"Old Pine" by Ben Howard

"I don't know how you live here, I'd be exhausted," Tyler said a few hours later as I walked him out to his car. I laughed a bit at that.

"The boys are a lot to handle," I admitted. "But I don't know where I'd be without them at this point."

"I don't either," he admitted. "I wasn't sure Aidan would ever be out of the picture. Murphy's an idiot, but he makes you happy."

"Yeah, but he's my idiot." Tyler laughed, pulling me into a hug, resting his head on mine. He stood an entire head taller than me, so it always made me feel safe when he did that.

"Just tell me if that ever changes." I could tell he was biting back the same phrase I immediately thought: don't let it be like last time. I pulled away from him, nodding.

"Don't worry, we came to an understanding. He told me he loves me."

"Of course he does, everybody does," Tyler laughed. "I won't bring it up again. I'm not going to be a nag like Caleb. But, just be careful, alright?"

"I will be," I said, hugging Tyler again. He got in his car and drove off. I inhaled, looking off into the distance, lost in thought. That thought process was broken as a very large man shoved me out of the way. He was bald with a well groomed beard. Two slightly smaller, but still large men followed him. I was immediately anxious. They looked ready to kill someone. I didn't know if I should go inside or not.

I decided to wait a few minutes, leaning against the building to wait. I didn't have to wait very long before they came back down, shoving Murphy around. He caught sight of me and shook his head no.

"What are you staring at?" one of the men sneered at me.

"Grab her, she's seen our faces," the big one that was pushing Murphy around ordered.

"Ye leave her alone," Murphy growled, trying to take a swing at the man holding him.

"Oh, she's your girlfriend? Even better!"

The one with the full head of hair grabbed me, lifting me in the air as I tried to kick him off. He was bigger than me. I was unsuccessful. Where the fuck is Connor? The large man forced Murphy to his knees beside the dumpster and a pile of garbage bags. I was forced into the same position beside him. They each held a pistol to our heads.

This is how I die. I'm going to die in an alleyway next to a pile of garbage. I guess I've had a good run. I haven't gotten to do everything I've wanted, but I've made a real effort of putting my life on the right track the last six months. Guess it's better to go before I fuck it up.

I was about to close my eyes in surrender when Murphy let out an indignant sound of surprise, going to cover my head, turning us away from the two men standing there. There was a loud crack and the shattering of porcelain. Murphy and I looked up just in time to see Connor land on the third guy. It just disoriented him. Without hesitating, Murphy grabbed the lid to the reservoir of the toilet and hit the man's head with it until he stopped moving. I tried to ignore whatever social reservations I had about that as I checked on Connor. He's just unconscious, thank god.

"We have to get him to a hospital," I said as Murphy began frantically collecting the guns and anything from the men's pockets.

"Jesus Christ, I know," he said harshly. I tried to ignore it as I took the bag from him.

"You have to carry him, I can't." Murphy said nothing before dragging Connor up onto his shoulders while I carried the bag. I was impressed that Murphy managed to carry Connor the entire way to the hospital, though. By the time we got there, Connor had regained consciousness and was limping along with Murphy's help.

If not for him, we'd be dead. Murphy knew it, too. While we waited for a doctor to look over Connor, Murphy called Doc, the owner of McGinty's, and I called Tyler.

"Hey, Tyler?"

"It's Adam, hang on," Adam answered before yelling for Tyler and that it was me.

"Cec?"

"Jesus," I breathed out, resting my arm against the wall next to the phone, my forehead going to my forearm. The boys seemed calm, cool, and collected. I felt anything but that.

"Cecilia, are you okay?" His voice had gotten serious.

"I think so. Um, can you just come to the hospital?" I gave him the address. A nurse had come to see us. Connor just needed a bandage and a brace, I needed stitches for my eyebrow that had gotten cut from the falling toilet when it shattered on the Russian man's head. Connor and Murphy had reluctantly told me about a scuffle they had gotten into at McGinty's before Murphy came home last night. To say that I was pissed would be an understatement.

Dock showed up to collect the bag of guns and IDs to dispose of it, followed by Tyler. He took one look at my face, noticing I was livid, and then noticing my eyebrow. He immediately inspected my face before turning on the twins. Tyler is one of the most easygoing people that I know. But he's rather tall and muscular, so it's terrifying when he's angry. The twins looked uncomfortable when Tyler's icy blue eyes fell on them, he was absolutely furious.

"What the fuck did you two dipshits do? Why does she have stitches?"

"Tyler, I'm fine," I tried to interrupt him but he held a finger up to me, telling me to silence.

"You didn't fucking hit her, did you?"

"No, I didnae hit her!" Murphy said, clearly offended as he stepped up to Tyler, puffing his own chest out.

"Then why the fuck does she have stitches on her eye?"

"Because Connor threw a fucking toilet off of the roof," I interrupted, getting all the more irritated. I was tired of Murphy's poor attitude and I was tired of Tyler assuming that he had hit me. Murphy has never made me feel unsafe. Ever.

"What?"

"Yes, he ripped our toilet out of the ground and threw it off of the roof at some guys that were trying to kill Murphy and I. Though it sounds like that was retaliation for setting the one's ass on fire at McGinty's," I said when the boys began looking smug. They immediately looked ashamed. I was so angry my chest burned. "You two deal with this. I'm going to go stay with Tyler. Call me when you've got your shit together."

I turned without waiting for a reply, Tyler following. He walked silently with me for a few minutes. Murphy didn't try to follow us. When we got outside, I immediately started crying. Tyler sighed, hugging me with one arm as he herded me to the car. I didn't even bother going to the apartment for my things. I just wanted to be away from it all.