Braxton House

The next morning, Casey was the first one up and was sat at the table on his phone while having his breakfast. He had agreed to cover a morning shift for someone who couldn't make it in and there was no way he was going to ask Heath, knowing it would put him in a bad mood. He was also meeting Bianca this morning, so would complain to Casey more before making him work it. Although Casey hadn't heard him get up yet, he decided to work it himself. It was long later than Ricky and Brax walked out from the flat, joining him at the table.

"How did Kyle's date go last night?" Ricky asks as she hands Brax a coffee before sitting with them at the table.

"I'm not sure, he hadn't got home by the time I went to bed. His door was still open this morning, so I'm guessing he decided to go back to Emily's." Casey replies.

"I thought he texted you saying he was coming home and for you to not lock him out again?" Brax asks.

"Yeah he did, but he could have changed his mind." Casey shrugs. "I've text him a couple times, but he must still be asleep cause he isn't answering."

"No, he would have come home or let us know if plans had changed, he always has before." Brax lightly frowns, not having a good feeling about it.

"Maybe his phone went flat and he couldn't." Ricky says as Heath walks out.

"I'm off, see you later." He says, about to walk out when he's stopped.

"Have you heard from Kyle at all since last night?" Brax asks him, knowing what the answer was most likely going to be.

"Nope, why would I?" Heath scoffs before walking out for good.

"That was a bit of a no brainer. Kyle wouldn't message or call him when they're not even talking." Casey says. "Anyway, I need to go and open the gym up as I agreed to cover a shift for someone." He says.

"Are you driving or walking?" Brax asks.

"I'm walking." Casey replies as he stands up, putting his phone in his pocket.

"Can you keep an eye out for him on your way to work?" Brax asks.

"Yes, okay." Casey nods as he leaves.

"You need to stop worrying so much, it could be nothing." Ricky says, knowing he stressed over Casey and Kyle more with them being a lot younger.

"It could also be something serious." Brax says, finding it weird that Kyle had gone completely silent since his date.

"Have you been on the wrong side of anyone recently?" She asks, needing to know if he was secretly back into his bad dealings with people again.

"No, you know I'm not. I don't do that stuff anymore, I've got bigger things to focus on." Brax says, not even able to think of anyone who would target them. "I'm just going to do a sweep and see if I can find him, if not I'll go to Angelo's and hope he turns up. Does that make you happy?" Brax asks, not needing her to worry about him.

"Yes, as long as you don't start stressing when he could have just gone to Emily's instead. He's a kid, he's going to live his life." Ricky says.

"I know. It's just not like him to change plans and not let one of us know." Brax says as he grabs his keys. "Are you still up for your shift later?"

"Yep, I'll be there." She nods as he leans down to kiss her.


Surf Club - Angelo's

"You've still not heard from Kyle?" Casey frowns, now on his break hours later and not heard anything himself.

"No, his phone's going straight to voicemail." Brax says as Casey pulls out his phone to call Emily to see if Kyle was with her.

"Okay, I think it's time to panic now. Kyle didn't go to hers and she's not heard from him since their date last night." Casey says as Ricky walks in.

"Kyle's still not turned up?" She asks, noticing they both looked worried.

"No, and Emily hasn't heard from him either." Casey says.

"Right, Brax I'll cover your shift." Ricky says, walking around the bar. "You need to go and look for him."

"I'm going to find cover for mine as well." Casey says, rushing downstairs.

"Let me know when you hear something." Ricky says to her boyfriend.

"I will. Call me if he turns up here." Brax says before following his brother down the stairs, seeing Heath walk in with Bianca.

"What's the rush?" Heath jokes.

"Have you still not heard from Kyle?" Brax asks, sounding more panicked than he would have liked.

"No." Heath rolls his eyes, Casey running out over to them.

"I've got cover, let's go." He says.

"What's going on?" Heath asks, now realising this was a serious situation.

"No one's heard from Kyle since he locked up Angelo's last night and his phone is going straight to voicemail." Brax says. "I don't care how much you hate him right now, just help us look for him." He firmly says, Heath quickly nodding.

"Okay, yeah I will." He says, turning to Bianca. "Can we do lunch another time?"

"That's fine, you need to go." She says in understanding.

"Thanks." Heath says before leaving with his brothers.


Surf Club - Car Park

"Where are we going to look?" Heath asks as they stop by their cars.

"Well I walked to work this morning the same way Kyle does and I didn't see him anywhere, so I don't see the point in checking there again." Casey says.

"That makes sense." Brax nods, not needing time to be wasted. "Case, you go and check in with all of your mates and any other mates Kyle has to see if he went to them. Heath, check along Old Creek Road up to Yabbie Creek and I'll do the other side of town and check the hospital. Call if you find him." He says before Casey walks away to start checking in, Brax holding Heath back.

"What?" Heath asks.

"I didn't want to do this with Casey around and I need you to be honest with me. Are you dealing again behind my back?" Brax asks. "Cause I know me and Casey have been staying on the right path, but you're being secretive about where you've been going and who you've been meeting. I need to know Kyle being missing isn't a retaliation for something." He says, frowning as Heath drops his head.

"I've only done a couple." Heath mutters, not being able to look his brother in the eye. "I owe some bad people but I swear they never even knew Kyle was our brother!" He says.

"What the hell, Heath!" Brax shouts.

"I'm sorry, I just needed some money and I didn't want to keep asking you. There's no way they would even know about Kyle, I kept family life out of it. They never even knew my full name." Heath says.

"It's called digging for it, you should know that! People like that aren't to be messed with!" Brax shakes his head. "Who are they?"

"I don't know their real names, they go by the gang name Arrow's, the leader is called Gray. They're mainly based in the city and surrounding areas, so I thought it would be safe doing it from here." Heath says.

"What do you owe them?"

"They wanted guns, ammo, fake passports and $50,000. I told them I wasn't going to get it for them and wasn't going to do business for them again. I never would have put the boys lives at risk." Heath says.

"But you have because Kyle's missing! You better hope they don't have him, or you're out of our house. I will not have you put their lives at risk again." Brax firmly says. "Call them and set up a meeting, I'm ending this for good."

"Brax-"

"Now!" Brax orders. "I'm not playing games anymore."

Heath pulls out his phone to call them, putting it on speaker. They didn't answer the first time, so Brax made him try again and again until they answered. Heath knew this wasn't good, he knew they weren't people to get on the wrong side of yet he still did business with them, now Kyle could be paying the price for his mistakes. No matter how much he hated Kyle for the arguments they've been having, he didn't really hate him because he knew his brother had been right.

"Heath Braxton, nice of you to call us again." Gray says.

"I need to set up a meeting." Heath says. "And I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Why the sudden need? Is it because you know we've got your baby brother and don't care what happens to him?"

"Don't you dare touch him." Heath warns, his heart starting to race, having seen what they're capable of.

"Don't worry, we don't need him for now. We'll give him a rest."

"A rest from what?" Heath asks, shooting his gaze to Brax as they hang up. "This isn't good."

"You don't say." Brax glares. "Where's their hangout?"

"They have a couple, they could be keeping Kyle at any of them, or even one I don't know about." Heath says.

"Then let's go. And you better hope Kyle is okay." Brax says, both of them getting into the ute before driving off down the road to the closest one, working their way from there.