Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

  Something’s wrong, I thought as I slowly pulled myself upright in my bed, holding my hand to my aching head. Everything was spinning in my vision. I closed my eyes, swallowed hard, and flopped back onto the pillows, groaning.

  “What’s wrong with me?” I whispered. After a moment, I opened my eyes again and noticed that sunlight was streaming into the room through the window. The western window, I realized with a start.

  I bolted upright quickly. My head was unbelievably painful, but I somehow managed to stumble to the door. I tried twisting the doorknob, but it refused to budge even slightly no matter how hard I tried turning it. Tears filled my eyes and I began to sink to the floor while pounding my palm against the door. Alaric had been right all along. We’d trusted Adam, and he’d betrayed us, I had no doubt of it.

  I heard a clicking noise followed by the sound of the knob being turned. The door pushed cautiously against me, and I moved away from it somewhat. As the door opened up to admit Adam, I glared up accusingly at him.

  “I thought we could trust you,” I snarled angrily. He ignored my words and reached down to help me up from the floor, but I jerked away violently. “Don’t touch me!” I snapped. He stood up straight and looked down into my hate-filled eyes.

  “This is for the best Britney, trust me,” he told me in a soothing tone. “You’ll see that eventually.”

  “For the best?” I spat out. “You betrayed us. How could that possibly be for the best? Where are Jonas and Alaric?”

  “By now? Probably back in LA in DeRuise’s lair I’d guess,” he informed me. “I’ve managed to keep you sedated for almost three days now.”

  “They’re gone?” I cried in a strangled voice. I hadn’t expected to have been put out for so long and to learn that they were gone. Why had he kept me?

  Adam nodded confirmation. “Long gone Britney. You’re safe though. I’ll take care of you until they stop looking. I’m sure they’ll give up soon, and then you’ll be free to do as you please,” he promised me earnestly.

  I narrowed my eyes and reached for my bag, looking for my gun. I’d brought it in with me, never suspecting I’d need it, but now I felt more than ready to use it on the backstabbing coward before me. I would just sit here and shoot him. First, his legs, then maybe his arms, and eventually I might finish him off….

  “Don’t bother Britney, it’s gone,” Adam informed me, having realized what my intentions were. “I already searched your bag and took your gun, just in case you didn’t take the news very well.”

  “Exactly how did you expect me to take this, Adam?” I exclaimed indignantly. “Do you know what they’ll do to them? Why would you do this to me?”

  “I needed the money,” he replied.

  “The money? Why were you disowned by the rest of the family, Adam? Because it sure as heck wasn’t because of your high morals.”

  He shrugged. “I helped someone get revenge on another Larkin. I have no real loyalties to anyone, so they shunned me. All of them except for you that is.”

  “Had I known what you were really like I would’ve too,” I growled.

  “I was offered money for you as well, Britney, but I couldn’t do it,” he revealed to me, probably thinking it would cause me to change my mind about him.

  “You took the money for Jonas,” I snarled, “That’s the same thing in my eyes.”

  He sighed. “Get some rest Britney. You’ll feel better in a few hours,” he assured me as he turned and left me once again, locking the door behind himself.

  Clenching my teeth tightly together, I made my way to where my clothes from the day before lay half under the bed. I searched my jeans pocket, hoping Adam hadn’t thought to search them. With a thrill if victory, I withdrew my cell phone. Glancing quickly to the door, I slid out the keyboard and quickly selected Kara’s number. Hurriedly, I typed out a message to her, looking up at the door ever so often just in case Adam came back.

 

                 stopped at cousin’s in redding. betrayed. J.  and A. back in LA.   

              trapped.  help.

 

    I hit send and waited, leaning against the bed as I awaited an answer. I flipped off the volume so that Adam wouldn’t hear it when Kara replied. I didn’t have long to wait.

 

                              Will cum.  u k? addy?

 

  I quickly told her that I was fine and gave her the address, hoping I remembered it correctly, and told her that I was in a back room of the house. She replied telling me she’d contact me again when she was nearby.

  Knowing there was nothing more I could do now, I climbed back into the bed and tried to sleep. If I hoped to get out of here when Kara arrived, I’d have to get some rest so I could ditch my headache and feel less tired and disoriented.

   I re-awoke to Adam’s voice, and opened my eyes. It was black outside my window, and it felt late. I slowly sat up and was pleased to discover my headache now gone. Adam came over to the bed with a tray of food for me.

  “Feeling better?” he inquired, sounding genuinely concerned.

  “Some,” I admitted grudgingly to him. “But I’m not going to eat that,” I added, not caring how good it smelled. I’d die before I trusted anything he gave me to eat again, knowing that he must’ve put the drugs in the food the first night.

  “You need to eat something, Britney. You haven’t eaten anything in three days now. I’ve only gotten a little water into you,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing the tray on my lap.

  “I wouldn’t eat anything you gave me if my life depended on it,” I gritted out coldly, glaring at him.

  “Fair enough,” he sighed. “How about if I let you make yourself something instead? You can use whatever you like and I won’t touch it. How does that sound?”

  I studied him a moment, deciding. I needed to eat. “Fine,” I agreed.

  He led me out to the kitchen and showed me where everything was in there. I cooked something up for myself while I formulated a plan in my mind.

  He may have taken away my gun, but I still have the things I took from Jonas’ bag, I realized. If I could just figure a way to get out there, I could grab one and then get him with it. I glanced behind me at Adam, who was watching my every move.

  “Since I’m apparently going to be here a lot longer than I’d expected, can I get some more things from the car? Or did you trade those in for a reward too?” I questioned sarcastically.

  “The Maserati is still here. Does it have what you want? They took the other one.”

  “It does,” I confirmed with a nod.

  “Alright then. I’ll take you out to get what you want after you’re done eating,” he determined. I hastily finished my sandwich as quickly as possible without him getting suspicious about me being too eager. When I was finished, he started to lead me outside.

  “Wait,” I said stopping, “can’t I get dressed or put on some shoes first?” He looked at my outfit and shook his head.

  “Nope. It’ll help deter you from trying to run or something,” he informed me. “Now come on. If you want anything you better come get it now before I change my mind,” he warned me.  Without another word, I followed him out the back door where he’d hidden the car. He stood a bit off from the car as I opened a door to the backseat and started rifling through bags in search of my alternative weapons, thankful now that I had grabbed some.

  I wasn’t sure how much or even what to give him since Jonas hadn’t ever taught me about things like that. However, I wasn’t too worried about him being overdosed a little after what he’d done. As long as I got the desired effect of him lying on the ground, out cold but not dead, I didn’t care.

  I soon found them and pulled out a few other items as well. When I was finished, I tried to decide the best way to lure Adam close enough so I could stab him with the needle. I assumed that it didn’t really matter where it was injected so long as it got into him.

  Choosing a rather theatrical approach to getting him to come over, I suddenly dropped my head down and groaned loudly as if I were in intense pain.

  “A-dam,” I called out in a partly desperate, partly tense tone, pleased with how convincing I sounded even to my own ears.

  “What is it Britney?” he asked me with concern, hurrying over just as I’d hoped he would. “Is it your head? Are you ok?” I crawled out of the car a bit, clutching my weapon to me so he wouldn’t see that I had something. Just a little closer, I told myself, waiting for him to move just a few more feet closer. Finally, he was close enough, and I unexpectedly lurched towards him and plunged the needle deep into his side. He cried out with a mixture of surprise and pain, staring at me with wide eyes.

  “What’re you doing Britney?” he exclaimed, a horrified look on his face, reaching up into his eyes.

  “Getting out of here,” I replied shortly, “I’ve got somewhere I have to be.”

 He grabbed my arm and stumbled forward. “What did you inject me with?”

  “Honestly? I have no idea,” I answered truthfully as he fell to the ground at my feet. Not knowing how long he’d be out, I found something to tie him up with and dragged him away from the car. Next, I ran inside to grab my things. I checked the living room for anything left belonging to Jonas or Alaric, but found nothing. Still not sure what was safe to eat from his kitchen and what wasn’t, I bypassed snatching any food and went back out to the car.

  To my satisfaction, he was still out cold, but had a steady enough pulse. I dropped off my things into the car and then went back inside in search for my gun. After several minutes of searching, I found it tucked away in his bedside table in his bedroom. I snagged it and then went back outside one last time. Climbing into the driver’s seat, I started up the engine. Once I was well enough away, I called Kara.

  “Britney?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. I got away from my cousin. Where are you?” I asked her as I wove through the streets at a rate that Jonas would be proud of.

  “At the airport in Redding,” she answered.

  “Good, I’ll be there soon and we can fly to LA from there,” I decided.

  “Whoa, hold on Britt,” she cut me off. “We can’t just fly in guns blazing without a plan. Come to the airport and you can tell me exactly what happened. After that we’ll figure out what we’re going to do.”

  “Alright,” I agreed grudgingly. “See you soon.”

  An hour later, I met up with Kara at the airport. We grabbed some coffee and I told her everything that had happened since we’d left the motel a few days ago. When I was finished, she sat silently for some time, thinking.  When I could stand the silence no longer, I broke it.

  “What’re we going to do?” I inquired abruptly.

  “I’m not completely sure yet,” she confessed at length. “First off though, I think we should drive back to LA. I know that it’ll take a much longer time to get there then flying would, but from the sounds of it, we don’t have much choice. DeRuise is likely counting on you coming right to him as quickly as you can to attempt to help Jonas. He’ll be watching that airport for you, trust me on that one. Besides, while we drive we can figure out what we’re going to do and work on getting together a plan on how to bust the guys out.”

  “I suppose that makes sense,” I recognized, “but if we’re going to drive all that way, I personally would suggest we leave right away.”

  Kara nodded and stood. I took her to where I’d left the car and then she proceeded to take charge immediately. We settled upon trading off with the driving, and she went first saying I needed to get some more rest to finish getting out of my system whatever it was Adam had given me. Agreeing with her, I did my best to sleep in the back as she drove, although I didn’t end up getting much rest because I couldn’t help worrying about Jonas and Alaric and what was happening to them.

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  “How are you feeling?” DeRuise asked Jonas kindly as Jonas opened his eyes painfully to look at his captor. Tied to a chair, he couldn’t move his arms or his legs. Feeling as if his head might explode, he winced and closed his eyes.

  “Like hell,” he replied honestly.

  “Well I’m sorry for that. I hadn’t really expected to have to bring you back like that.”

  “If you treated Britney like this I’ll kill you,” he promised in a menacing tone. “You broke your treaty. I thought you were a man of your word.”

  “Actually, I didn’t break it. My men didn’t pick you up until it was over,” DeRuise corrected with a faint smirk. “And as for Britney…you think I have her?”

  “Where else would she be? She was with us,” Jonas shot back, opening his eyes enough to see DeRuise’s reaction, puzzled as to why he didn’t seem to want to admit that he had Britney. He couldn’t see that the man had anything to gain by lying about it.

  “Really? Well now that is interesting,” mused DeRuise. “Her cousin told me she’d left after you’d all arrived and that she’d never returned. You say she was still there when he put you out?”

  “Yes,” Jonas confirmed readily, though he wasn’t sure if it was the best plan. It might have been better to lie. At least her cousin might’ve been trying to keep her safe, even if he’d turned on him and Alaric.

  “Hmmm, well, very interesting. Perhaps she’ll show up soon then,” he commented. “Somehow I doubt that she’d just leave you to your fate here.”

  “She’s probably long gone by now,” Jonas lied, wishing it were true while knowing that if possible, Britney would have followed them.

  “You’ll forgive me for doubting that,” laughed DeRuise, amused. “Do you know why I brought you back here Jonas?”

  “You’re a disillusioned old man who can’t take a hint?” offered Jonas with a smirk.

  DeRuise smiled at Jonas patronizingly. “Ah, I can always trust you to never take serious matters as seriously as you ought to, can’t I? I brought you back here for your own good Jonas; yours and Alaric’s. There are things you know nothing about, important things that you should understand.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Jonas remarked dryly, “and maybe I’d even be half-inclined to listen to at least one word that comes out of your mouth if I hadn’t been drugged, bumped and bruised all over again so that there isn’t an inch of me that isn’t blue, and then tied to a chair.”

  “I’ll have you taken to a room where you can get some rest,” assured DeRuise kindly. “I’m very sorry that you were yet again caused further injury. That certainly was not at all what I wanted. Perhaps after you’ve had some rest you’ll feel better though and be back to your respectful self once again.”

  “Don’t count on it,” Jonas scoffed. “Respect flew out the window a long time ago.”

  “Well, maybe you’ll have some respect to offer when I have Britney then?” he asked. Jonas remained silent, hoping that Britney would do something completely out of her character and stay far away from LA.

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  “So, what kind of firepower did you bring with you?” I interrogated Kara eagerly as I took over driving and we began attempting to decide what we were going to do upon reaching LA.

  “None. I was on a plane, Britt,” she reminded me. “They’re a little strict about that kind of stuff these days, especially since 9/11. What do you guys have in this car?”

  “My gun from Jonas,” I answered with a inconsolable groan. “Everything else was either in Jonas’ and Alaric’s stuff that they had with them or in the Benz with Alaric. I’ve got nothing else.”

  “Ok, ok,” she said, trying to calm me down. “Did you guys clear everything out of Jonas’ old arsenal, or could we pick some things up there?”

  “There might be a few more guns, but nothing else, and nothing big. Definitely no explosives,” I surmised despairingly.

  “Well explosives would likely be a bit much for this mission anyways. They’d probably attract more attention than we want,” she pointed out to me.

  “So we’re going to just charge into DeRuise’s stronghold with handguns?” I asked skeptically.

  “I think that’s probably our safest bet,” Kara agreed.

  “But Kara, I’m not Jonas, Alaric, or even you. There’s no way I can help you pull that off,” I argued.

  “Have you ever been inside this place before?” she questioned me.

  “Well, yes, I think so. Once or twice.”

  “Then you must know at least the basic layout of the main rooms, right? To me, that’s more valuable than being a perfect shot. Otherwise, I’d being going in totally blind,” explained Kara. “Besides, I was thinking a slightly stealthier approach than Jonas’ and Alaric’s norm.”

  “Stealthier?” I questioned. “How exactly are we going to manage stealthier? I mean, they’re going to see us coming a mile away.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. We need to try to figure out a way to slip in undercover,” answered Kara with a decided expression.

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  When we finally made it back to LA a bit over a day later, we headed straight to Jonas’ secret building downtown to see what we had to work with and hide out. We hoped that we’d managed to return unnoticed.

  I stood to the side as I watched Kara carefully survey the array of weapons before her. There wasn’t much there, but there was more than I’d realized. To our surprise, we’d found a modest amount of C4 stashed away in one of the cabinets. Kara still wasn’t sure what we’d use it for, but she had immediately taken an interest in it. As I watched her pace back and forth before our newfound stockpile, I could see that she was slowly but surely formulating a plan in her mind.

  “Alright, I think it’s time for a little recon,” she announced, turning to face me and give me her full attention.

  “Recon?”

  Kara nodded. “Recon. I’m going to scout out DeRuise’s place and see what’s to be seen. Maybe I can come up with some type of plan after a look around. I’d take you with me, but we can’t risk having anyone see and recognize you. If DeRuise really was interested in getting his hands on you like your cousin said, then it’d probably be best if you stayed here for now.”

  “Alright, I understand,” I replied dejectedly. “I just wish there was something more we could do. I mean, who knows what’s happening with Jonas and Alaric.”

  “We’ll just have to do what we can for now and hope that they’re ok.”

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  With the directions that Britney could remember from her sparse visits, Kara found DeRuise’s mansion. She drove by the front entrance as slowly as she dared, scoping it out. Hopelessly, she shook her head at the sight that greeted her eyes.

  It would take no small miracle for her and Britney to get in and get the guys out. Her mind spun with numerous creative ways of getting into the place, but that’s as far as she could plan. Without knowing where Jonas and Alaric were, she couldn’t figure any further than that, unfortunately.

    As she continued driving forwards and away, tears pricked her eyes. She knew how much Jonas meant to Alaric. It had been like a dream come true for Alaric when he discovered that he had a younger brother, despite the fact Jonas was less than pleased at first to have an older brother show up. So she understood why Alaric had placed himself in so much danger to help his brother. Even in the relatively short time she’d spent with Jonas and Britney she’d come to care quite a bit about the couple and their plight. Still, she couldn’t help wishing that Alaric hadn’t jumped right in and gotten so involved like he had.

  Kara released a heavy sigh. Wishing things were different wouldn’t help anyone. Besides, they could never have just left Jonas and Britney to fend for themselves. Jonas was family, and Britney was well on her way to being the same.

  She and Britney had there work cut out for them. If they were going to get Jonas and Alaric out of that place, then she was going to have to do some digging around town to see if she could learn anything from the local less-than-honorable citizens.

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  Needing to burn off some steam, I cranked up my ipod, hooking it up to the speaker system Jonas had in the main training room. I did a few quick warm-ups before beginning to practice a sequence of kicks and punches. After awhile, I was satisfied with my ability to do those, and I moved on to some target practice. 

  Jonas had pushed me hard �" too hard in Steve’s as well as other’s eyes �" but his harsh training was about to pay off in an enormous way, hopefully. It would take every inch of what he’d drilled into me to pull off a rescue with Kara.

  I didn’t know how we’d do it, but we’d get Jonas and Alaric out somehow. If I thought DeRuise would let them go, I’d give myself up in exchange for their freedom. However, I knew that DeRuise already had what he was truly interested in from this entire mess.

  A couple hours later, Kara returned. As she approached carrying a bag of some sort of fast food, I looked up from reading a random old textbook Jonas had lying around.

  “I think I may have a plan,” Kara announced, her inky black eyes sparkling.

  “Really?” I questioned with a note of hope, brushing my blond curls away from my face as I met her eyes.

  She nodded. “Apparently, word on the street is DeRuise is hosting a rather open party in a few days,” she explained.

  “So?” I asked, beginning to guess her plan, but not believing she’d even consider it.

  “We’re going to the party,” she announced.

  “Are you crazy? They’ll see me and then it’d be all over for us. Besides, it’s probably a trap,” I reasoned, knowing as insane as it seemed though, it was our best chance.

  “Of course it’s a trap,” agreed Kara readily. “He made sure we’d have plenty of time to arrive in LA, that we’d undoubtedly hear about the party, and that it would be easy for us to get into. It’s the perfect trap. Lure us in and then nab us.”

  “Well if you know it’s a trap, how can you possibly think it would be a great idea to walk right into it?” I inquired disbelievingly.

  “We can use it to our advantage,” she assured me. “We’ll go in separately so they’ll think you’re alone. With any luck, they’ll take you where or near they’re keeping the guys. I can follow at a safe distance. When I get the chance, I can plant and blow that C4 for a distraction. It ought to give us enough time to bust Alaric and Jonas out and get away.” She seated herself on the floor, back against the wall, next to me, awaiting my opinion of her psychotic rescue plan.

  I shook my head. “It’s probably the craziest thing that I’ve ever heard. Do you really think it might actually work?” I asked, turning my head to see her face and gauge her expression.

  “Britt, it’s the best chance we’ve got,” replied Kara. “I saw that place. It looks normal enough to your casual observer, but to the experienced person who knows what to look for, the place is tight. I’ve come up with a million different ways we could get inside, but getting back out would be impossible.”

  “Alright then, I’m game,” I finally agreed, hoping this worked. “Whatever it takes to get them out of there, I’ll do it.”

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  DeRuise opened the door to the room he’d had Jonas put in several days ago. He strolled in and casually tossed a clothing bag onto to the untouched bed. Jonas didn’t even look up from where he sat on the floor, back to the wall, legs straight out and arms folded stubbornly across his chest.

  DeRuise didn’t even bother brining up the unused bed or the fact that Jonas sat on the floor rather than one of the empty chairs available to him. He already knew the answer �" or lack thereof �" that he’d receive. He’d given up on reasoning with Jonas, for now at least.

   Alaric had proved to be slightly less difficult. He would lounge in his proffered bed and not only listen to what DeRuise had to say, but at least pretend to be interested. That was a definite step up from Jonas’ brooding and minimal responses soaked in sarcasm.

  He stood there, wordlessly staring down at Jonas. Finally, Jonas lifted his head, though still not meeting DeRuise’s gaze.

  “What’s that for?” he asked, tilting his head towards the clothes bag. DeRuise smiled with satisfaction at having peaked Jonas’ curiosity enough to make him ask a question.

  “We’re having a party tonight, and I thought you might like to join us,” explained DeRuise.

  “Well you thought wrong,” Jonas laughed dryly. “I couldn’t think of anything I’d like less than to do that.”

  “Oh now that’s not true, Jonas,” replied DeRuise in a scolding tone. “We both know you could think of things you’d like much less than that,” he added suggestively.

  Jonas raised his head further and narrowed his eyes as he studied DeRuise carefully, as if looking for the answer to a question he hadn’t asked.

  “You’re not worried Alaric and I will get out of here if you allow us to wander around in a big crowd like that?” he inquired with suspicion.

  “Hardly,” answered DeRuise with a wry smile. “Alaric’s not invited, only you, and rest assured, you won’t be allowed to step even one foot outside.”

  “Why would you want me downstairs?” pressed Jonas, his eye boring through DeRuise, trying to figure out what his angle was.

  DeRuise simply shrugged nonchalantly and half-turned to leave. “I just thought you’d like to see Britney,” he commented, noting with satisfaction that Jonas started at the mention of her name.

  “What do you mean?” demanded Jonas.

  “I mean,” said DeRuise in a measured tone, “that I’ve made sure it will be very easy for Britney to get inside and join us tonight. I’ve had word spread around that I’ll be having a rather low security party tonight. If I’m right, which I’m sure I am, she’ll see it as her best chance to try helping you and your brother, and show up. I just thought you might like to see what you’re giving up one last time.” DeRuise knew he was saying the right things to get Jonas’ attention now as he watched as Jonas went rigid, clenched his fists, and rose to his feet.

  “You underestimate her, she’s far too smart to fall for such an obvious trap,” Jonas declared.

  DeRuise tilted his head, eyeing him. “Is she Jonas? Love and desperation tends to blind people, but you’re in love, how do you think she’ll react to the chance to help you?”

  Taking a threatening step closer to DeRuise, Jonas growled out lowly, “Leave her alone DeRuise. We both know you already have what you want and could care less about Britney or helping Hayden get her.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I actually care quite a bit about her,” said DeRuise. “It’s funny how everything turns out, isn’t it? I’d been intending to arrange for the two of you to meet long before all of this happened.”

  “What’re you talking about?”

  “I watched Lawrence’s daughter grow up, and knew she’d be perfect for you. There was the matter of Hayden of course, but I was certain I could convince her father to change his mind about all of that, it wouldn’t have taken too much. I’d even managed to work out a dinner with us all right before Britney decided to run off.  I knew she’d catch your eye the moment you saw her, I just didn’t expect it all to happen how it did,” related DeRuise with a chuckle.

  “The unexpected always tends to be what happens around Britney,” muttered Jonas under his breath. Aloud he asked, “Why were you so interested in my personal life? It’s none of your damn business.”

  “I was interested in getting Larkin to accept you for Britney so that in turn you could take his place in time. You’d have gotten to inherit the entire Larkin fortune and start a rather nice little family of your own.”

  “So essentially, you thought if you worked things out with Larkin, introduced me and Britney, and then dangled her over my head, you could turn me back to my family’s former occupation. Which, by the way, I must say I’m curious as to how you know so much about that in the first place,” Jonas mentioned. “I was under the distinct impression my father never told you he was an assassin prior to our coming to the USA, and I sure as hell didn’t tell you. We were purposely keeping quiet about it to avoid this very type of thing.” 

  “Your father didn’t have to tell me, I already knew long before your family came to live here,” revealed DeRuise.

  “How?” Jonas demanded as he continued to face off with the older man.

  “I met your father when he first came to the states on business, years ago while he was still young. When he met your mother, my younger sister,” answered DeRuise.

  “You’re lying,” snapped Jonas, though he took an involuntary step back at the unexpected revelation. “My father would have told me if you were my mother’s brother.”

  DeRuise shook his head. “Not in this case I’m afraid. You see, your mother was disowned when she, ignoring the plans our family had for her to attend college and such, willfully ran off with an Australian to be married to him. Our family would have nothing to do with her, your father, or you. I kept in touch with her for the first year or two after she’d left, but she stopped writing around the time I figure Alaric would have been born. She never mentioned being pregnant though, so when your father brought you here, I assumed you were an only child. I had no idea about Ana or Alaric. They were a bit of a surprise to say the least.”

  Jonas stepped forward once again. “That doesn’t explain why my father would have kept a family connection to you from my knowledge,” he challenged.

  “After your family came here, your father searched me out. When he found me, he came looking for work. He refused to continue acting as an assassin after what had happened to my sister. I accepted him on with his new line of work. He had only three requests, all regarding you. First, that I would always have a job open for you should you want it, that I would offer you my own personal protection, and finally, that I not inform you of our family connection.”

  “I don’t believe you,” retorted Jonas fiercely as he glared at DeRuise. “Why would he keep that from me?”

  “That’s a secret that I’m afraid your father took with him to the grave,” replied DeRuise, “he certainly never explained why to me. Now, you’re welcome to come down tonight if you wish. Although, you will be required to dress appropriately,” he added, motioning to the bag of clothes. Without another word, he left the room, leaving the door unlocked.

  Jonas moved to the bed and unzipped the bag to reveal an immaculate black tuxedo which he immediately recognized as his own. Apparently, DeRuise must have had someone go over to his apartment and retrieve it for him. His eyes wandered to the window where the sun was already beginning to set.

  “Stay away Britt,” he whispered, beginning to change into his tux. Though he hoped that Kara was with Britney and would keep her far away from the trap being prepared for her, he wanted to be downstairs to get them out if they did show up tonight. If he was lucky, he could warn them and get them out before they found themselves trapped inside.

 

 

 

Reviews

[Zachary_James]

NOW she's sick too. Can't stop reading