Page 102 of Remi's War (Four Dark Horsemen 2)

“Fair?”

“Yeah. Should we ever fight within the group, there always will be a person who protects us.” He squeezes Santiago. “Best friends, no matter what. Do you agree?”

“Si.”

“But what if we disagree with what they do?”

Florian waves Octavius’s worries away. “Doesn’t matter. The best friend always stays a best friend.”

In this moment, a maid comes to us, holding a tray of little cakes. “Boys, it’s time for some dessert.” She places it on the blanket as Florian comes to her.

He asks, “Could you please take a picture of us?”

“Of course, honey.”

“Sweet.”

She urges Octavius and me, “Come on, guys. Get up. Let’s take a photo.”

We do as she says, stepping a few feet away as we all hug each other, facing the camera, and my lips stretch in a smile when excitement for the first time lights up inside me.

This friendship will not last, I know. In fact, I won’t be surprised if they change their minds in an hour, finding me too stupid or poor for them.

They go to private school, which means we will always be miles apart. Besides, who would want to mingle with the help’s son anyway?

However, it’s the first time ever interacting with someone my age, and I soak it up, grinning at the camera as the flash goes off.

And then for the rest of the day, we pretend to be the Four Horsemen, each one of us picking a rider and acting accordingly until Florian and Octavius need to go home.

On that day, I go to bed happy and content, ready to cherish the moment for the rest of my life.

After that fateful day, I never knew starvation again.

Because three boys who should have never looked my way, against all odds, truly became my best friends, ready to do anything for me.

What was theirs was mine, and what was mine was theirs.

However, Octavius and I weren’t destined to be the closest friends who support each other no matter our screwups.

Because we both grew up in shitty households with awful parents who cared only about themselves and made us live in our own personal hell.

While Santiago and Florian had loving parents who adored them. They knew so much love in this life; they had it in abundance.

The need to share was simply too great, and that’s how slowly Santiago became my true best friend, a brother to whom I owed everything and whose family gave me a chance at a better life.

They paid for my private schooling so I wouldn’t be separated from the boys, blacklisted from their house whoever dared to say that their son shouldn't mingle with the help, and gave me their protection whenever I needed it.

They became my own family, saving me from the disastrous whirlpool my parents created.

My best friend even invested money from his own trust fund to help me start my empire.

Florian formed an unbreakable connection with Octavius, protecting him through so much shit that anyone else would have probably given up. However, our most cheerful and carefree horseman… is the most loyal man you could ever find.

That day was the beginning of a strong bond, which withstands anger, pain, separation, and still thrives no matter what.

Even when Santiago was kidnapped and gone for so many years, we never stopped considering him one of ours.

However, his absence shattered our unity in ways I thought we’d never be able to come back from, and it tested the boundaries of our friendship, making us question a lot of things.

---