Rating: M

Author's Note: Happy New Year, everyone! I'm sorry it took so long to update the chapter. Again, I was ill and hospitalized last year so I didn't have time to write. Anyway, I am back and I hope I can update the story faster. Warning – this chapter deals with a conversation about sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.

Previously on 'To Neptune and Back': In the present time, Logan is trying to find out about the two mysterious men he met at the paintball game. He then remembers that he felt a killer vibe from Clarence Wiedman, so he goes to Titan Tower to investigate. He ends up on the floor owned by The Sorokin family, and he finally meets with Gory.

Votuza Kaviar

Logan didn't shake Gorya's hand because someone came into the bathroom and almost bumped into them. "Excuse me!" The person annoyed to see someone standing by the door, but then he saw Gorya and immediately changed his tone. "Mr. Sorokin, so sorry that I bumped into you."

"It's okay, Bob. Do your thing." Gorya stepped aside to let his employee pass. Bob hurriedly went to one of the stalls. Logan wanted to say something when the door was open again, but this time a woman walked in.

"Mr. Sorokin," the woman greeted him. Gorya nodded and let the woman use the bathroom.

Logan watched the employee enter the stall and he made a comment, "Unisex bathroom." He almost rolled his eyes. "Very Ally Macbeal."

"It's not really a new thing. Our company believes in equal opportunity; including bathrooms." Gorya walked away from Logan and sat on the couch while Logan kept his distance but his brain was working on overdrive – he was supposed to sneak into the emergency exit and go to Kane Software to check up on Clarence Weidman. He didn't think he would meet Veronica's asshole husband in this bathroom. If only he got off on a different floor instead of on this floor…

"Nice bathroom," Logan said after a long pause. He noticed that Gorya's face had a lot of bruises like he had a fight with a lawnmower. But other than that, he looked good. Logan thought that Gorya was very well-dressed and probably well-educated, but he could feel that he was someone he shouldn't underestimate. This was, after all, Veronica's husband. Veronica wouldn't marry him if he was dumb, but at the same time, this was the man who could dupe her into believing that he had nothing to do with Wallace being hurt.

Gorya smirked as he was watching Logan by the door. The man was actually taller and bulkier than he'd expected, not at all looking like a celebrity. He looked like a soldier, actually. But judging from his expensive leather jacket, shoes, and watch, he looked more like a chameleon. Gorya learned that he shouldn't underestimate people, wherever they come from. Logan was up to something, but it wasn't for him – he wasn't supposed to be here on this floor, but yet he was here. He probably didn't expect to meet Gorya. "We try to make everyone feel comfortable and happy with the facility, even bathrooms."

"I am sure the employees are grateful." Logan didn't want to talk to Gorya, as much he wanted to know more about this man who managed to capture Veronica's heart. What the hell is so special about this fucktard, Logan thought. "Well. Sorry about using your facility. This building is a bit confusing. I was looking for Gant Publishing."

"Yes, we should put bigger letters of our company on the elevator button," Gorya sarcastically said. "People often press the wrong button."

"Right." Logan pushed the bathroom door and paused a bit. The emergency exit door was down in the left hallway, while the elevator was on the right. People were starting to walk around the hallway; if he turned left people would be suspicious. Damn it, Logan thought. He had no choice but to return to the elevator and go back to the lobby. Cameras were everywhere, and they would ask why Logan was loitering around. He made a decision and turned right.

As he walked to the elevator, he heard someone saying loudly behind him, "You didn't ask." Logan frowned and turned around to see Gorya standing in the hallway, staring at him. He had his hands in his pockets; his posture looked relaxed, but even Logan knew immediately that he was threatening.

"Pardon?"

"You didn't ask about Veronica."

Logan's eyes turned to slits but he kept his cool. "Okay. Should I ask about Veronica?"

"You tell me. We just met, albeit in an awkward situation, we found out about each other, and you didn't even ask about my wife's well being or your step-sister." Gorya shrugged.

"No offense, but I'd rather not talking to a stranger in a public bathroom, even though that stranger claimed to be my friend's husband." Logan smirked, "How do I know you were telling the truth? As far as I know, you could be a reporter, pretending to know my friend and my sister." He pointed to Gorya's bruised face. "I mean, you could be a vagabond pretending to be the owner of a caviar company."

Gorya grinned. "I guess you're right. And I am not asking you why you are on this floor, aside from your excuse about being on a wrong floor."

"I guess we both have the lack of curiosity." Logan shrugged. Gorya seemed like he was going to add something when Logan turned around and pushed the elevator button. The elevator made a ding sound and he walked into the elevator immediately and pressed the lobby button. He could see Gorya was watching him as the doors closed. Logan hit the wall of the elevator – his plan to see Clarence Weidman got side-tracked, and on top of all, he met the one person he didn't want to meet. If this was a different venue, Logan would react differently. But he really didn't have time to talk to Gorya.

He needed to do something about Weidman. He didn't know whether there was a connection between him and the men he met at the boardwalk, but he was the only other person who had a vibe. Logan pondered about this while he was walking into the lobby of the building. He remembered that Gorya said something about Trina, and he cursed to himself. He needed to check up on Trina – he hoped Gorya didn't hurt her.

He walked out from the building in anger.

Neptune Boardwalk

Darrell, Ryan, and Dax were walking together, eating hot dogs and drinking giant sodas. The boys were so hungry after they played some games. Ryan was holding a stuffed furry bear, and Dax was wearing a balloon hat. They went to that new Paintball game zone and played a game there, but it wasn't exciting as they were paired with a bunch of older people. Dax paid a guy to sign a consent form for them so they could play there – their rule that they needed to be 18 years old or have a relative signing a consent form. The three boys thought that the place blew and compared it to other laser tag or paintball games out there which allowed kids to play without adult's consent.

Darrell thought that whoever was responsible for the school pranks and his pop's shootout must be around 18 years old.

"Billy Drake is 18 years. Maybe 19," Dax commented as he chomped on his hot dog.

"How so? He's a Junior, like us," Ryan asked with his mouth full. They were sitting on a bench, enjoying the day. Ryan had a good time after taking a ride in Dax's sports car; he was high on adrenaline, especially because Dax liked to drive his car like Satan on fire.

"He was held back," Dax chuckled. "The guy is really dumb." He then shook his head, "But that doesn't mean whoever's responsible would be 18 years old. I mean, we just paid a random stranger to sign us a consent contract. He could do the same."

Darrell was still chewing while he was taking pictures with his camera. The day was not bad at all – who would've thought that they would be hanging out with Dax Sorokin? But he must try to be objective around him; after all, he was a Sorokin. "Point taken."

"I was taking pictures of the paintball game zone with my iPhone. There was a gallery for the players. Is it me or is that Veronica with a bunch of guys?" Dax showed Darrell his phone.

Darrell frowned to see a picture of Veronica with three guys. "Huh, that's Deputy Sacks and Leo. I dunno the other guy, he looks familiar though. They were playing paintball?"

"I asked one of the staff there; that picture was taken today."

"Hmm… I'll ask her later," Darrell commented. "I really wish we could find out about who bought the paint." He looked at the paintball game zone entrance. "Is it a member or an employee?"

"Who cares? Today sucked. Sleuthing is boring," Dax said. "I mean the paintball game blew ass. How boring was that game? We shot some people and then it was over."

"We got bears!" Ryan said happily.

Dax looked at him and smiled, "You're…you're easily entertained, aren't you?"

Ryan was talking excitedly about the game; he mentioned something about how he and his dad used to go hunting while camping. Dax seemed interested in the hunting aspect and asked whether they used real rifles.

Darrell didn't listen to their chatter as he saw someone. He shook his head when he realized who that someone was; the man was sitting on a bench not far from them and he was watching a mime and laughing. "Guys, wait here. I gotta talk to this dude." Without waiting for their answer, Darrell went to see him.

The mime was mimicking touching a wall, and the man was laughing so hard even though it wasn't funny at all. Darrell sat next to him and took some pictures of the mime and then he shook his head to see the mime was mimicking climbing a rope. The man saw Darrell and exhaled loudly. "Oh, it's you. Junior detective."

"Vinnie."

"You know, I am almost as old as your dad. Maybe call me Mr. Van Lowe instead?"

"In order to do that, you have to gain my respect. Which in this case, I ain't got no respect."

"You know, kids today…" Vinnie pursed his lips. "They grow up so fast. And then they disrespect you instantly." He pretended to be sad. "It's like… where does the time fly?"

"Probably flew to the 80s, where you belonged."

Vinnie narrowed his eyes at Darrell, "Okay, smarty-pants. What do you want? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"I see that we don't keep up with the modern news. The school is closed temporarily, Vinnie. There was a prank committed by Cassidy Casablancas fans; they put his poster up and also painted the school with barrels of paint. You might've heard what happened with the Mayor and my pops too."

"I might have…" Vinnie glanced at the paintball game zone and pondered about something.

"So my question is what are you doing here at the Boardwalk? You are a mosquito. Shouldn't you be at the 09ers area? I heard Bonnie DeVille just bought a new house."

"If you're gonna call me a mosquito, at least use its proper Italian name."

"You are not Italian, so you don't get to be called a paparazzo."

"I resent that. I definitely look Italian."

"Your name is Van Lowe!"

Vinnie huffed exasperatedly. "Fine! Can't a guy spending a nice day sightseeing?"

"With the way you look?" Darrell looked at Vinnie's attire; he looked like a man who offered free candy from a shady van. "I'm surprised that nobody tackles you to the ground."

"Hey, that's racial profiling!"

Darrell narrowed his eyes at Vinnie, "I don't think you know what racial profiling is."

"Okay wise guy, what do you want?"

"Same question I just asked you."

"Nothing is for free, kid. If you want something from me, you better scratch my back."

"Ew."

"Not literally, grasshopper." Vinnie looked around and saw Ryan and Dax. "You hang out with The Goth Sorokin now?"

Darrell turned to look at his friends and saw Dax was watching them curiously. "I'm surprised that you recognized him. He's not exactly in the spotlight most of the time."

"It's my job to know every Barron Hilton and Trent Olsen in Hollywood. Sure, they are the least interesting of the family tree, but once or twice they'd surprise you with some DUIs." Vinnie popped a popcorn kernel into his mouth. "So what's his story?"

"He's a…friend."

Vinnie grinned, not believing him, but he played along. "Tell you what, kid. You give me some scoop about Dax Sorokin or his family – and I might tell you what I know about the paintball prank that happened."

Darrell smiled. "You don't know jackshit."

"Well, I can find out at least. I was a former P.I, you know."

"Not gonna happen. If you think I'm gonna tell any gossip about Dax Sorokin so you can give me half-assed information, you better stick to your day job."

Vinnie shrugged, "Suit yourself." Darrell was about to leave him when he said again, "I saw your sister with Logan Echolls."

Darrell turned around and stared at him. He wasn't smiling at all. "And?"

"I don't know if kids today know about the Echolls family, but back in the day Logan and Veronica were…" He linked his fingers together. "…what you called an 'item'. It was ironic that they were together at the time because she solved the murder of her best friend that was committed by his father." He grinned. "Saw them a few hours ago playing couple." Darrell straightened his back and his hand formed a fist. "I mean, I don't know what they were doing out in a public like this, hugging, holding hands…"

"She's a private investigator, Vinnie. You know the drill."

"You and I both know the drill. Hey, they were really good acting as a couple. I took some great Kodak moments from both of them." He tapped his camera on his bag. "But I wonder whether her husband knows the difference…" He looked Darrell in the eye and smiled. "Besides, is she back in the sleuthing game? Should I be worried?"

"You should always be worried, Vinnie," Darrell said. "I'll give you some tabloid-worthy scoop about the Sorokin, and you will give me some info about the prank."

"Not enough, kiddo."

"Okay. How about you also give me the films in your camera and you can forget seeing Veronica and her friend before I tell her myself that you are a blackmailing asshole?"

Vinnie's smirk widened as he looked at Darrell from the bench. He squinted because of the sun's glare and the fact that the boy was taller and looked menacing than him. After one last look at Darrell's friends, he chuckled. "I gotta tell you something, kid. I don't see a resemblance in the family, but you are more of a Mars than you give yourself credit for." He paused a bit and then continued with a warning tone, "Better be careful in the future because planet Mars can get burned easily if they fly too close to the sun." He pulled out a memory card from his camera and gave it to Darrell. "Your pop and sis learned it the hard way."

Darrell looked at the card in the palm of his hand and then looked at the older man. "You will get your Sorokin scoop soon." He pointed at him. "You better give me something in return about the pranks."

Vinnie saluted him, "Nice doing business with you. With friends like you, Darrell…" He didn't continue his words, but he returned his attention towards the mime again and laughed when he saw him doing his antics.

Darrell was very quiet when he returned to Ryan and Dax. They were watching him curiously.

"Who's that?" Ryan looked at Vinnie, frowning.

"Someone you don't want to get involved with," Darrell answered shortly.

"What did he want?" Dax asked Darrell quietly.

Darrell didn't miss a beat answering his question. "Nothing. He was just being an ass."

Flashback, Sorokin Villa 2013

It took him a few seconds to process what Boris just yelled as he slowly stopped kissing her. They were breathing hard and Veronica looked at him with wide eyes; what the hell just happened? Didn't she tell him that she couldn't be with him and they would talk this through? Why did she jump him and then have a make-out session?

Gorya looked at her and saw confusion, lust, and hundreds of emotions flickering fast. He thought he might have the same look.

He put his forehead on hers and closed his eyes.

This wasn't a dream.

"Gory…" She whispered.

He nodded and gave her a chaste kiss.

"Too soon… Too soon…" Gorya whispered while kissing her. "God… damn it. I don't want to stop. Damn it…"

Veronica kissed him back and then released her grip and slid down from him. Gorya reluctantly released her. "We should… we should go back."

"We should…" He traced a finger to her lips. His left arm was still around her and she was flushed against him. "Veronica…"

"BOSS!"

Gorya groaned and he hit the tree behind her with his fist. "Damn it."

Veronica swallowed. "Gory…"

She needed this. After all that happened to her yesterday, she needed this. Not just a distraction… but someone who really cared and also understood whatever happened. Gorya understood her.

It was a fucked up situation and yet it was perfectly understandable.

He pulled away from her slowly and Veronica let him go. She then walked away towards the cabin while Gorya just stood there like a deer caught in headlights. He followed her back to the cabin a few moments later; he folded his arms and still could feel her heat.

When he finally entered the villa, he saw Boris talking to Veronica. She seemed distraught hearing what he was saying.

"What happened?" Gorya asked.

"My dad…" Veronica bit her lip. "The news… the report said that he assaulted Judge Frank Hayes. They are going to put him in jail…"

"Mercer's dad?"

Veronica nodded. "I have to go home. I have to…"

Gorya nodded too, although his heart palpitated. Boris glanced at his boss, knowing from his look that something happened back in the woods.

"Okay… You are right. And you need a plan about the whole thing. We… should talk about it." Gorya said. "And maybe afterward… we can talk about the thing that just happened for future purposes?" Veronica looked away and Gorya's ears turned red; he shouldn't have said anything. Now everything was awkward. "Uh… I mean, we should really talk about the plan."

"Right. I'll change my clothes first…" Veronica pointed to herself. Her sweater all bunched up and had dirt. She excused herself and climbed upstairs to her room. Gorya watched her go up and then planted his face on the sofa.

"Sorry, boss."

"I've fucking ruined it."

Boris sat on the coffee table watching Gorya mumble the words. "We really need to talk."

"I knooow…"

"No, seriously boss. This is really bad. Forget about your crush for a second."

"Shut the fuck up, Boris."

"I need you to have a clear head about this. She's going to drag us into the mud. Either let her go or come up with a plan that won't get us in trouble."

Gorya still had his face down on the sofa, but he lifted his hand up and gave Boris his middle finger. Boris let out a frustrated grunt, and he went back to the kitchen.

Gorya sighed and rolled around on the sofa. The TV was on mute, but he could see the Sheriff being surrounded by reporters. Boris was right; they needed a plan whether they liked it or not. Veronica couldn't be put in jail for killing Mercer or being indicted. Her lawyer could argue that she did it for self-defense, that she was being kidnapped again and was about to be raped again by Mercer. But it means that they would drag up her history again; Mercer kidnapped and raped her a few years back, but he went to prison for a short time because his dad was a judge. The public wasn't kind either as she faced the scrutiny, like blaming her for being raped. The blame the victim mentality that Gorya knew very well…He remembered when Valentina was kidnapped and raped; everyone blamed her family for being connected or how she was too mature for a ten-year-old back then.

There was no winning in this situation. Veronica and her family would face public shame again, and maybe she would lose her memory again…

Gorya lost Valentina. He would not lose Veronica.

He dragged his feet to her room and knocked on the door. There was a faint "Come in." from inside, so he opened the door slowly.

Veronica was sitting on the bed; she had already changed her sweater and now wore only a T-Shirt. She looked up to see Gorya closing the door and then leaned on it, watching her.

"Are you okay?" Gorya asked quietly.

Veronica nodded. "Yeah… It's just…" She folded the sweater. "Everything happened so fast." She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Last night… I stabbed Mercer. I saw his blood sprout like a shaken-up can of beer. Last night, I tried to clean his blood off me; but the harder I scrubbed, the more blood seemed to appear."

"I get it."

Veronica exhaled loudly, trying to contain her anger. "And then last night… when you burned my bloody clothes… I saw the smoke and all… and I finally felt free, you know? Free from him. I washed the blood and then burned the clothes. Like fire and water being mixed together and I was reborn." She shook her head. "So much blood… And all these feelings all jumbled up. But the most important one, I feel angry. Angry that I was so stupid –"

"You are not stupid."

"—stupid that I trusted him so easily." She finally looked Gorya dead in the eye. "I don't trust people, normally. Trust is very hard for me." Veronica saw that Gorya kept his gaze on her. Her heart was beating so fast but she continued. "I don't know whether I can trust you…"

Gorya slowly approached her and then he kneeled, facing her. He held her hands. "You don't… I know how hard it is to trust someone; especially when people hurt you all the time." He rubbed her hands with his thumbs to soothe her. "And it's normal to feel angry. Angry is good. The anger fuels you. Anger keeps you alive. I won't say whether it's a good feeling or not. People have different ways to cope; one of them is anger. And let me tell you something, Veronica… you're feeling angry right now. And maybe other kinds of feelings…"

Veronica nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"And whatever your feelings right now, I am here for you. We deal with this together."

Her eyes were glassy, but she quickly blinked the angry tears away. "Gory…" The fact that he didn't judge her made her want to cry.

"And whatever happens between us…" Gory whispered. "I am still here. You can count on me. I know it's hard to trust me. But I swear on my life, Veronica… I will never hurt you." He touched her cheek and she leaned into his touch. "I promise, Veronica."

Veronica hugged him and he hugged her back.

She rested her head on his shoulder and felt… safe.

"Thank you, Gory."

"Don't mention it, okay? I mean, you are the strongest woman I've ever met. You never give up. You're strong as hell. I admire you for that." He said. "And… I do have these feelings for you."

"Gory…"

"I know, I know. I won't force anything. We can talk about that later, but we do have an urgent matter about you and your dad."

They let go of each other but she still had her hands on his shoulders. His hands went down to her waist, and they stared at each other. Like magnets, they were drawn to each other and without realizing it, their foreheads touched.

"Gory…" She closed her eyes and he kissed her.

It was a slow kiss, not urgent like the one in the woods. He deepened the kiss and felt electricity run through his body as he hugged her closer. Gorya picked her up, and carefully put her on the bed, with him on top.

He mumbled, "Veronica…" He looked down, his eyes were soft. "I just want to make you feel better." Veronica pulled him closer.

Present,

Ganymede Apartment 2016

Logan pushed all the buzzers at the same time, and the tenants buzzed him in, which made him curse because the security in this building sucked ass, no wonder Gorya Sorokin was able to meet Trina. He needed her and her mother to move out from this cheap ass apartment – he may not like her, but she was still his step sister and family. Her security was important, especially against people like Gorya Sorokin who was able to do anything.

When he arrived at her apartment, he paused.

What would he say to her?

The last time he saw her when she was out from painkillers.

They weren't close – when he went missing in Africa, Trina made headlines and everything was about her. When he got back to the USA, Trina didn't even bother to see him – she only sent flowers and a note that said 'Welcome back, bro – XOXO Trina'. She was interviewed on how much she missed Logan and she was glad that he was safe and sound. At least she didn't forget to thank the US government for bringing Logan back.

Logan shook his head and stood in front of her door. He pressed the doorbell and waited. He was a little bit surprised when it was Trina herself who opened the door.

Trina widened her eyes, "Logan?!"

"Trina."

"H-how the hell you know I live here?"

"I came here a few days ago." He looked down at his stepsister; she was wearing heavy makeup to cover her bruises and she was wearing a neck cast.

"What?!"

"I saw your mom and she told me about…" He pointed at her battered appearance. "Years have gone by and you still picked a winner, didn't you Trina?"

"She is a deaf woman. How the hell did you communicate with her?"

Logan walked past her into the apartment, which made her grunted in displeasure. "I know ASL."

Trina closed the door hard. "Oh! You know ASL. Check one for Logan Echolls, movie director slash war hero. After saving burning villages in Africa, he suddenly knew sign language."

Logan turned around and stared at her. "Trina…I haven't seen you in years. I got back after being held captive by a rebel organization in Africa, and you never ONCE tried to see me." She was going to say something when he cut her off. "The only time you were trying to contact me was when your bloodsucking agent called me in the middle of the night, asking whether I could give you an invitation to the opening of my movie 'Neptune Noir.'"

"Which you said no to, so thanks a lot," Trina said in a huff and walked to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. "I had to watch 'Neptune Noir' on Netflix after being told by Andy Cohen that my brother is basically calling me a whore in the movie."

"I didn't call you a whore in the movie!" Logan said in disbelief.

Trina almost threw a teacup at Logan, but her neck prevented her from doing that. "Oh no?! In the movie, the redheaded harlot named Teena had to face shame after her scheme was found out and they banned her from the Neptune high society." She gritted her teeth. "She fell down into a swimming pool and had to do a walk of shame in front of the people at the party while everyone was laughing at her." She pointed a shaking finger at him. "And do you know what happened to me after the movie? Everyone is avoiding me like the plague. No more invitations, no more casting calls, no more guest starring –"

"Are you really blaming me that you are no longer popular in Hollywood?"

"—the tabloids had a field month, Logan." Trina sat down at the kitchen island. She tried to sit straight and she winced as her neck was in pain. "'Trina Echolls: Outcast'." Her eyes were glimmering but she looked angry. "Did you know that I was Trending on Twitter and Neptune Connection when Andy Cohen asked me that question on his show? He asked me whether I knew that my own stepbrother is calling me a whore in his movie. I had to 'Plead the Fifth' on whether I still talked to you."

"Don't blame me for your ego, Trina. I never called you a whore in the movie." Logan's eyes flashed dangerously. "But I remember when YOU called me a male slut in your TV movie about Aaron. Not to mention you said it was mom who killed Lilly…"

"It was a dramatization for a mini-series, Logan. We needed the sensation." Her eyes also flashed as she glared at Logan. "Besides, you WERE sleeping with Kendall Casablancas back when you were in high school. I caught her in your hotel room, remember?"

"How DARE you call mom a murderer."

"How dare you call dad a murderer!"

"Trina, Aaron did kill Lilly. And he almost killed Veronica and Mr. Mars. Why can't you get that into your head?"

"Where's the proof on that?"

Logan looked at Trina in disbelief. "You know what, I don't think you care. I don't think you could see the evidence if it landed right up your ass." He grabbed a chair next to her and sat facing her. "Just like when you didn't believe when Aaron beat me or put cigarettes on my skin." Trina looked away. "I don't know where this BLIND trust and faith came from."

"Dad never touched me. He never hurt me."

"Just because he never laid a hand on you doesn't make him a saint, Trina. Just because it didn't happen to you doesn't mean it didn't happen to everyone else. He beat mom, he beat me, he killed Lilly, he put Veronica in a fridge and set it on fire, and he almost burned and killed Mr. Mars to retrieve the sex tapes."

"Those things never happened, Logan," Trina said defiantly. She flinched when Logan hit the kitchen table, angrily. "I can see that you still have an anger management issue."

"You're used to it, right?" He pointed at her neck cast. "Your boyfriend did this to you?" Trina didn't answer – she wiped an angry tear formed from her eye. "What's his name?" She didn't answer but she stood up to pick up the kettle and poured some hot water in her cup. "Trina, what's his name?"

"He didn't do this to me." She muttered. "I was his meal ticket before he decided to tell his insane family about me. So…" Her voice quivered. "His brother came by to visit me, knocked me around and took some money." Logan could feel there was something more and he felt goosebumps on the back of his neck. "Anyway, I broke it off. He's no longer my boyfriend."

"Did his brother do something else to you?" Logan asked quietly.

Trina didn't answer. She was too busy dipping her tea bag into her cup. He looked at her as she continued making her tea.

Logan was going to say something when they heard the front door open and someone came in. He saw Mary was carrying some groceries and she was surprised to see Logan in the kitchen.

"Logan! How nice of you to visit again. And you are seeing Trina," Mary gestured to Logan.

"Hello, Mary. Nice to see you again," Logan gestured back and helped her with the groceries.

Trina frowned, "Wow. You really know how to do sign language."

"You should learn too. She's your mom, it would be better to be able to speak with her."

"Don't give me that shit, Logan," She spat and brought her tea to the living room.

Logan helped Mary with the groceries while Trina watched the TV. Mary asked whether he wanted a cup of tea, and Logan politely said no. He could see that Trina was sitting on the loveseat, staring at the TV and drinking her tea. She wasn't really watching the TV as he could see that her eyes were wet but he knew that she was trying not to cry.

Logan sat on the couch and exhaled quietly. He opened and closed his hands, feeling very nervous. It was obvious that something happened to Trina, and his blood boiled. He hated the fact that he knew that she must've been raped by this person.

"Does your mom know?" Logan asked quietly, almost whispering, even when they knew that Mary couldn't hear them.

"No."

"Did you call the cops?"

"No."

"Why?"

Trina didn't look away from the TV screen. When she answered, her voice was flat. "I don't want people to know."

"The sheriff is Keith Mars, I am sure he can help you."

Trina swallowed hard as she tried to keep her anger in check, "Logan. I really don't need the third degree from you right now. It happened. End of story. I just want to forget it."

"You want to let the person who's responsible for assaulting you get away with this?!"

"He won't get away with it."

Her tone was something utterly different from what Logan used to hear, it made him pause. "What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

"Let's just say someone is gonna do something about it," she answered flatly.

"What do you mean?" he repeated the question.

"Logan, I don't expect anything from an American hero like you to understand that sometimes we do things we are not proud of," Trina said, defiantly. "And sometimes we do whatever necessary to punish those who wronged us."

Logan went quiet as he stared at Trina. With almost a steady hand he tried to reach Trina's hand but then pulled away. "What did you do, Trina?" he whispered. She didn't answer, but she avoided his eyes. "Trina… Please tell me that this has nothing to do with Gory Sorokin."

She turned to Logan, surprised. "What?"

"I saw Gory Sorokin today… He mentioned your name."

Trina scoffed, "What a big mouth."

"So it's true, then? You and Gory Sorokin…"

"If you are implying something else other than we just met yesterday, I hope you choke."

Logan paused, his mind was whirling hard. "You met him here?"

Trina looked away again. "He was looking for my ex-boyfriend. He stole something from him, apparently – I don't know. I don't care." She touched her neck cast. "When he was here, we had a conversation. I told him to get the guy who did this to me."

"And you're okay with this?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"He's with the Russian mob!" Logan yelled.

"You think I didn't know that?!" Trina yelled back.

"Trina, Gory Sorokin is a dangerous man."

"And yet, Veronica is married to him." She looked Logan in the eyes. That shut him up when she said that – his chest suddenly constricted and he hated Trina for saying that. "You think Veronica would marry a dangerous man? Your ex-girlfriend, the daughter of the Sheriff of this town, is married to a mobster." Her tone was biting. "You think Veronica, of all people, would marry someone like him if he was dangerous?"

"Trina…"

"Or maybe she likes dangerous men?" Trina gritted her teeth. "I know you think I'm a stupid whore, Logan. But I'm not blind; I follow her story – from her kidnapping and rape and the death of her first husband. Did you know before she got married to Gory Sorokin, she was married to Don Lamb? Yeah, that Lamb. Don Lamb, the idiotic Sheriff in Neptune – how on earth did she get herself hitched to that idiot? And yet they were married until he got himself killed. Did you know that after he died, Veronica checked herself in a mental hospital until she got herself kidnapped again by a judge's son?" Trina put her cup on the table and the tea was sloshing. "I watched the news as they found her in a small town outside the state as she managed to get away from her kidnapper. I also watched the news and TMZ to found out that she was dating this guy who happened to be connected to an organized crime family – and then they got married." Her eyes flared. "Tell me, if Gory Sorokin is so dangerous, why is Ms. Detective with him?"

For a moment Logan didn't say anything. He was so angry at her burst – here he was, in her apartment because he was worried about her and wanted to take her and her mother someplace safe, and she was defending Gorya Sorokin, Veronica's husband who was not a good man. Maybe she was crazy and delusional – she was still until this day defending Aaron. She thought that Veronica and Keith made things up to discredit Aaron. And now this; she was defending this man, who might be responsible for Wallace's attack.

Logan rubbed his head, frustrated.

"Trina…" He said quietly. "Gory Sorokin was responsible with the assault of Wallace Fennel. He's Veronica's stepbrother."

"Yeah, I heard the rumor." She shook her head. "I'm sorry to hear about that – but I don't think he was responsible. The news said that he was attacked and mugged by gangbangers."

"Damn it, Trina! First Aaron…" He exhaled loudly. "Why are you being stubborn about this?"

"Do you think Veronica would still be with him if he was responsible?"

"She doesn't know."

"I find that hard to believe. She's a detective."

He couldn't argue with that.

Gorya managed to cover his tracks about Wallace's assault. And Veronica also seemed to be blind whenever it was about her husband. Or maybe… Did she… Maybe she knew…? That would be impossible – Veronica would not betray her own family.

She cried in that cemetery, wondering why her family seemed to abandon her. She didn't know.

"Trina… I came here to ask you to move out from this apartment with your mom."

"What?"

"It's not safe here. You were attacked and assaulted because it's so easy to access your place. You said it yourself that even Gory came by looking for your ex here."

"Where am I gonna go, your place? You don't even have a home; you probably live in a hotel."

Logan grabbed her hand, gently. "Trina. I can get you an apartment. Or a house – as long you and your mom move out."

She chuckled, "What – and leave all this?" She released his hand. "Why the sudden care?"

"I care about you. Always, and you know that. Even when you're being unreasonable."

"Why?"

"I'm your brother!"

That set her off and she stood up suddenly as she grunted in pain. "You haven't been my brother in years, Logan. I was never a sister to you – I'm just your step sister and you are the golden child – you conducted bum fights and burned swimming pools – yeah I know about the swimming pools. You slept with a married woman. You lied about dad. And you managed to come out smelling like a rose no matter what – you joined the Army and became an American hero, and then you came home, won awards, and got yourself on the front of TMZ, breaking news for dating an internet mogul!" Her tears fell down her cheeks. "And what about me…? One lousy portrayal in your movie and I got cast away with no friends, a fucking idiot for an ex, a deaf mom, disgusting apartment… and this!" She pointed to her neck cast. "At least I was unconscious when I was raped. It means I don't have to deal."

Logan closed his eyes. He had his head down while he was sitting on the couch, listening to Trina's rant. When he looked up, his eyes were red.

For a decade he hadn't seen his sister, and the second they met each other again they'd argue and were full of hate.

He didn't hate his sister, but she could be frustrating. The fact that she didn't believe that he was abused by Aaron also made him resent her. But he never hated her…

He never thought about Trina during his tenure in the army or when he became a professional hitman. He saw glimpses about her on tabloids or entertainment news media, but never actually picked up a phone to call her. He just…didn't care much about her. But right now his heart was in pain because not only was she delusional, she was holding anger at him for ruining her life. And what happened to her… Nobody should experience that kind of thing, ever.

"I want to help, Trina. Tell me what to do." He said.

Trina scoffed and turned off the TV. She then threw the remote to the corner of the room angrily. "Bite me, Logan! I don't need your fucking help!"

Mary saw her throwing the remote from the kitchen and hurriedly walked into the living room. "What happened?! Why did she throw the remote?" She gestured wildly to Logan. He didn't answer and stood up, facing Trina. He was going to give her a piece of his mind when he saw both women's faces. Logan was handsome and dressed sharply, but his tall and strong presence made both women took a step back in fear especially when he looked angry.

Maybe they could feel his angry vibe.

But when he looked at both women, his heart dropped.

He made them scared…

That was the last thing on his mind; scaring his own family. But Aaron's blood apparently was very thick in his body; he almost couldn't control his emotion. He was an assassin who was able to kill in cold blood especially when he was facing his enemies. But his own family got the best of his emotions.

Veronica made him over-protective. Trina made him frustrated. And both made him angry.

Logan looked down to his hands; they formed fists, and he felt like he needed to get out from the apartment before he burst into flame. He looked at both women and nodded, "Fine. I'm leaving." He turned around and walked out of the apartment, slamming the front door.

Outside, he was breathing very hard.

He tried to get his breathing checked as he felt anxious and stressed out. He was going to leave and never come back again when he realized that Trina was still his sister. Step sister or not, she was family. And you don't abandon your friends and family, no matter whether they want you or not. He looked at the front door of her apartment and decided to come back.

He stood in front of the door for a moment, took a deep breath, and opened it.

Inside, he saw Trina was crying. Mary was soothing her – with a restraint voice, she was trying to speak to her daughter, "IT'S… O-KAY."

Mary saw Logan by the door – she saw his face; full of regrets and sadness. She offered her hand to him and Logan took it. Trina saw Logan in front of her and she screamed, "God! Why are you here! I told you to leave! Just leave, you're good at that!"

"Trina, I'm not leaving," Logan said quietly. "You need help. And I'm here to help you."

"Fuck you, Logan!" She cried and hit Logan in the chest several times. He let her hit him because he didn't feel a thing physically. "I hate you so much! You and everyone else took everything from me! My dad, my friends, my… my… my…" He knew she was talking about the rape so he hugged her very tight and let her cry her eyes out. She was bawling and howling in pain and tears. "He raped me, Logan! He raped me! And nobody helped!" Mary was in tears too – she couldn't hear what she was saying but she could feel her pain. She saw Logan's stoic face as he let Trina slapped his cheek.

Logan knew she needed to get her anger and frustration out, and if he was supposed to be her punching bag, so be it. Trina let out a high-pitched cry and she almost dropped to the ground before he caught her and carried her in his arms to her bedroom. She was crying on his shoulder as she had her arms around his neck. "Shhh, I'm here Trina…" Logan whispered.

She was sobbing and wailing, "You never care!"

"I'm here now."

Logan sat on her bed with Trina still on his lap. She wouldn't let Logan go and tightened her embrace. "I hate you for leaving me." Logan kissed Trina on the forehead. "You shouldn't have left…"

"I know."

"You should've been here for all of us…" Trina's cry subsided and she closed her eyes, feeling very tired.

"I know…" He felt tired too.