"My what?"

"Your father."

"No, there must be some kind of mistake," I try to persuade.

Damon looks pain-stricken, "No, Scarlett, it's him. They have all his records, it's very clearly him."

I look past him; then, before I realize it, I'm walking past him towards the parking lot. He easily catches up.

"What are you doing? You have class!"

"I'll skip it. Where's your brother's office?"

"What do you think you're going to do, Scarlett?"

"To find out more, anything more."

"I don't want you near my brother."

I stop abruptly, "Well suck it up then Damon because I'm going to go see him with or without your help."

He swallows and runs his fingers through his hair, exhaling an aggravated sigh. I begin to tap my foot to show my impatience, and he immediately looks towards me annoyed but slightly amused as well.

"Fine, I'll take you."

* * * * * * * * * *

Before long, we pull up in front of a large building slathered with windows. I walk steadily inside with Damon trailing protectively besides me. I could tell he was becoming increasingly agitated the closer we got to the firm. We step inside a large elevator; we both remain silent as the tings of the floors speak. After reaching the seventh floor, the doors slowly spread and we enter a short grey hall. I can see office doors in front of me, one of them is Carter's. I figure Damon would know which is his so I walk forward toward the rooms.

"Excuse me, Miss? Do you need anything?"

A faint voice questions to the left of me and I stop. I turn to see a very young secretary sitting behind a desk. Her small hands are sitting neatly on top of each other and her lips are upturned in a shy smile. I smile back and answer.

"Yes, I need to see Carter Black."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Well no, but this is his brother," I point towards Damon, "And I'm here regarding a case of Carter's. It's very important."

"Carter usually doesn't speak to anybody unless they have an appointment, but I can try to ask since you are here with his family."

She picks up a phone besides her and presses a button. I hear it ring once then Carter's voice comes through.

"Yes?"

"There's a girl here to see you about a case you're working on."

"Does she have an appointment?"

"Well, no, but—!"

"Then I have no business with her."

"Mr. Black, she says she's here with your brother."

There's a pause on the other line then he finally responds, "What did she say her name was again?"

The lady at the desk's cheeks turns pink as she realizes that she never asked for my name. She quickly puts a hand over the end and asks.

"It's Scarlett," I say.

She resumes her conversation, "She said it's Scarlett."

"Send her in," he replies.

"Okay I—."

"Only her."

My face falls as I knowingly look towards Damon, already expecting his reaction. As I assumed, his jaw sits tight and clenched and his eyes are boring into the phone. I walk up and graze his arm with my fingertips.

"It'll only be like ten minutes, don't worry. I mean, what is Carter going to do in the middle of his office knowing that you're standing five feet away?"

Damon looks crazed, "Are you kidding? That's exactly what he'd want!"

I sigh, "Ten minutes Damon."

"Five."

He storms off to the right and sinks into a nearby couch. I make my way over towards Carter's door and right before I open it I turn around and hold up both of my hands, palms spread, signaling "ten minutes" to Damon. His furrowed brow stitches in further and I chuckle then step inside.

Carter's office is as plain and uneventful as I thought it'd be. A single desk and bookshelf rest in the room, and his walls are barren of any personal or even business reports: no family pictures, no friend shoots, nothing. Carter sits slumped in a large office chair; he twiddles his thumbs while gazing at me. I stand, unaffected, and wait until he makes the first move.

"So," he starts, "Why exactly have you come here today? Although, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just to see me," Carter toys.

"Oh cut the shit, would you? You know why I'm here."

"Feisty as always I see."

I give him an icy glare, trying to get across how much I'm not in the mood for his comments. He nods, understandingly, and waves his hand over a nearby chair. I oblige and sit down.

"What do you want to know?" he asks.

"Everything."

"I can't do that."

"Okay, then everything about my father specifically that you have license to share."

"Well, he currently resides in Jacksonville, but he's been moved to a nearby prison for trial convenience. He's been charged for the same reasons as he was with you; however, this time it was to a much higher degree."

"One of the things he was charged with my mother and I was domestic abuse, so I assume he is remarried?"

"Yes, and has a daughter."

My mouth runs dry; I wasn't expecting that.

"Wait, so that means...that—?"

"Yes, you have a sister, half-sister at least."

I have a sibling? I am a sibling? It's always been just me, and now it's not. A small smile begins to creep onto my face.

"What's her name? How old is she? I mean, she can't be too old considering my parents have only been divorced for seven years." I ask a little too excitedly.

"Woah, slow down Scarlett, I can't just go out giving away everything about this case!"

"I'm just asking for my sister's name, I feel like that should be public information anyways."

He leans back and exhales while running his fingers through his hair, identical to Damon. Soon enough, though, he's leaning forward, elbows propped onto his desk, and eyebrows peaked with mischief.

"I have a proposition for you."

Five words, that's all it took to completely change the atmosphere in the room, and for the first time I begin to feel nervous.

"Yes?"

"For each piece of information I give you, I get a kiss, starting from here," he points to the end of his jaw, "To here," he places his finger atop his lips.

"Absolutely not."

"Oh c'mon Scarlett baby, I know how badly you want to know more: like what prison your father's at, what's your long lost sister's name, where your sister lives, etc."

My palms start to sweat. He's right, I want to—need to—know more. I have so many questions, for both of them.

"Alright." I agree.

A devilish grin spreads across his cheeks, but what he doesn't know is that I only agreed because I think I can outsmart the game and get all the information I need before I reach his lips.

Three questions, that's all I need.

I rise and walk around the desk. He stands too, and steps in front of me, hovering.

"I hope you know I'm not doing this because I actually have any desire to kiss you."

"All the same to me."

I scowl and start, "What's my sister's name?"

"Jessica."

I reach up and place a wisp of a kiss against his jaw, gone almost as quickly as it was there. Carter seems to pick up on it and comments.

"I'll let that one pass, but you have to actually kiss me for more answers."

"You're a prick you know that?"

"Nothing new, sweet-cheeks."

"Where does Jessica live?"

"1224 S Lyncin st."

I place a kiss on his cheek.

"Where is my father?"

"Mortem Album Prison."

That's it, that's all I need to know, and I still have enough space in between where I last kissed and his lips for it to just be a simple kiss on the cheek. A prideful smile curls onto my mouth as I lean in for the last one.

"I told you five minutes Scarlett, I don't want you with him a minute long—."

Damon's voice fills the room as the door slams wide open.