Breaking the Rules

(An A Fragile Line prequel spin-off short story)

Copyright 2025

My sister is in danger. 

Getting visions of the future is not all it’s cracked up to be. Because now, I get to live in panic without knowing for certain if it will come true. Because nothing in the future is set in stone. 

Not only is it the future, but the future in an alternate universe. One that my sister currently has no idea exists, yet she’s about to develop her power to transfer her consciousness into the body of her alternate self.

And I’m not allowed to warn her. 

“She’s my sister and I’m telling you that when she travels over there her life could be at risk. Yet you don’t want me to tell her simply because if it doesn’t happen, she’ll know about our organization?” 

Brandon sits there behind his desk, nose in his phone, not even looking at me. “Oliver, we will have someone over there, ready for her. They’ll keep her safe.”

“It could happen at any time. You’re not going to be able to have someone there watching Allison 24/7. Not to mention she’s the heir. How are you going to get guys on our team close to her for that long?”

He drops his phone onto the desk and stands, adjusting his button down. “Exactly. She’s the heir. If your father can’t protect her from one of his own guys, then he’s not a very good leader, right? She’s not in as much danger as you think she is.”

“The guy had a knife to her throat.”

Brandon raises his eyebrows. “And…did you see him use it?”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I shake my head. It’s not an image I want to imagine, but that’s not why I'm wincing. 

“Then it’s likely he never gets the chance to,” he says.

“You can’t know she’ll be okay. She’s my sister, she deserves a heads up. It’s not like she’s going to say anything.”

“Oliver, we don’t know if she’s already been trained by your father and is just really good at keeping that secret from you.”

“Allison wouldn’t accept the position being handed to her. She’s better than that.” 

She wouldn’t rule an alternate universe that runs like a hell dimension. I’m furious that my own father is the ruler of said universe. 

“I hope that’s true, Oliver, I know how much you love her. Sometimes we can never truly know someone. It’s amazing how good they are at keeping secrets.” His eyes darken for a brief moment before he paints on a fake smile and claps me on the shoulder. “With that, I have a meeting to get to. I’ll talk to Josh, I’m sure he will be willing to be on stand-by in Ares.”

Josh, my sister’s boyfriend. Not Allison, but Harper’s. The one who probably should be heir, but for some reason dad didn’t name her. She should be developing powers soon too, but for some reason I never get visions of her. Or dad for that matter. 

Not feeling an ounce of relief, I follow Brandon out into the hallway who stops abruptly, and I nearly collide right into his muscular back. God, how embarrassing that would be. He’s 100% straight, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find the guy attractive. 

“Jeremy,” Brandon says before I see Jeremy walking towards us. My stomach somersaults as Jeremy’s chocolate brown eyes meet mine for half a second. “I’m heading out to that meeting, but we need to chat when I get back.”

“Sure thing boss,” Jeremy says. God, that voice. 

Brandon steps away towards the elevator leaving Jeremy and I facing each other.

“Hey,” he says, his voice slightly lower than before forcing my stomach to dip.

“Hey.”  Is that really all I can come up with?

He cocks his head and shoves his hands in his pockets. “You doing okay?”

A moment passes while Brandon steps onto the elevator and then doors shut before I respond. “Actually, not so much. Can we talk?” 

Jeremy leads me over towards his office. Brandon is a great leader, but I’m not entirely sure he always makes the right decisions. And Jeremy, being his second, may be able to give me permission to tell Allison what’s going on before she has to experience it. 

Shutting the door behind me, I turn to find Jeremy standing right in front of me. His eyes bore right into me, and I have to swallow just to get my throat working again. 

“Allison is in danger. I had a vision of her traveling into Ares for the first time, held up at knife point.” 

“And Brandon won’t let you give her a heads up.”

“Exactly.” 

Jeremy lets out a breath. “I can’t give that kind of directive without his go ahead. I’m sorry Oliver.” 

He steps away and drops into a chair while I run my hand through my hair. “I can’t say I’m not going to tell her. She’s my sister, I have to protect her if I can. What good is it to get these visions if we can’t prevent them from coming true?”

Jeremy rests his forearms on his knees, head dropped. My fingers itch to massage his shoulders. I’ve known him just over three months and my feelings are becoming an unstoppable force like a hurricane. Unpredictable and unavoidable. 

“I like how protective you are of the people you care about,” he says without looking up. “To the point where you’d be willing to take a bullet for them.” 

Taking a chance, I occupy the chair opposite Jeremy and lean in, our heads inches from each other. “I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.” 

He shakes his head before glancing up at me, those eyes simultaneously jump starting my heart and soothing my nervous system. “You’re gonna make me break all the rules, aren’t you?”

Our fingers touch, sending the most delicious sensation up my arm that settles into my stomach. Brushing my thumb over the back of his hand I marvel at the sharp contrast of his dark skin against mine. A breathtaking sight that should be captured and rendered as art for all of eternity. 

“Oliver,” he breathes my name, a curse and a wish. 

He meets my gaze, and we move towards each other, magnetized. Our noses touch first and every cell in my body buzzes with kinetic energy that has no choice but to be spent. He inhales deeply as my hand finds the side of his neck and his hand rests on my waist, twisting into my shirt. 

Desperate to make this moment last forever, I brush my lips against his but pull back at the last second. A noise escapes his throat igniting my core. He pulls me closer, giving me no choice but to concede as his lips intertwine with mine. Warm and soft yet demanding. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me and is relishing every second of this torture. The tip of his tongue glides across mine and I cannot hold back my moan. 

“Kissing you in my office was the biggest mistake of my life,” he says against my lips with a laugh. 

“You have no idea,” I say with a laugh, tracing his lips with my thumb. “So, about Allison?” 

He runs his hands up my thighs making it hard for me to concentrate. “Incorrigible,” he mutters. “Bring her here and Brandon will have no choice but to face the situation. The reality is she is named as the heir in Ares which means she’s getting her powers eventually. If you really believe she’ll choose our side in this fight, and your dad doesn’t have his claws in her yet, it’s best to get her acclimated sooner than later.”

“And you’ll back me on this?”

He studies my eyes; a brightness and excitement reflected in his. “Unfortunately, rule breaker, I'd do anything for you.”