AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Many thanks to those who: reviewed the last chapter and are continuing to read and support my story.

For those who are reading my other story 'Raising Memories and Binding Hearts', I hope to have a chapter up by end of next week for I have not had the chance to edit and write. Thank you.

Chapter 4

Casey shook the water droplets from his hair, carrying his surfboard under his arm as he made his way towards the Braxton house.

Casey gasped when he reached the front door; the lock had been broken and the house had been trashed.

Entering the house cautiously, a large spray painted section on the main side wall caught Casey's eye and he dropped his board.

'Watch your back Kyle Bennett: we're coming for you'

"Hello, is anyone here?" Casey called; his heart pumping in his chest, cautious over pending danger.

Casey heard no reply and slowly stepped further into the house; watching all angles.

Casey pulled out his phone and dialed Brax's number.

Brax felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out to check who it was. Brax groaned upon seeing Casey's name appear on the screen.

"Casey, this had better be good," Brax said.

"Brax you have to come home quick."

"Casey I can't, I'm in the middle of work."

"Brax, it's important: the house has been trashed and there's this message on the wall about Kyle," Casey explained.

Brax's eyes widened and he glanced around the restaurant before stepping outside onto the balcony. Whenever anything concerned his family or posed a threat, Brax was a force to be reckoned with.

"Okay Casey: talk to me. Are you alright?" Brax affirmed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just the house is a mess and...They used Kyle's old name, Brax," Casey explained.

"Uh, is there anyone around now; do you think whoever did is has left?" Brax asked.

"Yeah, I checked around but I can't see anything suspicious. What are we going to do?"

Brax sighed.

"Just let me think about this, and Casey: keep safe. If you hear any suspicious behaviour you keep out of it okay, because we don't know who would have done this," Brax instructed.

"Sure Brax," Casey said in agreement.

"You said they used Kyle's old name?" Brax clarified.

"Yeah: Bennett," Casey confirmed.

"What exactly does the message imply Casey?" Brax asked.

"Well it says: watch your back Kyle Bennett, we're coming for you," Casey explained.

"Brax, if you come home you can look for yourself."

"Yeah, alright Case; I'll be there when I can."

Brax hung up his phone and stared into the restaurant at his brother at the bar.

Who would be targeting Kyle and how did they know his original name?

Brax made his way over towards Kyle.

"I just need to head home for a bit; you right to man this place?"

Kyle nodded, but furrowed his brow.

"Is everything alright; you look worried?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah, nothing for you to worry about just yet mate, but promise me you'll lay low here and call me if you notice anything unusual," Brax warned.

"What's going on; tell me Brax," Kyle urged; sensing Brax's suspicious behaviour.

Brax called Kyle away from the bar and into the back room.

"Casey was just on the phone; said someone trashed our house," Brax whispered.

"What?" Kyle gasped.

"That's not the worst of it mate. They sprayed a message on the wall about you. You wouldn't know anyone who would be targeting you do you?"

Kyle gazed in shock at Brax.

"No."

Brax slapped Kyle's arm.

"Look I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise ya mate," Brax assured.

By the time Brax had arrived home, Casey had already begun cleaning up the mess.

"Who would do this Brax?" Casey asked.

Brax shrugged, picking up some of the broken shards of wood from a smashed cabinet.

"I'm going to find out, because anyone that messes with one of my brothers messes with me and for their sake they had better realise when I get my hands on them it'll be the last thing they ever do," Brax stated.

Brax walked around the house assessing the damage and looking for any evidence left behind.

"Sheesh, what the hell happened in here?" Heath exclaimed as he walked through the door.

"Someone's targeting Kyle," Brax announced.

Heath looked at the message on the wall.

"Far out; does he know?"

"Yeah I told him before I left the restaurant. Hey help us clean up here," Brax instructed.

After cleaning up the house and pondering on his thoughts over who may have crossed his brother's path, Brax headed back to the restaurant to check on Kyle; leaving Heath and Casey to scrub the spray paint off the living room wall.

Kyle watched Brax walk back into the restaurant and approached him.

"How is everything?"

Brax nodded, "Cleaned up a lot of things that were broken. Were you okay here; no troubles?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary," Kyle answered.

Brax gripped Kyle's upper arm.

"Look mate, if you can think of anything that might lead us to knowing you did this; you let me know straight away," Brax affirmed.

"I honestly don't know right now, but I will if I do think of anything."

It was time for the Braxton's to have a family meeting. Casey and Kyle sat on the couch, while Heath perched himself on the arm's edge, leaving Brax standing to run the meeting, as Ricky stood by his side.

"What do we do?" Kyle questioned.

"First things first: we keep the other girls out of this," Brax stated; receiving an agreement nod from all his brothers.

"I don't want Phoebe to be any part of this; I don't want her hurt," Kyle said.

Heath shrugged, "Same here; Bianca has enough on her plate at the moment with work and the baby. I'll keep her out of the loop."

"Well because these thugs are targeting Kyle, someone has to watch his back, until we can figure out who is behind all this," Brax explained.

"That means you can't be by yourself at the restaurant," Ricky explained.

"Brax and I have talked about this, and when he can't be with you for late shifts, I'll cover shifts so I can keep an eye on things," Ricky continued.

"Mate, it also means it's not safe for you and Phoebe to go wandering around town: it's best if you stay here at the house," Brax added.

"But you saw how they targeted here," Kyle protested.

"I don't think they'll come back twice. In the meantime, Heath: you and I will do some digging and see what we can find out, see if anyone has seen or heard of anything different around town," Brax announced.

Ricky rested her arm around Brax's waist in comfort as he explained the rules to his family.

"So have we got everything clear?" Brax finalised.

Kyle and Heath nodded. Casey eagerly waited for his job in the scenario but nothing came.

"What about me? What will I do?" Casey finally asked.

Brax shook his head.

"You will do nothing Case; I don't want you involved," the oldest Braxton affirmed.

Casey suddenly felt very dejected; Brax always sheltered him from everything and now that he was old enough: an adult, he wondered why Brax couldn't treat him like the rest of his brothers.

"Why not, Brax? I can help with this; I'm not a kid anymore," Casey protested.

Heath scoffed, "Sure are acting like one."

"Who asked you?!" Casey spat, giving a harsh glare at his brother.

"Why can't I then, at least help find out who it is? I don't have to get involved like you guys and I promise I'll lay low," Casey argued.

Brax firmly shook his head.

"Nup; when I say no: I mean no, Casey. You are not to get involved in any way; do you understand me?" Brax warned, with a sharp finger point and eyebrow raise.

Casey hated that he was being scolded like a little kid and that his brother was treating him unfairly, but when it came to Brax, the oldest Braxton never backed down, so arguing was a losing battle.

Truth be told: Brax had always had a higher protective streak over Casey, partially due to Casey's hierarchy as the youngest and the fact that Brax had developed a special bond with Casey since he was a kid.

"Fine," Casey grumbled.

"Yes?" Brax demanded.

"Yes Brax," Casey mumbled.

Heath chuckled watching his little brother's misery play out.

"Good. Kyle, make sure you don't go wandering around town too much; that goes with Phoebe too. We don't know what these thugs are capable of," Brax instructed firmly.

Kyle nodded then stood up to leave the room with Heath.

"What's your problem?" Brax questioned.

Casey remained sitting on the couch with a deep sulk and ignored his older brother.

"Mate look: I know you want to help but I don't know how dangerous these people are and if I'm already worried about protecting Kyle. I don't want my littlest brother getting hurt or killed in the process."

"You don' give me a chance Brax. I can fight just as good as Heath, or Kyle."

Brax cut Casey off with a wave of his hand.

"It's not about what you are capable of, it's because I don't know what we're up against, so I don't want to hear another word about it; you do as you're told. I am the boss of this family, not you," Brax affirmed and walked away, leaving Casey no more room to argue further.