Same stories.

~*~

James had been downstairs for more than twenty minutes and Marc had left along with the kids as well. I told myself I'd have patience, but that was running out quickly.

"Are you alright?" Martha asked calmly behind me as she sat with Caleb, who was falling asleep on the sofa.

"No, I just feel a little nauseous. I'll step outside for a bit." I smiled politely back at her and exited the room.

There was this gut feeling inside me that something was wrong. Rushing down the stairs, I looked around for James, but he was nowhere to be found. Something was definitely wrong. Abruptly, I heard a loud thud that came from behind the back door outside. Making my way towards it, I heard two voices in argument, one including James.

"Stop this nonsense, Ana. It has been going on for too long."

"I will never stop until I get justice for my sister. After what you did to her:" She hissed.

"I never hurt Violet. You knew this."

"Oh please." She scoffed, "And what about my mother?"

"You've been accusing me of this for the last few years. I told you multiple times, and I'll tell you again. I would never hurt your family, Ana. Violet meant everything to me."

"Liar!" she shouted, and there was another loud thud.

Panicking, I rushed through the door, where I saw James standing up from the ground. Before I could have aided him, a massive man held me back.

"Let go!"" I tried to elbow him in the stomach but to no avail.

"Aw, how cute." The woman smiled and looked back at James, "Who's this?"

"Let her be, Ana."

"Is she important?" the woman laughed.

James hesitated, "No."

For a brief moment, there seemed to be a challenging look on the woman's face. Nearing me, she instructed the man to release me. Honestly, I felt like some kind of chicken being handled before being plucked and that was a damn new feeling for me, Becky Grey. A feeling I detested, but this was not my fight and I had no right to intervene. I mean, I already had my hands full of Sinister anyway.

The cold night's breeze rustled the leaves on the trees behind ever so slightly, making this very uncomfortable situation even more uncomfortable than it should have been. The best thing I could do right now was keep my big mouth shut before I screw things over for James and this woman who I still had no understanding of what kind of beef they had with each other in the past, but by the looks of it sounded juicy and not in a good way.

"Becky," James instructed with concern, "Leave."

As much of a stubborn person as I am, there was something about him that just made me want to listen. Or it could just be that this Ana woman was making me feel uneasy.

Before I could have left, she held me back and threatened a knife against my neck towards James, who surprisingly was not at all surprised. He must have known she was full of shit in the beginning.

"Pretty girl, Jamie, you have nice taste." She chuckled.

Okay, she was cray-cray. I established that.

"Stop being ridiculous, Ana-Maria. This girl has nothing to do with us. What will you gain by harming her?" James frowned.

"The satisfaction that her blood would be on your hands. "

"Okay," I shrugged, "Listen, as much as I'd love to be butchered for revenge. I find it hurtful to be used as leverage on something I have no idea about."

"What?"

"Yeah, like at least fill me in on the deeds then chop me up after. Have some courtesy." I scoffed.

"Shut up!"

Swiftly I got out of her clutch. Thank God for that Facebook video, I scrolled past on my timeline teaching me to escape this kind of situation. Before I could have gotten to James. A man tried to pull me towards him, but that was prevented as James counter-attacked him and spun me back around towards him.

"Go," James instructed.

"What?"I gasped.

"Means run."

With that, I bolted through towards the door,

avoiding the men who came with Ana-Maria. My heart raced a thousand times per second as I pushed the door shut and stacked a chair against it. James had been there alone with about five to six persons. I had to do something. I couldn't leave him there alone. Running back up the stairs, I rushed into Martha's room where she had just tucked Caleb into bed.

"James is in trouble!"

"What?" she frowned.

"This woman came and she - she brought these men with her. They argued and-"

"James can handle it." Martha smiled.

"What?"

"Trust me. Look out the window you can see them,"

Pulling the drapery aside to view outside, I was astonished at what I was seeing. James was taking on these men in such a way no normal person I knew could have. It was as if he was actually trained for years in martial arts. The man was a bloody ninja.

"Impressed yet?" Martha laughed.

"H-how?"

"I think you two may need to have a little talk about that."

"I probably should unlock the door for him." I frowned.

Stepping down the stairs I made my way back to the door just in time for him to enter.

"You must have countless questions for me in that head of yours, but I should let you know in advance that for your betterment it's best if you know less than you think you have to know."

"What a polite way of telling me no, Novy."

"Please Becky, understand that there are some things that really don't need to be retold."

"For my security or my judgment towards you?

"Both." He stated as he was about to walk away, but I held him back.

"I won't judge you, James. I'd just like to know the truth. The last man I trusted screwed me over and I sure as hell don't want this to happen a second time."

I heard him give a soft sigh, not in annoyance, just tired. Tired of what he supposedly had to endure in the past. He held my hand gently where mine rested on his arm and turned to me.

"Want to get a drink with me?"

Taking a deep breath, I gave a small nod, "Sure,"