At 7 am sharp, I'm standing outside the lounge.I didn't think I would end up here again, especially after everything that has happened in the past couple of days, but Sam managed to convince me. Aaron is worth fighting for. All his life, he did the best he could to support us. He worked hard and sacrificed most of his teen years helping my mother out, and I can't let him down when he needs me the most.My co-worker, Chris, nods his head in greeting. "What happened to you yesterday?""Family matter."I start wiping down the counters and shining glasses even though they're already sparkling. Chris doesn't ask me anything else. Getting a day off is a rarity here, so he doesn't want to ask me a lot of questions. Besides, Ethan told me I could take the day off personally, so I'm not concerned about anything.I check the time on the clock hovering above us. The Kellers are normally in at around 8, so I still have twenty minutes, but of course Ethan shows up much earlier."Get me a scotch."
I clamp my hand to my mouth and scurry away without a sound. If they see me looking, who knows what might happen to me? The toilet is just two doors down, so I get in and leave the door open a little so I can hear when they come out. I'm certain I saw Ethan and Elizabeth, but it was dark in there and maybe I made a mistake.I pee and wash my hands quickly so I can get back to watching the store room. I wait for approximately five minutes. I'm starting to feel anxious because if I take any longer, Chris will kill me. He can't handle all the orders on his own, despite how efficient he is. I'm sure it hasn't been that long, but it feels like they've been in there for an eternity. As I step my foot out to leave, I quickly retract it when I hear the creak of a door. I peer through the gap and sure enough, Elizabeth struts out. I would recognize her glossy curls and her gait anywhere.After a minute, Ethan follows her, buttoning his blazer on the way to the main area. I follow him out becau
I wipe the debris from my legs. There's are some small red indentations and scratches on my knees and calves, but none of this damage is permanent. Nothing rubbing alcohol and adhesives won't fix.I have no doubt that Damien will want to see me after I leave the bathroom. I wipe the smudged mascara from underneath my eyes and rinse my fingertips off under warm water. At any second, someone will come looking for me.There's an impatient knock on the door."Hurry up, girl. You don't want to leave him waiting."Five minutes after Trevor and his men left, a car parked in front of us and a few men climbed out. At first, I thought they were other men who came to finish the job, but they were with the Kellers. I don't know how they found out about what happened so fast, but I was glad to be saved. They shoved me in the backseat of their car and I watched them shove Rodrigo's and Thomas's bodies inside the SUV and one of them sped off.The police never got involved.I imagined being held and
Three Hours EarlierDevon opens his eyes.He shuts them back again when the light stings his eyes. Why's the light so fucking bright? It takes him a moment to take in his surroundings and figure out where he is. There's a machine beeping somewhere behind him, but he can't look. There's an IV in his arm. He realizes he's at the clinic, but what he can't figure out is how he got here in the first place. That bitch Antonia got him, he felt that bullet pierce his soul before his vision blackened.He hears a knock on the door. It's light, yet demanding. Like whoever is out there is demanding to be let in. He closes his eyes just as the door opens. He hears heavy footsteps coming in his direction. Someone looks down at him and stares at him. He already knows it's Sam."What do you want?" he manages to ask."By the Lord, Devon," Sam shakes his head, "Even after a near death experience, you're still an asshole.""Was it you who found me?""What do you think?" Sam replies. "I wanted to call th
I reach under my mattress. I stare at the white piece of paper that could possibly be my brother's ticket out of jail. I pray silently for this letter to have what I need, a name is all I need. It could all end so simply, without more bloodshed.I take a deep breath before tearing the envelope. I stare at the paragraph written on the unlined paper. Sure enough, the letter is riddled with symbols and abbreviations and I can't understand a thing it says. NN, x¢b, I can't make sense of any of this. It makes me so mad that I ball it up in frustration, but then I smooth it back out.Giving this to Devon could be beneficial, he might be able to decipher this and get a clue, but that will have to wait until he's out of the clinic. I don't trust Sam Henry, and I'm not quite sure when I came to that conclusion. There's just something undeniably shady about him, like he isn't always being sincere.I fold it in half and shove it back under my mattress again. Stealing letters isn't going to help
Trevor Brown throws the picture frame on the floor.For hours, he's been searching the basement of their home for clues. He knows he's seen the girl who works for the Kellers somewhere. Her face, he wouldn't forget it. He's pretty sure he's seen her somewhere, though he has no idea where.There are boxes everywhere from when they packed everything away to make 'space'. They emptied out all the backrooms where their other employees used to stay, and some of the rooms upstairs. Danny's idea. Their home became some kind of military base, and they needed all the room they could get.Malcolm appears at the doorway and starts descending the rickety stairs with a cackle. Trevor grits his teeth. For days, no one's been giving him a break. Everyone's busting his balls about the 'mystery girl' as they dubbed her."Was she your girlfriend?""Who knows? She might be your soul mate, Trevy.""He's psychic now, our boy.""Maybe you saw her in your wildest dreams."Dreams? He never dreams. Besides, h
After hearing me utter the name of the man who killed Rodrigo Santos, they placed their tumblers on top of Damien's desk and filed out of the office. Ethan glanced at Damien before following after them, no doubt to accompany them outside.Now, Damien and I are alone in his office.He crushes his cigarette against his crystal ashtray. He looks up at me briefly, and it makes me nervous. I don't know what else he could possibly want from me."If that's all, Mr. Keller—""Are you sure the man who killed Rodrigo and Thomas is named Trevor?"I frown. This again? He's starting to make me question my hearing abilities. Yes, the shorter bald man called him Trevor. "Yes, I'm sure.""You didn't hear a surname, perhaps?""They only mentioned the Browns."Damien nods, but it doesn't feel like he's listening to me. I don't know what's wrong with him. He lights another cigarette. "I should've killed that fuck when I had the chance. Ethan was right, he's always right."I don't think he's talking to m
Malcolm glances at the picture. He raises his brows. Trevor is pleased with himself. He's managed to stun everyone in the room. Now, they'll think twice before they laugh at him again. "You were right, who would've guessed?"Danny takes the photograph from Malcolm. They discarded the frame long ago. Her picture has been passing around for the last half hour. "Are you sure it's her, Trevor?"Trevor crosses his arms. "So I'm blind now?""It's her," Malcolm confirms. "I saw her with my own eyes. Trevy asked me if I recognized her, but hell. I said no. I never saw that photograph before, and how would I have guessed?""And you found this in the basement?""Yes."Nate says, "This is too fucked up to be real. There's been a mistake, there has to.""No, no," Malcolm wags his finger. "Trevor is good with faces, we all know that. And I'm telling you it's her. Besides, this was amongst the old shit in the basement.""How is that possible?" Danny wonders aloud.Trevor doesn't care about the hows