing up his enjoyment of taking Charlie's life was like waving a red flag in front of a raging bull and Perovic knew it.

"Nah, you didn't watch her die, Jake. You were gutless, you shot her and ran. You left that job for me, I watched her die," Brax spat through the phone, not caring that he let his emotions show. His relationship with Charlie had been too important to hide how he had felt.

"But you know what, no matter how fucking hard that was, no matter how much it hurt; I can replay Charlie killing Hammer over and over every fucking day. It was a good shot too, you woulda been proud. Instant kill unlike your pussy effort."

The phone went silent.

"I just don't know what my next move will be Braxton," Jake spoke slow and deliberate illustrating his fury. "Burying one of your brothers would hurt you a bit more but you know what, something just makes me wanna go for that bitch's daughter. I reckon that would be sweeter, you knowing you failed her. Keep an eye out won't you Darryl?"

The phone went dead.

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"Keep an eye on Ruby." Brax told Casey.

He had returned to his seat but Casey could see that he was still extremely tense. Brax leaned on his forearms which rested across his thighs, his eyes focused on the floor, replaying the conversation over.

"Brax, she doesn't let me anywhere near her you know that-"

"Casey, I didn't ask you if you could please do it. I told you to keep an eye on her." He said looking up.

"But-"

"Hey, you have more of a chance of getting closer to her than Heath and I do."

The conversation was interrupted by Casey's phone ringing.

"It's Ruby," he told Brax before he answered the phone.

"Ruby?"

Casey heard her crying down the phone.

"Rubes, are you ok."

"Is Brax with you?" she asked.

"Yeah he's here," Casey looked up at Brax who was watching carefully. "What happened Ruby?"

"I just got home, there was a note stuck to the door of the caravan." Casey heard her start to cry again but the phone was pulled from his hand.

"Ruby?" Brax asked down the phone, he sounded harsh but it wasn't intentional.

"Brax, they left a note."

Brax knew that Watson had paid Ruby a visit after him. Ruby knew about Perovic being out but that was it. None of the Braxton boys had let her know about Tommy's visit or Brax's suspicions.

"What did it say Ruby?" Brax asked, relieved that she hadn't been hurt. They would definitely need to keep her a lot closer until Perovic was taken care of.

"Umm it's a cut out from the newspaper... about mum's murder and on the back there's an address."

"What's the address?" Brax asked but before Ruby could answer Ruby let out a scream.

"Ruby?" Brax yelled down the phone standing up.

"Someone threw a rock through the window. I'm ok," Ruby panted.

"What's the address for Ruby?"

"It's that dodgy motel off the highway. Brax what's going on?"

"Nothing, Ruby you listen to me. Get out of the van, go up to the house and stay there tonight with Roo and Alf, ok?"

"Brax?" Ruby pleaded. She hadn't spoken to him in a long time but she could sense something was happening.

Brax handed the phone to Casey and bolted out the door.

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"Ruby tell me whatever you just said to Brax?" Casey demanded down the phone while trying to follow Brax.

"Ok, do what he says Ruby, I gotta go," Casey hung up and yelled out to his brother.

Brax completely ignored Casey as he tore out of the restaurant, he was at his car instantly.

This was when not being an official River Boy was a disadvantage, Brax wouldn't listen.

Fuck, Casey needed to get a hold of Heath.

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"What?" Heath answered his phone, boredom evident in his voice.

"Call Brax!" Casey screamed down the phone as soon as Heath answered.

"What?" Heath asked.

"Call him, get him back here, he's gone after Jake.

"Alone? What the fuck has he done that for?"

"Jake rang Brax, they insulted each other for a bit, thought it was just all talk until Ruby rang a while later. They left a note for her and the address to the motel. While she was on the phone they smashed one of the windows of the van."

"Where are you?"

"Nearly home. Get Brax, Heath," Casey ordered.

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"Buckton. Wake up!" Heath raced into his own room, phone stuck to his ear.

Charlie stirred slightly but not before Heath had reached for her arm and was pulling her up off the floor.

"What's going on?" She asked, fully awake.

"Brax's gone to get Jake; he won't answer my calls or listen to Casey."

"What happened? Does he have a death wish?"

"With you gone... yeah!" Casey puffed through the door.

"Buckton, you gotta tell him. He's walking into a trap," Heath told her.

Charlie watched as Heath continued to ring Brax, she hadn't come this far to lose him like this. Yes, Jake would pay but not at the expense of Brax's life.

Brax answered his phone only to hang up on his brother immediately.

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Brax threw his mobile on the passenger seat. Whatever Heath had to say could wait. Casey probably got to him by now and he was most likely ringing to talk him out of it.

He didn't know what exactly it was yet but whatever it was would be very painful for Jake Perovic.

How dare he! How fucking dare he. First Charlie... now threatening Ruby.

Perovic wanted his attention. He got it.

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"Try it again." Charlie demanded.

Heath had already dialled.

"Fuck it, you keep trying. I'll try and get him before he gets to the motel." Heath left quickly, knowing how volatile Brax could be. Casey caught the phone that was thrown to him, a distressed Charlie at his side.

"Come on, Brax." She pleaded to herself.

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As Brax drove faster, he released one hand from the steering wheel and was shocked to find pins and needles forming instantly. The prickles raced up his fingers to his wrist and when he looked at his other hand, he noticed how red it was and tightly he was holding the steering wheel.

He reached for his phone which hadn't stopped ringing since he had hung up on his brother.

Heath wasn't a quitter that's for sure.

"What."

"Brax you're making a mistake." It wasn't Heath's voice that spoke.

"Nah, nah I'm not Casey. This has gotta stop."

"Come on, let us help you. Charlie wouldn't want this."

"Stop using that to try and get me to do the shit you want. Charlie isn't here, Casey. If I've got to deal with it you do too."

Brax could hear shuffling on the other end of the phone and muffled voices.

"Casey?" he asked.

"Brax, please?" A voice asked that nearly stopped his heart but for all good reasons.

No.

He couldn't say anything back, how could his mind be so cruel to play this kind of trick.

"Brax?" Charlie asked.

Charlie could hear his deep breathing on the end of the phone and she could only imagine what thoughts were running through his head.

"Is this a joke?" Brax cleared his throat, stunned at the emotions that were coursing through his body.

"Brax, please. Let me explain. I know this must be hard, Brax please? I'm... here... at your house. Come home please, before you do anything. Brax?"

Brax had pulled over after he heard her say his name the second time.

He'd heard his name come from her lips on numerous occasions, whether she was questioning him, arguing with him or moaning underneath him... but he had never heard her so scared.

It was her; there was absolutely no doubt in his mind. He forced his eyes closed, trying to calm himself down. His heart hammered in his chest.

"Brax?" Her voice was desperate now.

"Charlie?" he asked.

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Wowzers, that was fun to write

Is anyone else saying OMG (I am lol)

I hope you liked it.

Please review and let me know what you're thinking.

More soon

xoxox