Chapter 154: Chapter 154: A Deal Between Siblings (Part 1)

With the boss and his goons taken care of, Don made his way back through the swirling mist, the heavy stench of blood and leaking fuel hanging thick in the air.

As he walked, he thought over the only real lead he'd gained from this mess: 'Johnny Black, Deadly Damsels, 5th Street.' Not much, but enough to work with.

As he reached his car, he cast a final glance around the scene, his superhuman senses on high alert. But the only sounds he could make out were the squawks of birds and the faint hum of the wrecked cars' engines.

No survivors, no movement—just silence and death. 'Good, no one left to tie me to this,' he thought, before glancing down at his gloved hands. 'No prints either, so no obvious evidence.'

Don then shifted his gaze to his shoes, the soles lightly stained with dirt and blood. 'I'll need to get rid of these, along with the clothes, just to be safe.' He sighed, turning to the back of his car where the bullet holes dotted the surface. 'That's going to be harder to hide.'

He frowned, running a hand along the damage. Fixing it without raising suspicion would take some creativity. For now, all he could do was park it, wrap it up, and lay low until he figured something out. 'Another mess to deal with,' he thought bitterly, climbing into the driver's seat.

As he did so, Don's phone buzzed on the console. Three missed calls from Samantha and one from Summer. A text from Summer caught his attention:

**Hey dummy, mom's been trying to reach you to say that her and Aunt Amanda will be home late as they're visiting Nana.** Sёarᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Another one came in not long after:

**Reply when you get this or whatever so I know you're okay.**

Don couldn't help but smile slightly at her words. Despite her bratty, often annoying demeanor, Summer was starting to grow on him.

He'd never thought he'd care for something like this—having a new family, being a part of their lives—but it was becoming more real every day. 'Strange how things change.'

Instead of replying, Don pocketed his phone and started the engine, pulling away from the wreck.

He took the longer route home, sticking to quieter roads to avoid any unnecessary attention. As he drove, he ran through his plan again in his head, mentally preparing for the next step. 'Johnny Black's my best bet for finding out more. But I'll have to be careful how I approach this.'

Thirty minutes later, Don arrived back at Chanel Hills.

He was cautious as he approached the gate, the damage on his car making it impossible to go unnoticed. Luckily for him, the guard on duty was older and not likely to scrutinize him—or his car—too closely.

Don gave a quick wave as he passed through the gate, offering a polite smile.

The guard waved back, seemingly oblivious to the state of his vehicle. 'At least that part went smoothly,' Don thought.

Once he pulled into the driveway, Don hit the button on the remote that Samantha had given him, the garage door rolling up smoothly as he drove the car inside. But just as the car was entering into the garage, he noticed Summer coming out of the front door, heading straight toward him.

'Shit.'

There was no time to hide the damage.

Don sighed, resigned to the inevitable as Summer approached from behind, curiosity plastered across her face. She was dressed in her typical "lazy day" outfit—an oversized hoodie, tight shorts, mid-length socks, and Crocs.

Her eyes immediately caught the bullet holes on the car, her expression shifting to one of concern.

"What the hell happened? Did the car get shot at?" Summer questioned as she approached, her voice was laced with both curiosity and worry as she circled the vehicle before locking her gaze onto the damaged rear.

Don remained calm, already having formulated a story during the drive home just in case anyone caught him and asked.

"Yeah," he said casually as he stepped out of the car. "There was a shootout near this taco stand I parked at. Probably some gang, from what I could tell."

Summer's eyes widened, her expression shifting to full-on concern. "Shit," she muttered, walking closer to him. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" She asked while scanning him over, as if checking for any sign of injury.

Don shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. I Just stayed out of the way."

Summer's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, and when she didn't see any blood or bruises, she seemed to relax.

But then Don crossed his arms, raising a brow at her. "You better not tell Mom or Aunt Amanda about this," he said quickly. "They'll just freak out and probably stop us both from going out. You know how they are."

Summer appeared to mull this over, almost ready to agree. But then a smirk slowly crept onto her face. She cocked her head as she asked, "What's in it for me?"

Don narrowed his eyes at her, mildly exasperated but unsurprised. "Seriously?" read first at m,v,l,e,m p _y,r

"Yep," Summer said, her smirk widening. "You think I'm just gonna do you a favor without getting something in return? You owe me for this one."

Don sighed, shaking his head but remembering she was still a bratty sister and this type of behavior came with the territory. 'Typical.'

He leaned back against the car, his arms still crossed, and gave her a mock serious look. "Alright, what do you want?"

Summer tapped her chin thoughtfully, as if carefully considering what to ask. "Let's see… I could use some cash for a shopping trip this weekend. And… oh! You're picking me up from school all next week. No excuses."

Don raised an eyebrow. "All of next week? You don't think that's a bit much given the state my car is in?"

Summer shrugged, her smile never faltering. "That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Don sighed dramatically, playing along. "Fine, deal. But you keep your mouth shut about this, yeah?"

"Cross my heart," Summer said sweetly, mimicking the gesture with an exaggerated flourish.

"Good." Don pushed off the car and headed inside, giving Summer a last glance over his shoulder. 'Not the best way things could've gone but I don't think she'll break her word.'

With a deal struck, Don covered up his Mustang before turning to leave the garage, but as he was doing so, Summer stopped him.

"Wait!" she called out.

Don paused mid-step, rolling his eyes before turning back to face her. She stood a few feet away, arms crossed and her usual bratty expression plastered across her face.

"Where are you going?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Don raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to hide the obvious answer. "My room. Where else?"

Summer frowned, her arms tightening across her chest. "You also have to hang out with me whenever I say so this weekend. That's part of the deal."

Don stopped at the door, his hand resting on the handle as he stared at her, unimpressed. She was pushing her luck, and he wasn't about to let her get away with it. He turned slowly, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk.

"Come to think of it," he began, his tone casual but pointed, "the deal for you being nice is still in effect, right? And blackmailing your brother isn't exactly being nice. So, technically… you've broken your deal." He let the words hang in the air, watching as Summer's frown deepened.

"Which means," he continued, "I think I'm gonna have to tell a little story about what happened in that changing room at the mall with Aunt Amanda."

Summer's eyes went wide, her face flushing as she instantly held up her hands. "Hey! That's not fair!" she protested. "I haven't broken the deal! Okay fine, you just have to pick me up for one week, and that's it. We're even then!"

Don pretended to think it over, tapping his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, he shook his head. "Nah. You just have to keep quiet about the car, and I'll keep quiet about the fitting room incident. That's what we call even."

Summer groaned, looking thoroughly cheated, but she wasn't ready to give up. "That's not fair! I've already been nice for a couple of days, so you should still have to carry out the deal for a few days atleast."

Don raised an eyebrow, pretending to consider her words. But just as he was about to respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Tori's name flashed across it. He gave Summer a brief look, then answered the call.

"Hey, Tori," Don said with a smile on his face.

Summer's eyes narrowed, her arms dropping to her sides as she stared at him suspiciously.

On the other end of the line, Tori's voice came through, light and apologetic. "Hey! I'm sorry I had to leave early today. I didn't mean to bail."

Don waved it off, though Summer's sharp gaze made him add a little more enthusiasm than usual. "No problem," he replied, smiling wider than necessary. "But you owe me tacos now."

Tori laughed, her voice warm and playful. "Deal."

As Don continued to chat, Summer's brows furrowed even more, clearly annoyed at the lighthearted tone of the conversation he was having. Her eyes flicked between Don and the phone, growing increasingly impatient.

Summer soon had enough. She lunged at him, her hand reaching for the phone. "Hey! I'm still talking to you, jerk!" she shouted, her voice shrill with frustration.

On the other side of the call, Tori hesitated. "Uh… who's that?" she asked, her tone curious.

"Oh, just my annoying little sister," he replied, casually blocking Summer with one arm as she tried to snatch the phone from his hand. "I'll call you later."

Tori laughed again, seemingly amused. "Sure thing."

With a quick swipe, Don ended the call and held the phone up. Summer, realizing the call had been cut, stopped trying to reach for it. She just crossed her arms again, her lips pursed in a tight, irritated line.

"You're rude as hell," she muttered with a sharp glare.

Don just shrugged, pocketing his phone. "Not really. Deal's over. We're even now." He pushed off the doorframe, already turning to head inside. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a shower."

But before he could make it through the door, Summer bolted forward, blocking his path. "Wait!" she yelled, planting herself in front of him with a determined look.

Don sighed. "Now what?"

Summer shifted her weight from foot to foot, her eyes avoiding his gaze for a moment. She hesitated, then finally muttered, "If you accept the deal… I'll… I'll show you my tits."